These are Chancellor Gary S. May’s prepared remarks for his 2025 State of the Campus address delivered on February 19 to the Representative Assembly of the Academic Senate.

Thank you, Kadee. 

It’s always a pleasure to meet with the Academic Senate and share an overview about the state of the community we share. 

2024 was a year of remarkable achievement for UC Davis. Our reputation is rising to match our achievements, and we are empowering students and researchers from every corner of the world. To borrow a line from another speech, the state of our campus is strong.

As we celebrate our university’s achievements, I want to acknowledge that the past few months have been trying for the UC Davis community. We are grappling with a new and more complex national political environment, budget constraints, and, above all, a period of deep uncertainty.

I want to assure you that — at every opportunity — I will continue to advocate for this remarkable university. Our teams are working tirelessly to share the impact of our teaching and the power of our research with policymakers and other leaders. They are investigating every approach to protect our work and promote the economic and societal good that emanates from our university every day.

These challenges are real, but we will face them together. We will continue to train the next generation of innovators and problem solvers, develop research that saves lives and makes the world we share more sustainable, and serve the people of California and the world.

That is the UC Davis way. That is who we are. 

Our work was recently reaffirmed during a WASC Senior College and University Commission visit. This organization evaluates our educational programs every ten years to determine if we maintain our accreditation.

I thank everyone who met with the evaluation team during their visit. The team provided very positive feedback and a few recommendations related to challenges we are already addressing, including those through the START Task Force.

The recommendations include modernizing and strengthening information technology and facilities, alleviating strain on faculty and staff, and reviewing advising services.

I want to recognize everyone involved in this accreditation reaffirmation process. Thanks to their efforts and the outstanding work our faculty and staff perform every day, we fully expect our accreditation to be renewed.

As we reflect on our successes and consider the challenges we face, partnership with the faculty is at the heart of what we accomplish at UC Davis. I appreciate your commitment to scholarship, teaching, and leadership in this community.

Rankings

Despite this moment of challenge, UC Davis continues to stand out as an institution making an enormous difference. 

Our current rankings place UC Davis right at the top, and in some cases, on the medal podium.

According to the Wall Street Journal, UC Davis is ranked #3 among all public colleges and universities in the country. This ranking is significant because it focuses on how well we prepare our students for success after college.

Also, U.S. News & World Report places UC Davis at No. 9 among the nation’s top public universities. This marks the fourth consecutive year our university has been ranked among their top 10 public universities. For the past 10 years, we have placed among the top 12.

We remain the #1 Agriculture and Veterinary school in the United States.

Altogether, these rankings illustrate how UC Davis empowers students from every background with world-class educational opportunities, preparing them for career success and service to their communities.

Faculty Honors

Much of this success is due to the extraordinary work of the scholars, researchers and teachers in our faculty. While not a comprehensive list, I’d like to share significant accolades in our academic community over the past year.

Let’s begin with those elected to the National Academies:  Dean Estela Atekwana in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Garen Wintemute in the National Academy of Medicine, and Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar, Walter Leal, and Richard Michelmore in the National Academy of Sciences.

These leaders were honored for a lifetime of contribution to their field, and we commend them for this well-deserved recognition. 

Brian Soucek was elected to the American Law Institute, the nation’s premier non-governmental law reform organization. He joins 25 current or emeriti UC Davis faculty members in the ALI.

I’d also like to recognize Aldrin Gomes for receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. This award reflects his commitment to mentoring underrepresented and economically disadvantaged STEM undergraduate and graduate students.

Joanne Emerson received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her work on host ecology and biogeochemistry in soil, plant and other ecosystems.

Professor Carol Hess received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for American Music for her significant lifetime achievements in scholarship on the music of Spain and the Americas.

These names represent a small sample of the well-deserved recognition for UC Davis faculty, who are cutting-edge researchers and dedicated mentors for our students. Thank you to all our remarkable faculty for their enduring commitment.

