June 2022

Sociologist Co-Leads $2.2M Racism Study

A study that revealed new insights into teen bullying, dating violence and substance use is getting a sequel — this time looking at long-term impacts of racism. The teens were in sixth to eighth grade when the study began. Now in their early 30s, they will participate in new research examining how the subjects' exposure to structural racism as teens relates to substance abuse, criminal convictions and psychological distress as adults.

Climate Change in an Ancient Icehouse World

One of the fastest warming events in Earth’s history was a period of rapid global climate change in an ice-capped world much like the present — but 304 million years ago. The geologic record shows an icehouse climate may be more sensitive to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide than warmer conditions, when CO2 levels are already higher. 

$2.7M Awarded to Find New Addiction Treatments Related to Psychedelics

Evidence from human and animal testing suggests the brain-altering effects of psychedelics could be repurposed for treating addiction. Researchers at UC Davis and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus plan to screen hundreds of compounds to discover new, non-hallucinogenic treatments for substance use disorders. 

Eating and Drinking and Singing

When he was a college student, Pierpaolo Polzonetti was hired by an opera-loving cookbook author to research composer Giuseppe Verdi’s favorite recipes. There weren’t any, but it led Polzonetti to a fascination with what he dubs “gastronomic signs” in opera. A new book by Polzonetti, the Jan and Beta Popper Professor of Music, digs into the rich history of opera’s intersection with dining.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Life-Threatening Bacterial Disease in Dogs

Veterinarians and researchers with UC Davis’ Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Research, directed by Professor of Mathematics Thomas Strohmer, have discovered a technique to predict leptospirosis in dogs through the use of artificial intelligence. The research involved historical data of patients at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital that had been tested for leptospirosis. 

Uncharted Territory: Graduate Exhibition

The culmination of two or more years of study and a lifetime of experience and exploration by UC Davis students, “The Arts & Humanities Graduate Exhibition” offers new ways to understand the world, ourselves and the issues we face. The exhibition showcases 27 M.F.A., M.A. and Ph.D. students from art history, art studio, creative writing, design, mathematics, music, performance studies and political science. Many of the students take on the pressing issues of our time, while others engage with personal experiences, memory and aesthetic practices. 

HONORS

Robert Bayley, professor of linguistics, received an honorable mention for outstanding mentorship from UC Davis Graduate Studies for the success of his apprenticeship model of mentoring. 

Michael Dylan Foster, professor of Japanese, won a Teaching Excellence Award from Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association.

Paul Hastings, professor of psychology, received a Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award from UC Davis Graduate Studies. 

Mukund Rangamani, professor of physics, was named a fellow of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.

Assistant professor Jesús Velázquez, Department of Chemistry, was selected as a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholars for 2022.

Geerat Vermeij, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Two students and three alumni were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants to study and teach in other countries.

• Alumnus Teja Dusanapudi (B.A., English and American studies, ’21) will work on a novel, All Worlds Beyond Heaven, about climate-change refugees while pursuing a master’s degree in English studies at Manchester Metropolitan University in England.
• Christina Thomas, a doctoral student in Native American studies, will travel to New Zealand to conduct dissertation research on successful efforts to teach Maōri language, with the goal of finding ways to help revitalize the Northern Paiute language, Numu Yadooana.
• Alumna Brittaney Key (B.A. international relations, ’19) will begin a master’s degree program at the University Centre of the Westfjords in Iceland to learn sustainability lessons that could be applied in her home state of Hawaii. Since graduating from UC Davis, she has worked in support of Hawaii’s climate and equity efforts.
• Diana Garcia (B.A., economics and history, ’20), an aspiring bilingual teacher and a child of Mexican immigrants, will work to develop anti-racist curriculum while teaching in Mexico.
• Michael Wheeler, who graduates this month with a double major in history and economics and a minor in German, aims for a career in the Foreign Service and will teach in Germany.

MEDIA MENTIONS

Are Pipeline Companies Too Powerful?

Houston Chronicle

James Bushnell, professor of economics

UC Davis Scientists Star in New Movie Examining Origins of The Universe

CBS13

Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, professor of physics and astronomy

What Did Medieval Peasants Know?

The Atlantic

Gregory Clark, Distinguished Professor of Economics

We Can’t Even Agree on What Is Tearing Us Apart

The New York Times

Christopher Hare, assistant professor of political science

In China, Music Therapy Is Quietly Taking Hold in Treatment 

CGTN

Petr Janata, professor of psychology and at the Center for Mind and Brain

Unseen 'Mirror World' Could Be the Source of Cosmic Dissension with Hubble Constant

Popular Mechanics

Lloyd Knox, professor of physics and astronomy

South Asian Creators Explain Why a Trend Among White TikTokers To Give Themselves 'Henna Freckles' Is So Offensive

Insider

Sunaina Maira, professor of Asian American studies

We May Be Looking at the Wrong Climate Change Data… and It Might Be Worse Than We Thought

Cosmos

Isabel Montañez, Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Ichthyosaur: Apex Predator of the Dinosaur-Era Seas

LiveScience

Ryosuke Motani, professor of earth and planetary sciences

What Are the Mysterious Continent-Sized Lumps Deep Inside Earth?

New Scientist

Sujoy Mukhopadhyay, professor of earth and planetary sciences

In the Pages of Their Newspapers, They Downplayed Hitler’s Threat

The Washington Post

Kathryn Olmsted, professor of history

Less Immigrant Labor in US Contributing To Price Hikes

Associated Press

Giovanni Peri, professor of economics and director of the UC Davis Global Migration Center 

The Breast is the World's Shortest Supply Chain 

Initiative for Policy Dialogue

Katheryn Russ, professor of economics

American Experience: Flood in the Desert

KPBS-FM

Rachel St. John, associate professor of history

A Reporter Goes Home to L.A.’s ‘Industrial Dumping Ground’ To Find Residents Dying at Alarming Rates

Center for Health Journalism

Julie Sze, professor of American studies

The Might of Mycelium

Comstock’s 

Katia Vega, assistant professor of design