As 2021 draws to a close, we have much to be thankful for in the College of Letters and Science. We are finishing up a successful first quarter back in person on campus; we finally were able to celebrate with our pandemic graduates in person; and we launched a new national brand for UC Davis that highlights the many ways Aggies, like you, are outgrowing the expected.
This month, we bring you stories of alumni leaders, like London Breed. The mayor of San Francisco recently sat down with Chancellor May for an in-depth interview. We hope you’ll find inspiration in her story and in all the Aggies featured in this edition of our alumni newsletter.
I am sending you and your family wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and joyous New Year. I can’t wait to see what our alumni will accomplish in 2022.
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Sincerely,
Estella Atekwana, Dean
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Outgrowing the Expected
UC Davis is raising its profile across the nation with a multimedia campaign showcasing research and advocacy that are propelling the university to new heights. Read about the Outgrow the Expected campaign launch. Read a feature about world-renowned commercial illustrator Steven Noble (B.A., economics, ’90), who created Illustrations of iconic Aggie images for the campaign. Visit the campaign website for other unexpected stories.
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A Conversation With SF Mayor
San Francisco mayor London Breed (B.A., political science, ’97) was the featured speaker for UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May's latest colloquium. Their wide-ranging conversation touched on her early upbringing, memories of UC Davis, San Francisco's responses to the pandemic, homelessness, climate change and more. She is the second woman, second African American and first woman of color to serve as mayor of San Francisco. Watch a recording of the conversation.
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Flood of Fellowships
Christopher K. Tong (Ph.D., comparative literature, ’14) was recently awarded an early career fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies Program in China Studies. It is the second elite fellowship in three years for the assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Read about his research on representation of environmental disasters in modern China, including 1930s floods.
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Digital Stories of Yemeni Stores
Muhammad Elbgal (B.A., sociology, '07), who grew up helping his family's corner store in Berkeley, California, is among Yemeni Americans featured in a series of digital stories documented by Sunaina Maira, a professor of Asian American studies. Elbgal says his experiences interacting with store customers inspired him to work with families as a clinical social worker.
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Focus on Book About Attention
A new book by Amishi Jha (M.A., ’95, Ph.D., ’98, psychology) —Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day — is a national bestseller. A professor of psychology and director of contemplative neuroscience at the University of Miami, she is featured on a number of podcasts including Armchair Expert, Russell Brand's Under The Skin, Harvard Business Review and the Joe Rogan Experience. Read about her research on why our attention sometimes fails us and how it can be trained.
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Michelle Swaney (B.A., communication, ’04) is founder and CEO of The Potty School, which offers teaching, consulting and encouragement via phone, virtually and in-person for parents to successfully potty train their children.
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Andrea Flores (B.A., communication, ’10) joined Sacramento's KCRA 3 News as 10 p.m. anchor this month. She most recently worked at KCNC in Denver as an anchor and reporter. “As a graduate of UC Davis, this feels like a full circle moment! Coming back to this area is like reuniting with an old friend,” she said in a KCRA report.
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Megan Bull (B.S., pharmaceutical chemistry, ’18), is featured in "Standing Strong" in UC Davis Magazine about her recovery from PTSD after the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting and a major car accident, and her launch of a foundation for trauma survivors.
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Time
Andrés Reséndez, professor of history
Yahoo News
Robyn Rodriguez, professor of Asian American studies
CNN
Sarah Hrdy, professor emerita of anthropology
Truthout
Jemma DeCristo, assistant professor of American studies
The Boston Globe
Dawn Sumner, professor of geology
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Daily Maverick
Alison Ledgerwood, professor of psychology, and Amber Boydstun, professor of political science
Boston Review
Jeffrey Kahn, associate professor of anthropology
The New York Times
Maxine Craig, professor of sociology
Grist
Nicholas Pinter, Roy J. Shlemon Professor of Applied Geosciences
Association of American Publishers Blog
Charles Walker, professor of history
The Washington Post
Lucy Corin, professor of English
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This holiday season, a gift of any size can make a big difference in the lives of many students and faculty.
Generous donors like you make groundbreaking research, life-changing internships and innovative curriculum possible. We hope you will consider supporting the College this holiday season.
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Your Valuable Perspective |
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