Awards & Laurels

Only on annual visits to India was Avantika Gokulnatha able to help care for her now late grandfather as his health failed. But the San Jose resident endeavored to help others near her.

Gokulnatha did just that as she studied biological sciences, majored in genetics and genomics, and researched aging at the University of California, Davis. She volunteered with a local hospice, revived a student organization to help seniors with technology, and led other undergraduate volunteers at a clinic providing free medical care to uninsured and marginalized people.

Neil Hunter, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has been elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society in London.

This prestigious appointment, announced May 20, was offered to only 70 scientists across the world.

“I’m thrilled and surprised,” said Hunter. “The acknowledgment means a great deal to me, because it’s an election by some of the best scientists in the world.”

Graham Coop, professor of evolution and ecology and director of the Center for Population Biology, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his exceptional contribution to his field. Coop is one of nearly 250 new members announced by the academy on April 23.

Developmental biologist Alice Accorsi, an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, is the recipient of the 2025 UC Davis Early Career Faculty Award for Creativity and Innovation.

Driven by a passion to heal and discover, two UC Davis third-year biological science students received the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship for their research focused on the improvement of care for critically ill children and tissue regeneration.

Faculty members in the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) and graduate student teaching assistants who support CBS undergraduates have been named Aggie Well-Being Champions. The new award recognizes instructors who prioritize students’ well-being and cultivate spaces where undergraduates can thrive. 

Three faculty affiliated with the College of Biological Sciences are among the eight UC Davis faculty newly elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, announced March 27. They are: Frédéric Chédin, a professor and chair in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Dario Cantù, a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology; and Huaijun Zhou, a professor in the Department of Animal Science.

In rankings released earlier this month, the University of California, Davis, was recognized as a global leader across many fields and disciplines.  

Quacquarelli Symonds, or QS, considered one of the most influential international authorities on university rankings, placed UC Davis 41st in the world in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine, and 38th in the category of biological sciences. 

The Phi Sigma Honor Society’s Gamma Delta chapter at UC Davis recognizes and celebrates the academic excellence of students in the College of Biological Sciences. In the spring of each year, select undergraduates are invited to join this distinguished community, marking a milestone in their academic journey.

Meet the eight faculty members who comprise the newest class of Chancellor’s Fellows, given to early career academics doing exemplary work in their fields. One of the new fellows, Kassandra Ori-McKenney, is a an associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and four others are affiliated with the college's interdisciplinary graduate groups. 

Victoria Watson-Zink, Ph.D. ’22, a postdoctoral evolutionary marine biologist, received the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Hanna H. Gray Fellowship last month. This year’s fellowship supports the transition of 25 early-career scientists to leading labs and becoming tenured faculty.

In the last week of President Biden’s term, the White House honored over 700 scientists and engineers, including three CBS faculty. 

A battle around the world is raging between plants and the changing environment, and UC Davis researchers are on the front lines.

For example, the microbes are constantly creating new types of illnesses, while the plants — sometimes with the help of breeders — are developing new immunities.

It’s something plant geneticist Luca Comai, Ph.D. ’80, a distinguished professor of plant biology, has seen firsthand through his decades of research into plant chromosomes.

Three members of the CBS faculty community have been named Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) scholars. The prestigious honor provides mentorship, support and community to new faculty members.

The work of 12 early-career faculty members will get a boost as this year’s class of Hellman Fellows. They will receive grants ranging from $16,000 to $49,000, for a total of $330,000 awarded.

Their work covers a wide range of topics, from the educational experiences of Venezuelan immigrants to a wireless device that monitors for seizures.