Research Funding

And the world knows we are a research powerhouse across all fields of study. 

Whether it’s ensuring sustainable groundwater access right here in California or developing cures for emerging viruses in Africa, UC Davis researchers are enhancing our understanding of the world and making it a more just, healthier, and more equitable place.

Last September, we announced that UC Davis received over $1 billion in research funding for the third consecutive year, surpassing the previous year by $33 million. 

Fewer than 20 public universities in the United States can boast of reaching that level of external funding. Hitting the mark three years in a row speaks to the enduring power of the research happening across our campuses.

Our research is fueling entrepreneurial opportunities and economic development.  As of last year, the university has 1290 patents on record and is focused on innovating new technologies. 

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the university’s Technology Transfer Office received 140 records of invention, submitted 208 patent applications and secured 109 patents and plant certificates.

Over the past 10 years, 137 startups have been formed with an emphasis on commercializing UC Davis technologies. 

However, there’s little doubt that our exceptional work is occurring in a more challenging environment today. 

The transition in the federal administration has resulted in several presidential actions and executive orders that reflect a shift in national priorities. Still, our critical research mission continues despite challenges and uncertainty over the past few weeks.

The Office of Research is collaborating closely with campus leadership, the University of California Office of the President, and our federal governmental relations and legal counsel teams to guide our campus research community regarding federal actions like executive orders, stop-work orders, and the temporary suspension of federal grants.

Last week, the University of California submitted a declaration supporting the California Attorney General’s suit against the federal government. The suit is a response to new guidance issued by the National Institutes of Health limiting funding for Facilities and Administration. 

We understand this funding is vital to the life-saving and innovative research across the UC system. We are collaborating with professional organizations and partner institutions, especially the AAU and APLU, to express a united voice about the impact on the entire R-1 university world if these cuts are enacted.

We encourage researchers to continue their work and refer to the Provisional Guidance issued by the Office of Research a few weeks ago, which is found on their website.

We will continue to update you as information becomes available.

We also face challenges at home with research administration support at our campus. I want to address concerns about our transition to Aggie Enterprise, staffing challenges and increased research compliance requirements. I assure you that campus leadership prioritizes addressing these concerns.

We are taking these immediate steps to improve the process and provide support.

First, we are expanding dedicated administrative staff support in the Sponsored Programs Office and adding staff and contractors in Contracts and Grants Accounting.

Next, we are investing in technology to streamline grant submissions, improve budget tracking and enhance reporting. Starting early this year, faculty and staff will have access to new training opportunities.

Finally, we will continue our conversations with the Academic Senate to identify short and long-term actions to address the faculty’s most pressing concerns. In alignment with the Senate’s Research Initiative and the START Research Excellence Committee, these conversations will develop solutions to our systemic and organizational challenges.

This work depends on your collaboration and input as we build solutions together. This will allow you to focus on conducting groundbreaking research and mentoring our student innovators.

Research Highlights

While research breakthroughs happen across our campuses every day, I’d like to mention a few that demonstrate our success in building a healthier, more sustainable world.

Nutrition scientists and economists at the UC Davis Institute of Global Nutrition, together with international partners, developed an approach to reduce malnutrition and child mortality in West Africa by adding vital micronutrients to bouillon cubes. Because bouillon is consumed by the vast majority in the region, regardless of socioeconomic status or location, this approach offers an equitable pathway for impact. The Nigerian government adopted the strategy, one predicted to save the lives of 57,000 children by 2030.

A team led by Chang-Il Hwang, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, discovered a novel epigenetic factor contributing to metastasis in pancreatic cancer. Their work offers new hope for treatments for the disease that has become the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Researchers at the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein — or iCAMP —are working with industry and academic partners to speed the commercialization of alternative proteins, which will help us feed the world more sustainably.

As Professor David Block notes, the global demand for meat will skyrocket over the next 25 years. However, this rapid growth is coupled with a significant source increase in global greenhouse gas emissions. The Center’s work offers a blueprint for collaborative research addressing these challenges.

