Students and education

Vergara presents findings on farmer-to-farmer education in Panama

Farmers from rural Panama are learning a more sustainable way to graze their cattle, and now are sharing that knowledge with other farmers who want to learn, too. But, they view the relationship as an informal exchange, rather than a teacher-student relationship  ̶  and agricultural extension programs can learn from that view, graduate student Marina Vergara found.

Yasay accident report released by Davis Police

The UC Davis community continues to mourn the death of Trisha “Tris” Nicole Sabay Yasay, a junior in the Department of Plant Sciences. We send our deep condolences to her family. She is remembered by her friends and colleagues in plant sciences and by the campus community for her vision, energy and enthusiasm for taking what she was learning at UC Davis and using it to better the world.

Local high-school girls do science with Webster Award

Studies show high school and undergraduate students who get hands-on experience with scientific research do better at remembering the material, they feel more positive about scientific research, and they more often go on to study to science. When women and minority students get that experience, science benefits with broader participation and diversity.

Undergraduate in plant biology course earns Prized Writing distinction

Alexander Saka, a senior biology student, has been honored by Prized Writing for his essay “Origin and Domestication of Soybean,” a paper he wrote for Distinguished Professor Paul Gepts’ Evolution of Crop Plants course in the Department of Plant Sciences. Prized Writing is an annual juried competition that highlights exemplary undergraduate writing from across the many disciplines at the University of California, Davis.

Jennifer Funk receives inaugural Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award

Jennifer Funk, an associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, has received the inaugural Barbara D. Webster Scholar Award. The award provides a $20,000 grant to support the scholarship of a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who represents excellence in their field, exhibits the leadership abilities to impact their discipline, presents a unique and transformative perspective, and works to advance the representation of women in plant sciences. 

UC Davis Plant Scientists have Featured Publication

A new Plant Physiology paper, authored by UC Davis plant scientists Ella Katz, Dan Kliebenstein, and undergrads Alycia Rasmussen and Aleshia Hooper, was featured as ‘Plant Physiology Article of the Week’ in The Signal, a weekly publication of the American Society of Plant Biologists.