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Much Still Ahead

learning, exploration and discovery

While there are many achievements and accomplishments still ahead of us this year, some have happened already. Researchers in the Department of Plant Biology received a $5 million Gates Foundation grant to support the expansion of self-cloning crops from rice to other staple foods in areas where availability of high-yield seeds is either unreliable or expensive. This is impressive and highly impactful work that is worthy of support and celebration.

Here in the CBS Dean’s Office, I am deeply grateful for the many contributions of Michele Igo, our long-serving associate dean of undergraduate programs, who concludes eight years of service upon her retirement this June. Michele’s work has positively impacted thousands of UC Davis students each year and helped lay the foundation for excellence in life science education for future generations of UC Davis students. We are all deeply grateful to her, and hope that she does get to enjoy more time with her dogs.

For those who are in the Davis and Sacramento areas, the annual Biodiversity Museum Day is coming up. It’s a great chance to tour interesting and engaging spaces at UC Davis that showcase many of the remarkable collections and organisms housed on campus. The UC Davis Botanical Conservatory will be welcoming visitors as they do each year, and their “living museum” is always worth a visit.

Despite events on the national stage, which affect us all, there is reason to be hopeful. Last month, Congress approved continued research funding for agencies including the NIH and NSF, keeping funding levels similar to the previous year and allowing grants to continue flowing to universities across the country, including UC Davis.

I am deeply grateful to our leaders for this support of learning, exploration and discovery — it's exactly the work we’ll keep doing.

Go Ags!

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Mark Winey, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Biological Sciences

Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Featured image above: Researchers in the Department of Evolution and Ecology are working with collaborators in the Cook Islands to investigate heat tolerance in corals in an effort to protect reefs from climate change.

Image of a whale skeleton hanging in a building foyer

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Whale Tale: How the UC Davis Beaked Whale Found its Way to Campus

The skeleton of a rare Stejneger’s beaked whale hangs in Storer Hall, collected in Alaska in the early 1980s by UC Davis alumnus Ed West and his wife Kathy, then carefully prepared and transported thousands of miles to campus, where it has presided for more than four decades.

Research & Discovery

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Monkey Business: Using Genetics to Understand Decision Making in Monkeys

A small furry monkey eating and situated in the trees

Abigail Morris, a Ph.D. candidate in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group, is investigating how flooding and habitat type impact the behavior and population genetics of large-headed capuchins and monk sakis. Her work may help inform conservation efforts.

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Some Corals Can Stand the Heat — Could They Help Those That Can’t?

Image of a large brown coral and a research holding a color key card

Researchers in the Department of Evolution and Ecology have partnered with collaborators in the Cook Islands to study the genetic and microbial factors that afford some corals greater heat tolerance in an effort to support healthy reefs in the face of climate change.

College Spotlight

A smiling woman in a blue shirt standing outside

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Michele Igo to Step Down as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs

Michele Igo, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics who has served thousands of students annually as the college's associate dean of undergraduate programs, is retiring in June and stepping down after eight years of leadership on student success, advising, and curriculum reform.

Awards & Laurels

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Grant to Expand Self-Cloning Crop Technology for Indian Farmers

A man in a field of green plants with small yellow flowers

The Gates Foundation awarded a $5 million grant to researchers in the Department of Plant Biology and colleagues in India to expand self-cloning seed technology to crops beyond rice, allowing farmers to save seeds from high-yielding hybrids for future plantings.

Featured Event

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NeuroFest 2026 – Adapting to Change: Neuroplasticity Across the Lifespan

Celebrate Brain Awareness Week at NeuroFest on March 7. Learn about the latest neural plasticity research from Center for Neuroscience core faculty and enjoy interactive booths, poster presentations by trainees, NeuroArt Contest and fun for all ages! Space is limited. Register by February 24.

To celebrate the college's 20th anniversary, every gift to the CBS Dean’s Innovation Fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $202,500, from now through June 30, 2026. Your gift to CBS is an investment in the continued exploration of life sciences by a new generation of researchers and future leaders.

Give to the CBS Dean's Innovation Fund

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Land Acknowledgement Statement

UC Davis acknowledges the land on which it stands. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of the Patwin people, who have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.

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