As the world monitors emerging viral threats, researchers at UC Davis are among the foremost institutions for understanding and helping to prevent and address diseases like H5N1 — Avian/Bird flu. 

One study, led by Professor Marcela Uhart at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s One Health Institute, is keeping an eye on a new variant of H5N1 she calls — quote — “this new monster.” Her team’s work protects the health of marine mammals and is positioned at the forefront of collaborative documenting, recording and providing early warning of potential threats to human health.

The University Writing Program Won a $1.5 Million Grant to help address equity gaps in writing support and AI literacy. This collaborative project, led by UC Davis, working with four California community colleges and three CSU campuses, will foster innovation in using AI to improve curriculum and teaching in the state’s public higher education system.

Across all fields of study, UC Davis researchers continue to push to the frontiers of knowledge to benefit the communities we serve.

Enrollment

Let’s shift now to enrollment and admissions.

Together, we’re creating opportunities for students across the state and the world. This fall, undergraduates from 56 California counties, 47 states and 48 countries joined us.

The total fall enrollment for 2024 at all locations — including undergraduate, graduate, professional students, interns and residents — reached a record of 41,239 students.

Enrollment increased by 391 students, or .9%, over Fall 2023.

Our students increasingly represent California's diversity. 37% of our admitted undergraduate students last year — the highest in a quarter century — come from historically underrepresented groups.

Hispanic and Latino students increased by 4.1%, African American students by 9.6%, and American Indian students by 19.2% from the previous year.

40.8% of the incoming class said they would be the first generation in their families to graduate from college.

This remarkable class of students demonstrates how our commitment to a diverse class that looks like California drives excellence. The average GPA for the class was 4.04.

That momentum is continuing. For fall 2025, we received over 120,000 total applications, a 4% increase over fall 2024. That marks the first time UC Davis has crossed 100,000 first-year applications.

HSI Designation

October marked another enrollment milestone for UC Davis. That’s when our fall enrollment numbers crossed the threshold for UC Davis to be eligible for Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, designation.

UC Davis now serves about 8,000 Latinx undergraduate students, the second-highest number in the UC system.

But when it comes to HSI, it’s about much more than numbers. We’re empowering more young people from underserved communities.

We’re closing the gap on disparities in access to higher education, particularly research universities. Our Latinx students are going where game-changing innovations are happening, and solutions to societal problems can be found.

We’re on the cusp of joining a select group of HSI-designated universities with the highest research activity. By enrollment, we will be one of the top 10 HSIs in the country.

UC Davis will also belong to a select group of R1 institutions, which number around 20 HSRIs in the country. Our HSI office and Division of DEI will work with the campus community to make UC Davis a leading HSRI.

This designation will be a tide that lifts all boats. The programs and funding we establish will help all students, particularly first-generation and low-income students. It will also allow UC Davis to apply for competitive grants that support student success, innovation and institutional transformation.

Further, the HSI designation will allow our faculty to access extensive federal funding opportunities. I firmly support our faculty in securing such grants and programs.

 Moving forward, the HSI/AVANZA Office in the Division of DEI will continue developing recommendations for the vision, goals, and metrics we’ll employ as an HSI. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to invest in outreach and pipeline strategies to help underrepresented students.

We’ll update you as more information on the designation becomes available.

Budget

Now, let’s turn to the state of the budget and other financial matters.

The last time we met, I shared that the state projected a $47 billion deficit in 2024-25, which resulted in a two-year budget plan that reduces funding to the UC system and defers compact commitments. 

In the Governor’s Budget Proposal this January, the state confirmed that they will defer compact funding and reduce the University budget by almost 8 percent. The University is anticipating a budget reduction of $271 million.  

For UC Davis, we anticipate a state funding reduction of over $37 million. We also expect continued growth in employee compensation and other costs. If no action is taken, the combination of these factors is anticipated to result in a core fund deficit of $90 million in 2025-26.

