If you told freshman-year me that research would become one of the most meaningful parts of my time at UC Davis, I would be shocked. As a STEM major on the more computational side of things, I never pictured myself working in a lab. In my head, doing research involved white lab coats, chemical experiments, and petri dishes.
Stepping onto the UC Davis campus as a first-generation college student can be daunting to say the least. It is incredibly difficult to navigate the extreme academic and social changes happening all around you. As I explored Davis, feeling like a lost and anxious first-year student, my guide was the Student Transition and Retention (STaR) program.
Finding an internship is not an easy task – it is overwhelming, tedious, and often seems impossible. You have to take into consideration the location, time commitment, and requirements, while also worrying about fulfilling your degree and maintaining a campus job.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Alan Balch, with more than 590 academic publications to his name and numerous accolades, is the longest serving tenured professor at UC Davis and is being celebrated with the Balch Symposium on Nov. 14. The symposium will consist of lectures from academics around the globe who will highlight Balch’s contributions to the field of chemistry.
At first glance, computer science and cinema & digital media (CDM) might seem worlds apart. In practice, though, they’re deeply connected. From game design to website development, innovation often comes from blending artistic creativity with technical expertise. For me, a love of games sparked an interest in game development, and that became my gateway into computer science.
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a $500,000 grant to launch and fund the UC Davis Center for Artificial Intelligence and Experimental Futures to a center focused on developing solutions to complex problems brought on by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and imagining a future where it is utilized in innovative, ethical and accessible ways.
Did you know that the UC Davis College of Letters and Science was founded with just five major departments: Botany, Chemistry, Zoology, English, and History? Letters and Science was established as the second college at UC Davis in 1951, alongside the College of Agriculture.
Ron Austin of Fairfield, California, is proud he has finally completed the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in political science, but he sees his life as a cautionary tale that he shares with first-year students. What he didn’t know is that he was just seven units short of meeting the requirements for his degree.
The 2025 UC Davis Medal will be awarded to Michael C. and Renée Z. Child. Mike Child is a member of the Chancellor’s Board of Advisors and emeritus member and former chair of the UC Davis Foundation Board. Renée Child has served on the College of Letters and Science Dean’s Advisory Council.
