University News

Finding Human Brain Genes in Duplicated DNA

Andy Fell — July 21, 2025

What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published July 21 in Cell identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more. The research could lead to insights into the functioning and evolution of the human brain, as well as the roots of language disorders and autism.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released for 2024

Katherine E Kerlin — July 17, 2025

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report ,” which presents data from 2024 in the context of the long-term record.

UC Davis Grad Student Named New Student Regent

Cody Kitaura — July 16, 2025

The ��Ƶ Board of Regents today (July 16) appointed UC Davis graduate student Miguel Craven as the 2026-27 student regent. Craven will serve from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026 as student regent-designate. He will have voting privileges when his one-year term as student regent begins on July 1, 2026.

IN MEMORIAM: Kenneth Tate, Robert Dynes

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

Kenneth W. Tate, a UC Davis professor and UC Cooperative Extension specialist, died unexpectedly on June 5. Robert C. Dynes, ��Ƶ President Emeritus and former chancellor of UC San Diego, died on June 30.

Faculty Recognized for Mentoring Underrepresented, Underserved Students

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

Five faculty members have been selected for a 2025 Chancellor’s Fellowship recognizing their work to, in the words of the organizers, “foster a learning environment where all students can develop the skills to be successful.”

Chancellor Gary S. May told recipients he was proud to highlight their “commitment to reducing opportunity gaps for underrepresented students and/or students from underserved communities.”

The recipients, as named by Chancellor Gary S. May and the Academic Senate, are:

Protecting Bees During Disasters

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

Patrick Hardy, a master beekeeper in the UC Davis-based ��Ƶ Master Beekeeper Program, or CAMPB, designed and implemented the world’s first, and so far, only honeybee disaster response team. His creation, a nonprofit called Bee Platoon, is designed to protect honeybees and help beekeepers during natural disasters.

“We help small hobbyist beekeepers evacuate their bees, recover beehives after disasters and help first responders move the swarms,” Hardy said. “Those are the three major planks of what we do.”

First Students Move Into Aggie Square

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

UC Davis celebrated a milestone on June 27 with the grand opening of Anova Aggie Square, a six-story smart residential complex that brings on-campus student housing to its Sacramento campus for the first time.

Q&A: Chancellor May on Search for Next Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

A leadership search is underway at UC Davis for a Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences based on our Sacramento campus. This role and the CEO role were previously held by David Lubarsky, who retired from the university in February.

Communication and Development Projects Take Top Honors

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

UC Davis has earned 10 accolades for communication, marketing and development work in the latest round of Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.

“It’s never been more crucial to communicate the value and impact of UC Davis, and I’m proud to have so many colleagues who do that so well every day,” said Dana Topousis, chief marketing and communications officer.

Aggie Staffer Shares Voice in Regents Meetings

Cody Kitaura — July 15, 2025

When conversations about the ��Ƶ happen at the highest levels, UC Davis employee Mayté Frías is there, sharing the staff perspective.

Frías spent the past year as staff advisor-designate to the UC Board of Regents, serving on committees related to finance, national labs and more, and this month started her one-year term as the full staff advisor, including time on committees related to public engagement, academic and student affairs, and more.

She doesn’t have a vote in Regents’ decisions, but has a seat at the table to weigh in on all issues.

What Cats May Teach Us About Long COVID

Amy M Quinton — July 14, 2025

UC Davis researchers find cats could help us learn about long COVID. They've found a new cell therapy boosts immune systems in cats with severe coronavirus.

Police Activity in Parking Lot

Andy Fell — July 09, 2025

UC Davis police issued a WarnMe alert on July 9 just before 7 p.m. after a vehicle pursuit by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office ended in parking lot 56A, near the Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility building. A suspect was placed in custody and there was no threat to the campus.

Police activity concluded at 8:45 p.m.

Molecular Simulations Show Graphite ‘Hijacks’ Diamond Formation Through Unexpected Crystallization Pathways

Andy Fell — July 09, 2025

The graphite found in your favorite pencil could have instead been the diamond your mother always wears. What made the difference? Researchers are finding out.

How molten carbon crystallizes into either graphite or diamond is relevant to planetary science, materials manufacturing and nuclear fusion research. However, this moment of crystallization is difficult to study experimentally because it happens very rapidly and under extreme conditions.

CHANCELL-ING: A Highlight Reel From a Milestone Year

Cody Kitaura — July 07, 2025

The 2024-25 academic year came to a celebratory close last month with cheers and happy tears for our newest graduates. More than 8,000 crossed the stage, and I was pleased to shake their hands or share a fist bump, hand over heart, or heart hands.

Wells Fargo Scandal Drove Borrowers to Fintech Lenders, UC Davis Study Suggests

Karen Michele Nikos — July 03, 2025

The Wells Fargo financial scandal in 2016 diminished consumer trust in traditional banks while driving homebuyers to fintech lenders for mortgages, a ��Ƶ, Davis, study suggests.

The paper, “Trust as an entry barrier: Evidence from FinTech adoption,” was published online in the Journal of Financial Economics. The paper was written by Keer Yang, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Graduate School of Management specializing in finance and financial technology.

Plants Seek Friendly Environments Rather Than Adapt

Andy Fell — July 01, 2025

As jewelflowers spread into ��Ƶ from the desert Southwest over the past couple of million years, they settled in places that felt like home, according to a new study from the ��Ƶ, Davis. The work, published July 1 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the ability of plants and animals to adapt to changing climates might be more limited than it appears.

Charles Melton ’08 Named UC Alumni Regent

Cody Kitaura — July 01, 2025

Charles Melton, a ��Ƶ, Davis, alum and public policy leader, has been appointed to serve on the UC Board of Regents, representing more than 2 million graduates worldwide.

Study Suggests Remembrances of Dead Played Role in Rise of Architecture in Andean Region

Karen Michele Nikos — July 01, 2025

Archaeologists have long thought that monumental architecture — large, human-built structures that emphasize visibility — were products of societies with power structures, including social hierarchy, inequality and controlled labor forces. But this notion is being questioned as researchers uncover evidence that hunter-gatherer groups also built such structures.

Aggies at the Helm

Russell L Thebaud — June 25, 2025

What begins at UC Davis doesn’t stop at graduation. For these three alumni, it led all the way to the president’s office — shaping the future of higher education at universities across the country.

Meet Ellen Granberg ’84, president of George Washington University (GW); Doug Girod ’81, chancellor of the University of Kansas (KU); and Carol Folt Ph.D. ’82, president of the University of Southern ��Ƶ (USC).

Health Professions Students From Disadvantaged Backgrounds Often Faced Childhood Adversity

Amy M Quinton — June 25, 2025

UC Davis graduate health professions students from socially disadvantaged groups are more likely to have had encountered adversity in their childhood.