Some of you may have heard more optimistic figures in the press and other discussions. As a campus, we plan responsibly based on estimates provided by UCOP, and we will adjust if changes or new information improve the outlook in the next several months.

Our departments are feeling the strain of increased budget pressures as our expected expenditures on state funds and tuition sources continue to outpace expected revenue.

Since 2020, we have achieved $83.6 million in ongoing savings. In anticipation of state fund reductions, we are working toward identifying another $24.4 million by 2026, for a total of $108 million over six years. In addition, we have allocated over $210 million in one-time funds to mitigate this deficit.

I echo a message that Provost Mary Croughan shared in her latest campus budget letter that said – quote - “We cannot count on the state to fund the university at the levels experienced decades ago. We must evolve. We must identify ways to operate more efficiently and generate revenue to resolve our core funds deficit and balance our budget. We must share the burden of reducing costs, boosting efficiency, and continuously improving.”

Provost Croughan shared in December that, consistent with the last two academic years, we will provide central campus funding to cover salary and benefit increases for core-funded Academic Student Employees for the 2025-26 academic year.

This includes teaching assistants, associate instructors, readers, tutors, and other instructional assistants. We estimate this will cost approximately $5 million. This continued support from central campus is intended to allow academic units to continue offering their courses with adequate support, which is critical to our students’ timely progress in their degree programs.

In recent years, we managed the core fund structural deficit primarily through across-the-board approaches to reductions, as well as looking at efficiencies and net revenue generation, and by leveraging other appropriate fund sources to replace core funds.

We are now focusing on the hard work of identifying targeted strategic reductions to preserve the university's core mission. The Provost and I have asked all unit leaders to suggest targeted reductions while we continue to focus on our core mission. Some of these suggestions will move forward into the annual budget process for further evaluation and feedback, including from the Academic Senate.

All UC campuses face similar challenges, so our situation is not unique. Nevertheless, I want to sound a note of optimism: I remain hopeful. We are relatively well-positioned at UC Davis, given that we started addressing our core funds structural deficit many years ago.

Revenue

UC Davis revenues total over $7.8 billion from many sources that are generally aligned with the overall mix of funds for the entire UC system.

Revenues have increased steadily since 2010, from $3.4 billion in 2010-11 to $7.8 billion for 2024-25. The largest increases have occurred at the medical center, in contracts and grants funding, and gifts. Our “core funds,” the combination of state funding and tuition, have decreased from 22% to 16% of all sources.

The Sustaining Teaching and Research Task Force — or START— continues its work to prioritize strategies and recommend specific actions to enhance our ability to fulfill our mission at the highest levels of achievement. START has six committees focused on undergraduate education, graduate education, research, campus support services, facilities, and faculty equity and a sustainable workload.

As you may recall, the committees are tasked with proposing solutions to issues shared with the provost during her listening tours, meetings with the Academic Senate, and other public campus events and meetings. 

START’s first nine recommendations were submitted to the Academic Senate, Academic Federation, and Staff Assembly for review in December. The recommendations also are posted on the Provost’s START website for review and input from the entire campus community. At least 10 additional recommendations are in progress and will be submitted for review and feedback before the end of the academic year.

START has held seven town halls, each drawing hundreds of people to campus, to discuss issues committees are considering and their recommendations. 

Deferred Maintenance

Now, I’d like to focus on some updates related to deferred maintenance.

The Davis campus manages over 1,200 buildings and is the largest physical campus in the UC system. We have more buildings and deferred maintenance needs in Sacramento, but my comments today focus on Davis.

The number and age of our buildings, along with decades of declining state funding, have contributed to an approximately $960 million deferred maintenance backlog. While large, every UC campus and most public institutions across the US have sizable deferred maintenance needs.

Some years, the state allocates funding for deferred maintenance, but support remains inconsistent. The last State allocation was in 2022, and while we continue making campus improvements with those funds, there is no planned replenishment. 

