Things in Davis are getting cooler, our state has started to have much-needed rain and it gets dark early. Fall is definitely in full swing, and there is no shortage of activity on campus.

Our first full month back to campus saw several milestones. The Genome Center ran its 1 millionth saliva sample since COVID testing became available for students, faculty and staff in September of last year. As a result, positivity rates in our community remain exceptionally low. The achievement has played a significant role in the safe, successful return to campus our students, faculty and staff experienced earlier this fall.

Another center is celebrating an accomplishment of note, too. The Center for Population Biology is commemorating its 30^th anniversary with a video featuring graduate students and alumni of its prestigious postdoctoral fellowship. The center is unique in combining the study of evolution and ecology, and supports scientists by providing an interdisciplinary approach to studying biological diversity.

In other news, recently-released U.S. News & World Report rankings place several University of California campuses among the very best in the world, with UC Davis in the top 100 of 1,750 universities from more than 90 countries. These rankings follow those from U.S. News, which placed all nine undergraduate UC campuses among the nation’s top 50 public universities. In those rankings six UC campuses were in the top 10, including Davis.

In observance of Veteran’s Day next week, the university will be closed on Thursday, November 11. A celebration honoring veterans will be held virtually on Tuesday, November 9 with a keynote address by Melissa A. Washington, CEO of the Women Veterans Alliance. From all of us in the college, we thank our veterans for their service.

As we enter the tail end of 2021, campus looks a little different than it has in the past, but our collective commitment to exploration and innovation is as present now as it has ever been.

In short, the Aggie spirit is alive and well.

Go Ags!

Rachael Bay, an assistant professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, studies the response of marine invertebrates to increasing ocean temperatures. The fellowship will support research on the effects of human action on how species evolve.

The lab of Aldrin Gomes, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, has been recognized for a commitment to safety. The Gomes Lab studies how commonly used drugs affect cells.

The saliva-based COVID test was developed by a team led by Richard Michelmore, director of the Genome Center. The program has expanded to include K-12 schools throughout Yolo County, keeping positivity rates low on and off campus.

Keith Baar, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, was interviewed for a cover story about preserving and, in some cases, regenerating cartilage.