Dean Helene Dillard
Dean Helene Dillard

A Message from the Dean - June 2018

Commencement is a major milestone for our graduates

Congratulations to the 1,720 undergraduate students who will cross the stage at one of two College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 15. 

This is a major milestone, and our graduates can take great pride in their accomplishments. A UC Davis Bachelor of Science degree is testament to years of rigorous study, of skills developed in and out of the classroom, and of personal growth. Our alumni are proof of that achievement, and now the class of 2018 will join their ranks.

I would like to acknowledge eight graduating students who have been selected by the CA&ES community for special achievements. These student award recipients (with majors) are:

College Medal for scholastic excellence

  • Kara Hawkins (community and regional development)

 Mary Regan Meyer Award for serving humanity

  • Fatima Elgarguri (human development)
  • Nicole Fernandez (animal science)

Charles Hess Community Service Award for public service

  • Ulises Aleman (community and regional development)
  • Macall Teague (sustainable agriculture and food systems)

Dean’s Circle Award for outstanding academics and community service

  • Anna Gomes (agricultural and environmental education)
  • Lara Sirovica (animal science)
  • Lujie (Roger) Zhou (managerial economics)

Read more about these students in our story, “Exceptional Graduates, 2018 Commencement Award Recipients.” 

I also would like to congratulate CA&ES recipients of the 2018 Outstanding Senior Awards. These are students from individual majors who have made significant contributions to the learning environment through active academic engagement, whether through involvement in a research group or creative production, significant contributions to classroom discussion, leadership in student groups committed to the advancement of learning, or other intellectual pursuits with faculty and fellow students.

These outstanding seniors include Helena Bayat (environmental toxicology), Haley Blackwell (marine and coastal science), Kyla Broderick (food science), Kathryn Canepa (sustainable environmental design), Cheyenne Chen (animal science), Alexandra Fafard (sustainable agriculture and food systems), Savanna Fee (animal science and management), Cameron Gee (landscape architecture), Anna Gomes (agricultural and environmental education), Kennedy Gould (environmental science and management), Rebecca Jain (viticulture and enology), Reyna Jimenez (animal biology), Samuel Koehler (plant sciences), Tricia Lam (human development), Melissa Marshall (wildlife, fish and conservation biology), Leslie Panyanouvong (community and regional development), Maria Sanchez (global disease biology), Kartik Singhal (biotechnology), Lelia Tabrizi (environmental policy analysis and planning) and Anna Toyama (nutrition science).

Looking at the number of graduates in various majors offers a glimpse at the depth and breadth of the college, and it tells us which majors are among the most popular. For instance, the morning ceremony will include: 458 graduates majoring in managerial economics, 220 in human development, 44 in community and regional development, 42 in biotechnology, and 32 in landscape architecture.

Other graduates in the morning ceremony will represent majors in: ecological management and restoration, environmental horticulture and urban forestry, international agricultural development, plant sciences, sustainable agriculture and food systems and sustainable environmental design.

In the afternoon ceremony, the five majors with the most students include: 231 animal science graduates, 102 in clinical nutrition, 80 in environmental science and management, 75 in food science and 75 in global disease biology.

Other majors represented in the afternoon ceremony include: agricultural and environmental education, animal biology, animal science and management, atmospheric science, entomology, environmental policy analysis and planning, environmental toxicology, fiber and polymer science, hydrology, marine and coastal science, nutrition science, textiles and clothing, viticulture and enology and wildlife, fish and conservation biology.

Few events compare with the excitement of commencement. For our students, it signifies the end of an important chapter in their lives and the beginning of a vast world of possibilities. We are grateful for the support and encouragement shown by the families who helped our graduates arrive at this threshold. We wish the graduating class of 2018 great success in whatever they are called to pursue.

We encourage our graduates to stay in touch with their alma mater. UC Davis is truly one big, extended family that is strengthened by the involvement of our alumni. Our graduates can keep informed through our college magazine Outlook, as well as through our FacebookInstagramLinkedIn and Twitter social media platforms and CA&ES Highlights newsletter. Also, please consider joining the Cal Aggie Alumni Association.

I want to thank all the volunteers from throughout the college who make commencement possible. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into a large event like this. I hope to see many of you this Friday as we give our graduates a proper send-off into the next chapter of their lives.

Helene R. Dillard, Dean

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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