With our limited deferred maintenance funds, a key focus is roof repair across campus. Many roofs were replaced in the 1990s, and over 30 years later, they have reached their lifespan.

From 2020 to today, we have over 50 roofing projects that have either been completed, are in progress or have been flagged as upcoming priorities.

Repairs are prioritized based on safety concerns, building usage and the extent of roof damage.

When a building is undergoing a seismic retrofit, Facilities Management allocates deferred maintenance funding to seismic projects so essential work can be integrated with ongoing seismic and ADA work. Right now, we have $12 million dedicated to this. 

We’ve made significant progress, but there is still much to do. Our data-driven approach, strategic prioritization and continued advocacy for state funding will help us address these challenges.

The Facilities Management teams assess the entire campus every three years, updating backlog estimates and ensuring that completed projects are recorded.

For a detailed breakdown of our deferred maintenance efforts, visit the UC Davis Facilities Management website at facilities.ucdavis.edu/deferred-maintenance. 

There, you’ll find an interactive project chart that tracks the scope of our work, including project locations, associated colleges or divisions, costs and status.

Philanthropy

UC Davis is soaring to new heights in terms of philanthropy. In October, we celebrated the completion of our multi-year fundraising campaign: Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World.

UC Davis raised more than $2.25 billion from over 133,000 donors. This was the most successful fundraising campaign in campus history, with gifts strengthening our impact across the board.

Our students benefitted from new scholarships, basic needs resources and hands-on learning opportunities. These donations also support research identifying solutions for society’s most pressing challenges, including food security, health equity and climate change.

But this is UC Davis, so we’re not going to stop here. The vital work will continue, and one day, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll start another campaign. 

In the meantime, we’ll continue to fundraise for university priorities such as world-class research and innovation, human and veterinary health advancements, and student support to increase educational access for all.

Art District

Another transformative act of generosity changing the face of our campus is the historic gift of over 20 million dollars from long-time UC Davis supporter Maria Manetti Shrem. 

Her gift — the largest in the history of the College of Letters and Science and the largest ever for the arts at UC Davis — will ensure that UC Davis continues to be a global leader in creativity and the arts.

Her support will fund three endowed academic chairs. Two will be in the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program, with a third endowed faculty chair in the Department of Design.

It also provides perpetual funding for The California Studio, establishes the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textile, and supports the Art and Art History Visual Resources Library.

You may have seen new signs on campus marking the Maria Manetti Shrem Art District, a hub of creativity and collaboration spanning Hutchison Drive from the historic TB 9 art building to Shields Library. 

The district is intended to be a space where creativity can flourish. It welcomes students and faculty from all disciplines to connect, create and explore the arts.

On January 26^th, we cut the ribbon for the district, celebrating the beginning of this next powerful chapter for the arts at UC Davis.

Aggie Square

Over in Sacramento, we’re excited about the progress at Aggie Square, a dynamic development featuring four state-of-the-art buildings and a large parking structure. UC Davis tenants have already begun moving into 200 Aggie Square, a seven-story wet lab building, and 300 Aggie Square, an adjacent eight-story tower with classrooms and flexible office and collaboration spaces.  

These buildings will soon be bustling with activity, as the School of Medicine, College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Continuing and Professional Education occupy 60% of the space. Wexford will lease the remaining 40% to innovative businesses, primarily in the biotech, health sciences, and engineering sectors. 

The new Aggie Square Parking Structure, with 1,500 parking stalls, is now open. We are pleased to offer daily and monthly permits to UC Davis affiliates that provide reciprocal parking privileges between the Davis campus and Aggie Square. 

Looking ahead, ANOVA Aggie Square, a mixed-use residential building with 252 beds, is set to open in Spring 2025. The university will support UC Davis students by subsidizing 103 of these beds to be below market prices. 

