So...we've been kinda busy since, ummmmm..... January 2024, and put newsy updates on the back burner, where they promptly fell into the crack between the stove and the wall. Here's a rundown of what's happened in our world in the past 10 months.

Lots of kudos to 4EC faculty and grad students

Our last news update, dated December 2023, described Jay Stachowicz's receipt of the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement. But he's not the only person who gained recognition for research, teaching, mentoring, and advising last year.

Louie Yang received accolades from UC Davis for outstanding undergraduate teaching and from the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America for mentoring.

Jeff Ross-Ibarra received the 2024 College of Biological Sciences Faculty Research Award. Even more awesome, Jeff was awarded the 2024 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Agriculture and Food Sciences. He received this award for his "pioneering studies on the evolutionary genetics of maize, a key crop species for global food production." Several REU scholars from previous cohorts have contributed to this research, too!

Laskowski labbie Jonathan Aguiñaga received the College of Biological Sciences Dean's Mentorship Award for his work with undergrads.

Scholar updates

We welcomed a small cohort in summer 2024 -- Gildardo and Makayla from CSU Fullerton and Nitse and Nicole from Sac City College, all with funding from an EERREC no-cost extension (huh?? what's that???). They did beautifully in summer research.

Kenny, Avery, Cailin, Angelo, Luke, and Trey all started graduate programs in Fall 2024. Lizbeth and Christy gained positions as agency scientists. Claudia is student teaching at a middle school in NYC.

And everyone else is continuing with positions as lab techs, advancing in MS or PhD programs, and otherwise contributing to science and society. 

We are so proud of you all!

See the Alumni page for details. 

Research in the news

4EC faculty member Jenny Gremer and faculty collaborator Marina LaForgia took a team from The Washington Post to their field site at the McLaughlin Natural Reserve. The result: a really nice article* with beautiful images and a nice video. You should go read it (*this link is via the Washington Post "share gift article" mechanism. Please let us know if it doesn't work).

UC Davis Chancellor's Fellows Nann Fangue and Anne Todgham have established a collaboration with Chief Caleen Sisk, chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu tribe, to return salmon to the upper reaches of the McCloud River. You can learn about this project at this video or read about it via articles on NOAA or Winnemem Wintu websites.

Campus update

UC Davis has attained eligibility to be designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, with 25.1% of full-undergraduate enrollment identifying as Latinx. Together with our current designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, we are well-positioned to support the success of students from all backgrounds.

It helps us build a more inclusive campus community and links together the success of all students.”

-- Pablo Reguerín, vice chancellor for Student Affairs

Aaaannnnnd....

We got funded to run the REU for 2025-2027! Details on the rest of this website!