Wainwright wins Van Alfen-MacDonald award

Fourth-year doctoral student Brooke Wainwright has received the Neal Van Alfen and James MacDonald Graduate Student Award. The award recognizes outstanding academic performance, service and leadership, and comes with a $7,500 grant.

Wainwright is a plant ecologist in the lab of Jennifer Funk, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. The Van Alfen-MacDonald award is given by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Brooke has an excellent profile in research and mentorship. Her efforts in scientific and environmental outreach are truly remarkable,” the college’s award letter states. “Given the significant dedication she has shown to the community and education, she is making the greatest impact on science and society.”

Wainwright hails from Alameda, Calif., and is part of the graduate group in ecology. She studies how plants interact in their communities. Her goal is to inform restoration and management amid a changing climate.

“I first fell in love with the California plants while pursuing my undergraduate degree,” Wainwright wrote. “I find plant ecology endlessly entertaining, highly useful in society and deeply fulfilling.”

Her interests have led her to leading a student organization, Hands on the Land. The group seeks to connect people to their local landscapes and remove barriers to learning about and restoring ecosystems.

After graduating, she hopes to gain a postdoctoral position and eventually become a professor.

“This award is such an honor, and I'm so thankful to the college,” Wainwright wrote. “It's incredibly motivating and reassuring, and I'm eager to continue on this path!”

This $7,500 award was established to honor the contributions of the former dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Neal Van Alfen, and the college’s former executive associate, James MacDonald. The award supports students fulfilling the college’s mission to serve agriculture, the environment and human health and development.

Related links

Learn more about the Neal Van Alfen and James MacDonald Graduate Student award here.

Learn more about Hands on the Land here.