In the last year, we announced that the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory will move its operations from the Davis campus to Aggie Square. This move will expand the laboratory's educational programs to community and industry partners. VGL’s new home, a three-story lab and office building at 400 Aggie Square, is scheduled to open in 2026. 

We also announced that the Department of Biomedical Engineering will launch a new master’s degree program in medical device development in September 2025. It’s the first graduate degree program specifically designed for Aggie Square. It will empower students to collaborate with clinicians on medical solutions to improve patient care.    

Aggie Square’s construction exemplifies UC Davis’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, featuring all-electric power, energy-efficient labs, and water-saving measures. We are on track to achieve LEED Gold certifications for all buildings.

The innovation fostered at Aggie Square will drive regional prosperity. An economic and fiscal impact study conducted on behalf of UC Davis by the Sacramento Office of Economic and Planning Systems forecasts nearly $5 billion in new, ongoing annual economic impact and $2.6 billion in one-time economic impact upon the completion of all phases of Aggie Square.

Aggie Square is a public-private partnership, or P3, in which the UC Regents own the land. Our private partner, Wexford Science + Technology, designs, finances, and constructs the buildings. 

Wexford has invested over $510 million of its own capital to construct Phase 1A.  Since Wexford has significant expertise in constructing and operating innovation centers nationwide, they can deliver this type of construction faster and at a lower cost than we could.

Upon completion of Phase 1A, Wexford will contribute $1.4 million annually in ground lease revenue to UC Davis. This revenue will help offset operational costs, including staffing for Aggie Square.

UC Davis is responsible for tenant improvement costs to customize our interior spaces. To date, the total approved cost for these improvements is approximately $332 million. Departments occupying Aggie Square are covering most of these costs with their own resources, with a small subsidy provided by the campus.

Lease costs for all buildings we occupy in Phase 1A total $14.4 million annually, equating to $38 per rental square foot. This is a competitive rate for brand-new, Class A buildings on our campus. 

Thanks to our P3 partnership, our lease costs are lower than they would have been had we constructed Aggie Square ourselves. Departments will use their own funds to cover 20% of their respective lease and operating costs, with the campus subsidizing the majority.

In Sacramento, this is the first new lab facility since the 1980s and is a long-overdue investment to support UC Davis researchers.

We are thrilled to welcome other tenants to Aggie Square and hope many of you will join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 2.

Sustainability

Back to the subject of rankings, we learned just before winter break that UC Davis was named by UI GreenMetric the greenest university in the nation for the ninth year in a row. These rankings reflect our progress in energy consumption, climate change mitigation and sustainability efforts in waste, water, transportation, as well as our impact in education and research.

We’re guided by the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices, which sets a bold systemwide goal to achieve at least a 90% reduction in total emissions by 2045. UC Davis is one of the systemwide leaders in this area.

Further, UC Davis is embarking on a comprehensive update to its Climate Action Plan, or CAP, for the first time since 2009-2010. This update will serve as a strategic roadmap for achieving the university’s climate goals, including significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and advancing sustainability across campus operations.

Also, through the support of a $4.77 million grant, we are investing in our Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester, or READ facility, to enhance its ability to transform food waste into renewable biogas and certified organic fertilizer.

Our ongoing Big Shift is further accelerating our campus operations away from fossil fuels. Once completed, the project will shrink the heating plant’s carbon footprint by 80%. To stay informed of progress on the Big Shift, I encourage you to sign up for the Big Shift newsletter and visit the Big Shift website. 

As I said in my most recent letter to the campus, our commitment to sustainable practices remains at the heart of UC Davis’ DNA. We’re all determined to make our campus environmentally friendly, now and in the future, and I appreciate all your dedication.

Leadership Recruitment

Now, I’d like to update you on a few leadership recruitments since we last met.

In May, we named William Garrity our University Librarian and Vice Provost of Digital Scholarship. William is a familiar face at UC Davis, having joined the university a decade ago. He previously served as deputy university librarian and chief operating officer and was named interim University Librarian in July 2023.

