BERKELEY, California, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Meghan Holst studies the broadnose sevengill shark, so she was naturally concerned when record-setting rain this year altered the shark's nursery grounds in San Francisco Bay.

But the species appears to have withstood the challenge, based on initial observations from a recent outing on the water by Holst, a 31-year-old doctoral student in conservation ecology at the University of California, Davis.

Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology (BMCDB) graduate program coordinator Alyssa Parsons, ’12 was recently honored with the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Program Coordinator award by Graduate Studies.

This award recognizes UC Davis graduate program coordinators who demonstrate initiative beyond their programs and contribute to campus- or systemwide improvements in graduate education.

Every year, outstanding individuals are recognized for their dedication to guiding and mentoring graduate students. Their exceptional guidance and unwavering support have profoundly impacted the lives of those they have mentored. The winners of the 2023 Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Award were commended for their unparalleled dedication and commitment to the growth and success of others.

“[This professor]’s exceptional mentorship has been instrumental in shaping the research direction, scholarly achievements, and career paths of numerous M.S. and Ph.D. students.”

Summer can be the busiest season for some graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, especially those whose research relies on a quintessential summer staple: hot weather.

As we reckon with the effects of climate change, so too must the other organisms that call Earth home. But what if you couldn’t move away from your dwelling to escape a threat? What if your shelter, your refuge, was a part of your body?    

Shellfish face this plight due to the excess carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere, which ultimately ends up in our oceans, changing the water chemistry and leading to ocean acidification.

Graduate Studies is pleased to announce and recognize the dedicated and talented individuals who have earned awards and recognition (link to awards page) for their outstanding achievements in the 2022-23 academic year.

The following graduate students, postdoctoral students, and professors are recognized for their exceptional contributions in research, teaching and mentorship.

UC Davis alumna Rinki Sethi ’04 has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge online security infrastructures for some of the most well-known Fortune 500 companies. 

The skillset behind her success is something that she says she learned as a teenager — not in any high school class, but rather in trying to outsmart her parents.

“I was a hacker. I just didn’t know it at the time,” Sethi said.

UC Davis’ efforts to provide food to students in need is making a measurable impact.

On Thursday, June 15, more than 800 UC Davis graduate students will cross the Commencement stage at the University Credit Union Center to celebrate a major milestone in their academic careers. Representing the comprehensive graduate education portfolio of Graduate Studies, which includes more than 100 degree programs, these graduates will go on to be the next generation of leaders in academia, industry, public service and other sectors.

In spring quarter 2021, Elizabeth Sturdy, director of mentoring and academic success initiatives in UC Davis Graduate Studies, in partnership with Pamela Lein, professor of molecular biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Ambar Kulkarni, associate professor of chemical engineering in the College of Engineering, piloted the Graduate Mentoring Initiative, or GMI.

A total of 20 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from the University of California, Davis, have been named the 2023-2024 fellows in the Professors for the Future (PFTF) program. It is the largest cohort of PFTF fellows the professional development program has accepted since it began more than 30 years ago.

Many universities hold annual Master of Fine Arts exhibitions showing what students have accomplished during their studies. The model is more expansive at the University of California, Davis, showcasing the breadth of work from students in departments across the College of Letters and Science.

The winners of the LeShelle & Gary May Art Purchase Prize, the Keister & Allen Art Purchase Prize, and the Savageau Award in the Department of Design will be announced at the June 8 opening celebration.

International LGBTQIA+ graduate students encounter unique challenges and experiences navigating the UC Davis landscape. These experiences are translated into an interactive art installation by the Queer Trans Lab at the UC Davis LGBTQIA+ Resource Center, now on display in the UC Davis International Center. Alienation and Liminality: An Installation on International LGBTQIA+ Graduate Student Experiences on Campus was created by students Kait Murray, Santhoshi Ramanathan and Iris Xie

The quality and quantity of mentorship at UC Davis is on the rise, and the university’s graduate students and postdoctoral scholars have taken note as demonstrated by the more than 40 nominations that were submitted for the Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Awards this year.

Julia Mouat, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, won second place in the UC Grad Slam competition held on May 5 at the LinkedIn Headquarters in San Francisco. She competed against nine other graduate students representing each of the other universities in the University of California system.