News

Team Develops AI Tool to Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field

Imagine walking into a field, plucking a leaf off a grapevine, scanning it and knowing within seconds if the plant is healthy, needs fertilizer or is showing signs of stress.

A team from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis, has done just that.

Meet the Leaf Monitor, a mobile tool paired with a handheld spectrometer backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling that could revolutionize how farmers monitor and manage crop decisions by providing real-time nutrition and trait information in the field.

Rooted in Community, Reaching for Discovery

When Nicole O’Shea came to the University of California, Davis, she was embarking on a new path away from her background in English and toward engineering. Not knowing exactly where her journey would take her, she has put down roots in the materials science field and grown a passion for inspiring and informing the next generation of materials researchers.

Graduate Studies Eliminates the Student Candidacy Fee

Effective Sept. 15, 2025, Graduate Studies has eliminated the student candidacy fee.

Both master’s and doctoral students were previously charged the candidacy fee as part of their advancement to candidacy. The candidacy fee has now been eliminated as part of recent modifications to the advancement process. This adjustment reflects Graduate Studies’ ongoing efforts to evolve our processes in conjunction with our university’s and community’s needs.

Celebrating 100 Years of Graduate Education in Davis

On a crisp fall morning in 1925, a dozen graduate students in white button-down shirts with their slacks cuffed over worn brogans arrived at the University Farm in Davis. They were united by a shared ambition: to pursue advanced studies in agriculture at what was then the research extension of UC Berkeley.

It was a quiet beginning for graduate education in Davis — seeding what would grow into one of the top graduate education programs in the country.

Graduate Studies Celebrates 2024-25 Honors and Awards, and Acknowledges Incoming Fellows

Graduate Studies is pleased to announce and recognize the dedicated and talented individuals who have earned awards and recognition for their outstanding achievements in the 2024-25 academic year, as well as acknowledge incoming fellows.

The following graduate students and postdoctoral students are recognized for their exceptional contributions in research and teaching. The incoming cohorts for the President's Postdoctoral Fellowships / Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowships and Professors for the Future program are also listed.