Tom Smith joined us in June as dean of the School of Education. He comes to UC Davis from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, where he served as a professor of public policy and education. Tom also served in numerous leadership roles at UC Irvine, including interim provost and executive vice chancellor, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Also, Jessica Berg was named dean of the UC Davis School of Law in June. She replaces Kevin Johnson, who served as dean since 2008. Jessica comes to UC Davis from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, where she served as one of two co-deans of the School of Law. 

Most recently, Susan Murin was named permanent dean of the School of Medicine. She is a professor and clinician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and served as the interim dean starting last November. Susan has worked at UC Davis Health for over three decades and held several leadership roles, including vice dean for clinical affairs and executive director of the UC Davis Medical Group.

Leadership Searches

Regarding current recruitments, I anticipate a national search will begin in early spring for at least one leadership position at UC Davis Health, where a long-term leadership structure is being finalized.

Meanwhile, I’d like to update you on a couple of interim appointments. Michael Condrin was recently named UC Davis Health’s interim chief executive officer, and Bruce Lee Hall will serve as interim vice chancellor of Human Health Sciences. Recruitments for the permanent appointees have not been launched at this time.

Back on the Davis campus, recruitment for the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is still underway. Campus interviews for the semifinalists were completed in January. I’m grateful to the current dean, Helene Dillard, for continuing to serve in this role as the nationwide search continues. We expect to name the new dean in June 2025.

Action in Washington, D.C.

Turning to the news from Washington over the past month, let me begin by saying that I acknowledge the anxiety and stress many are feeling. 

There can be no minimizing the concerns students, staff, and faculty are experiencing as we seek to understand and evaluate the impact of executive actions in Washington on our teaching, research, and campus life.

I want to be clear that we will remain true to our values at UC Davis. We have lived them throughout my administration and will continue to do so. We will continue living our Principles of Community, established 35 years ago, and support and celebrate the communities that make up our campus.

Across the University of California system, we have been gathering and analyzing information about changing federal policies affecting campus communities and operations.

UC leaders, counsel and the government relations team are working with elected officials, policymakers and other institutions to understand the potential impacts of executive actions and take the appropriate actions. 

Because potential policy changes affect people and operations throughout the UC system — and, in fact, universities across the country —my fellow chancellors and I believe the UC should speak in one voice. 

As President Drake said on Jan. 28, “During such challenging times, we remain committed to our students, staff, faculty, patients, and one another. We remain steadfast in our values, our mission, and our commitment to caring for and supporting our entire community.”

We are a system of ten universities, a powerhouse of research achievement and opportunity for our community.  We will answer this challenge together.

In response to questions we are receiving here and across the UC family, the University of California Office of the President has launched a website at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/federal-updates. This site shares information about the system’s approach to executive orders and covers topics such as research, immigration and more.

For those who would like to be ambassadors for the impacts of federally funded research, the Office of the President has posted an advocacy toolkit related to proposed cuts to NIH funding to universities. On that website you can find a letter to Congress that you can submit through the UC Advocacy Network. The toolkit also includes suggested messaging for social media and ways you can share the impact of NIH-funded research on your work. 

I encourage you all to remain active, keep asking questions and support each other and our student community.  We will continue to update you.

Thank You

I want to close by expressing my deepest gratitude for your time this afternoon. You’re the driving force behind this incredible university, inspiring generations of students and shaping the future of knowledge and innovation. 

Thank you for your ongoing efforts to support UC Davis and advocate for the work we are achieving. This is a special university, bound by the power of our interdisciplinary work, our belief in the power of universities to lift up communities and people, and our commitment to one another.

When UC Davis experiences challenges, we rise up to meet them together. When we achieve success, we reach it together.

Our university will continue to thrive. 

Together.

I truly appreciate everything you do and wish you all the best in 2025.

Now, if time allows, I'm happy to take questions. Thank you.