People often say things like Phoenix has always been dry; Seattle has always been wet; and San Francisco has always been foggy. But “always” is a strong word. A study from the UC Davis Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences synthesizes climate trends across the Western U.S. during a relatively young and lesser-studied period of Earth’s history — the Holocene Era, which stretches from the present day to the past 11,000 years.
Ten doctoral students across many disciplines in the College of Letters and Science and two students from outside the college will present research done as UC Davis Hemispheric Institute on the Americas Summer Fellowship recipients. The fellowships allowed the students to travel to further their scholarship into diverse topics ranging from music about the Panama Canal to examining human remains for insights into drought and societal collapse in Peru.
Four focus areas for UC Davis’ first “Grand Challenges” are bringing together experts from across the campus to address climate change, emerging health threats and sustainable food systems — and to reimagine the university itself.
A new study describes a period of rapid global climate change in an ice-capped world much like the present — but 304 million years ago. Although several other “hyperthermal,” or rapid warming events, are known in Earth’s history, this is the first identified in an icehouse Earth, when the planet had ice caps and glaciers, comparable to the present day.
Energy economics studies at UC Davis recently received an investment in its future with a power industry group’s creation of a graduate student fellowship. The Western Power Trading Forum (WPTF), a Sacramento-based association that advocates for competitive market rules in Western states, funded the fellowship for five years to help cultivate the next generation of energy thought leaders.
The University of California, Davis, Office of Research is pleased to announce the selection of Isabel Patricia Montañez as the new director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment (JMIE) effective September 20.
Two UC Davis College of Letters and Science faculty members have received Guggenheim Fellowships to study the life and times of a 16th century slave in India and current-day political theatre surrounding global climate change.
Economist David Rapson says carbon tax, other strategies may offer better ways to address climate change — and wins over debate watchers to his point of view.
Distinguished Professor Isabel Montañez and Professor Qing-zhu Yin of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences have been named fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
Through a rich and interwoven mix of the humanities — literature, human rights, ethnic studies, art — UC Davis faculty and students are deepening the world’s understanding of climate change and its lasting grip on the human experience.
Recent graduate Jumana Esau (B.A., English, ’20) combined her passions for literary scholarship and human rights to explore climate change and its impact on overlooked and vulnerable populations. Her honors thesis examines African futuristic works in climate fiction.
