Chancellor Gary S. May

Gary S. May leads the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system. Across four colleges and six professional schools, UC Davis enrolls over 40,000 students, brings in more than $1 billion annually in sponsored research and contributes more than $12.5 billion annually to California’s economy. In 2019, UC Davis reached the Top 10 in four national rankings of universities, including fifth among public universities in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.

May’s vision as UC Davis’ seventh chancellor is to lead the university to new heights in academic excellence, inclusion, public service and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds.

He believes success is best judged by how we enhance the lives of others. Throughout his career, May has championed diversity and mentorship in both higher education and the workplace. He developed nationally recognized programs to attract, mentor and retain underrepresented groups in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. 

In 2015, President Barack Obama honored May with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring. In 2021, he received the Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2023, he received the Lifetime Member of the Year award from the National Society of Black Engineers and the Education Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Electron Devices Society for his “dedicated leadership and mentorship that has diversified academic leaders in education.” In 2023, May also partnered with his mentor to establish the "Professor Emeritus Augustine O. Esogbue and Chancellor Gary May Endowed Award in Engineering Diversity" at UC Davis. The endowment will support graduate students who share a passion for excellence and demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of engineering and computer science. 

Academic Leadership

A prominent voice in higher education, May is a member of the Boyer 2030 Commission, which was created by the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities to design a blueprint for excellence and equity in undergraduate education at U.S. research universities.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of American Universities, and as a member of the Task Force on Higher Education and Opportunity, the Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board (CIES), the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities governing board and the National Society of Black Engineers National Advisory Board (emeritus). He also serves on the executive committee of the Board of Directors for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, which he chaired from 2022-23. In 2021, he was selected as a Fellow Member of the American Society for Engineering Education. 

May previously served as chair of the Universities Research Association’s Council of Presidents (2022), a member of the National Academy of Engineering's Racial Justice and Equity Committee and as a board member of the American Council on Education. He also served as chair of the Big West Conference Board of Directors for the 2022-23 academic year. 

Business Accolades and Leadership

May believes in the positive impact of academia and industry when they partner for the common good. He is a Commissioner of the Council on Competitiveness, a national organization dedicated to growing America’s economy, fostering innovation and increasing productivity through public-private partnerships.

After nearly a year of planning, in April 2018, he launched Aggie Square in partnership with the City of Sacramento to spur economic growth and help create jobs at a variety of education levels. He and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg were recognized with a Leadership Award from the Association of University Research Parks for creating this unique partnership.

May serves as chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC). The Sacramento Kings Foundation recognized him as a 2021 Dream All-Star for his positive impact on the Sacramento region and commitment to championing initiatives that support opportunities for the Black community.

In April 2021, the Sacramento Business Journal honored him as one of Sacramento’s Most Admired CEOs. In 2019, he was named among The Sacramento 300, metro Sacramento's most powerful business leaders.

Scientific and Academic Accolades 

May has won numerous honors for his research in computer-aided manufacturing of integrated circuits. He authored over 200 technical publications, contributed to 15 books and holds a patent related to this work. In 2010, he was named “outstanding engineering alumnus” of UC Berkeley, where he earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. In addition:

• In September 2018, May was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering for his success in growing diversity and his innovations in semiconductor manufacturing.
• In April 2020, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for “educational and academic leadership.”
• In 2020, he received the 2020 Career Services Champion Award from the National Association of Colleges and Employers for his forward-thinking leadership supporting career services.
• In 2020, he was named among 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America by Cell Mentor.
• In 2020, the National Medical Fellowships Bay Area Council honored him as a Bay Area Champion of Health.
• In 2021, he received the National Medical Fellowships’ Excellence in Education Award.
• In 2021, he was selected as a Fellow Member of the American Society for Engineering Education.
• In 2024, he was named to the Georgia Tech College of Engineering Alumni Hall of Fame.

An accomplished scholar and engineer, May came to UC Davis in 2017 after a three-decade career at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He was dean of the institute’s College of Engineering — the largest and most diverse school of its kind in the nation.

Prior to his appointment as dean, May was the Steve W. Chaddick Chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also served as the executive assistant to then-Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough.

May serves on the board of directors for Leidos.

A native of St. Louis, May is married to LeShelle R. May, a software engineer with CNN. They have two grown daughters, Simone and Jordan.

LeShelle May

LeShelle May is a highly accomplished computer engineer recognized for her leadership and innovation in the development of software and web applications.

Read LeShelle May's biography