December 2018
A Message from the Dean: Reflecting with gratitude
As the year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the people and events that make us grateful. I’m especially thankful for the initiative and outreach the Young Scientist Program leads on behalf of students in high-poverty schools in our region. These UC Davis student volunteers reveal life sciences with hands-on experiments to help grow K-12 students’ awareness and potential to go on to college and major in a STEM field.

We were also grateful to host the 2018 Fall Commencement this past Saturday. It was an honor to celebrate with the entire UC Davis family and welcome our new graduates (including nearly 100 College of Biological Sciences undergraduates) to the Aggie alumni ranks. View the event in photos.

Finally, we look forward to welcoming Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academies of Sciences, to campus on Friday, January 18 to present on the state of women in STEM fields. I encourage you to sign up to attend this free event, which will include a panel discussion with UC Davis faculty and alumni.
On behalf of our family and friends in the UC Davis community, have a happy holiday season and best wishes for the New Year.

Go Ags! 




Mark Winey, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Biological Sciences
Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology 
P.S. Please consider a year-end charitable gift to the college by December 31, 2018. All gifts, regardless of the amount, support our outstanding students, faculty and programs.
The YSP mission: encourage students, regardless of their background, to pursue higher education and careers in STEM fields. Aron Judd Perez Mendiola

Giving the Gift of Science: Young Scientist Program Brings Bugs to the Classroom

In the last year, the Young Scientist Program has engaged roughly 1,100 students across the San Joaquin and Sacramento counties, bringing science education with a flair to underserved and poverty-stricken communities in the region.

“The kids got to look at all these model organism underneath the microscope and answered questions about whether they think the animals all have brains, DNA, eyes, a heart,” Primack said. “This year, we’re doing industrious insects.”  
News Highlights
National Academy of Sciences President to Visit UC Davis to Discuss Sexual Harassment and Women in STEM
NAS President Marcia McNutt will visit campus for a presentation on “The Climate for Women in STEM: Past, Present, and Future.” The free event will be held on Friday, Jan. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the UC Davis ARC Ballroom.
From Tool Use in Primates to Animal Movement: Animal Behavior Graduate Student Claudio Monteza-Moreno
Claudio Monteza-Moreno spent his adolescence exploring the ecosystem behind his childhood home in Panama. These experiences opened his mind to science and eventually brought him to UC Davis. Today, he’s a student in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Exploring Vision, Perception and Behavior: W. Martin Usrey Named Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Endowed Chair in Physiology
“It’s a great honor for many reasons, but for me in particular, it’s being able to do research under the name of Barbara Horwitz and John Horowitz,” said Usrey. "To be associated with their legacy is really quite special.” 
Uncovering How Dengue, Zika Viruses Manipulate Hosts with Priya Shah
A new, holistic approach to biology is giving researchers new insights into how the Dengue and Zika viruses attack their hosts and, in the case of Zika, affect brain development.
Visualizing “Unfurling” Microtubule Growth with Jawdat Al-Basaam
Exactly how microtubule fibers assemble inside the crowded environment of living cells has been a mystery. UC Davis researchers have uncovered the mechanism that puts these blocks in place, illustrated in a new animation.
Nature Paper Unravels Dynamics of Plant Hormone Interactions at Atomic Resolutions
In a new study appearing in Nature, Assistant Professor Nitzan Shabek and his colleagues add structural definition to the strigolactone signaling process in plants.
Discovering Curiosity
Explore how a passion for science propelled our faculty on the path to research
Protecting Our Oceans from the Tiniest Toxins with Gary Cherr
Since 2009, Gary Cherr has served as the director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory and as associate director of the Coastal & Marine Sciences Institute. But he became an Aggie well before that.
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