General News

Geography Ph.D. Candidate Nicholas Robinson Awarded $25,000 Leifur Eiriksson Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Drawing from the Foundation’s $5.8 million endowment, the awards support Icelandic students attending graduate school in the U.S. and American graduate students studying or doing research in Iceland. The grants are open to students from all disciplines enrolled in any graduate program in the U.S. or Iceland.

Robinson (right) is studying the domestic demand for Icelandic-grown vegetables and fruits, as well as local knowledge of agroecosystem management. He will work with the Faculty of Life and Sciences at the University of Iceland.

UC Davis Student Progress Assessment Tool Earns Honorable Mention in Larry L. Sautter Award Program

The UC Information Technology Leadership Council has announced that Graduate Studies' Student Progress Assessment project was selected for honorable mention in the 2020 Larry L. Sautter Award Program. 

The honorable mention is one of six awards and four honorable mentions that was presented at the Virtual UC Tech Webinar, hosted by UCLA on August 11, 2020.

Grad Studies Announces Recipients of Inaugural Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Awards

On July 1,  Graduate Studies announced 34 recipients of the Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Awards. Faculty were nominated by their graduate programs for outstanding excellence in advising and mentoring of graduate students. Graduate programs highlighted faculty for their service to the program, commitment to advising and mentoring, and positive impact on graduate students and colleagues.  

Graduate Studies Diversity Officer Devin Horton Recognized on List of Inspiring Black Scientists

Devin Horton, Ph.D, the Graduate Diversity Officer for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines at the University of California, Davis, is among the scientists and leaders recognized in a list of 100 inspiring Black scientists in America, published last month.

Integrative Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. Student Marwa Zafarullah Wins Emmy Werner and Stanley Jacobsen Fellowship

Zafarullah, a Ph.D. student in the Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, investigates the pathology of a rare neurodegenerative disease called Fragile X- Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). Predominantly affecting men, this debilitating disorder typically manifests after the age of 50. Its progression can be rapid, with symptoms including a substantial decline in movement and cognition. Currently, there are no cures or treatments available for FXTAS.

Erum Abbasi Syed named Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at the University of California, Davis, has appointed Erum Abbasi Syed as the division’s new assistant dean. She began her new role on Monday, June 15.

As assistant dean, Abbasi Syed will manage the operation of Graduate Studies and serve as the chief of staff to Vice Provost and Dean Jean-Pierre Delplanque. Graduate Studies’ 50-member team serves over 6,000 graduate students, 1,000 postdoctoral scholars, and the faculty and staff in nearly 100 distinct academic graduate programs.

Walker Hall’s Transformation into New UC Davis Graduate Center Continues

Though much of the UC Davis campus has been quiet over the past few months, the lot west of Shields Library has remained abuzz with construction work on the new Graduate Center at Historic Walker Hall. Scheduled to open later this year, the newly renovated building will promote interdisciplinary interactions and build community by serving students and postdoctoral scholars.