UC Davis fourth-year political science major Jade Kwon watched as Supreme Court decisions on transgender rights affected youth in her community. She wanted to do more to support the youth impacted by these decisions.
Kwon turned her timely legal questions into in-depth research as a participant in the summer Aggie Scholars Research Initiative. Through this unique program, she received mentorship and resources to participate in a 10-week project that explored the pursuit of social change within established legal systems.
Each year, about 5,000 undergraduates — roughly 16% of UC Davis undergraduates — enroll in First-Year Seminars. As student interest continues to grow, the program needs more faculty to teach these courses.
UC Davis Summer Sessions offers hundreds of courses to current students and the community. But there is much more to take advantage of, if you know where to look. This year, programmatic offerings include a free writing academy, increased virtual classes, events for both in-person and remote students as well as support services from campus units.
The Quarter at Aggie Square People, Plants and the Planet experience equips undergraduate students of all majors with the skills to support a positive impact on the global ecosystem. The hands-on experience also led one student toward a new career path in public health.
Fourth-year biological sciences major Amelie Chang, who completed the program last fall, said the experiences sparked her interest in community education.
UC Davis Summer Sessions 2026 offers students triple the virtual courses compared to just two years ago with more than 300 virtual courses across Sessions I and II. UC Davis “fourth quarter” also includes multiple sections of high-demand classes, such as Introduction to Communication, Prep for General Chem and Introduction to Brewing and Beer.
Faculty are invited to share how the Center for Educational Effectiveness, or CEE, can best help them meet their most challenging teaching needs as it strengthens support for their priorities in its second decade.
“We want to make sure when we deliver services, we add value,” said Beth Broome, CEE’s leader and executive director for Teaching and Learning and STEM Initiatives.
UC Davis student Rogelio Castillo did not expect undergraduate research to open a path for him to create change in his community of Lindsay, California. But his family’s past experiences with rushed and impersonal health care turned him to science to discover ways to improve health and the quality of patient-provider relationships.
Josephine Wilson didn’t know about the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, when she started her “Advanced Composition” course last quarter.
Alison Bright, a Writing Center lecturer, was recognized recently with the Academic Federation Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
The Academic Senate and Federation announced their top awards on March 24, comprising 15 academics across various disciplines throughout the university.
The awards cite the impact these academics have had on their fields, on UC Davis students and on the broader community through public service.
UC Davis students earned two awards and multiple special merit and honorable mentions at the National Science Foundation California Alliance for Maximizing Potential’s 2026 CAMP Symposium at UC Irvine on Feb. 20 and 21.
The symposium was a two-part presentation experience. In January, students provided virtual video presentations and also met with a panel of UC faculty judges. Awards in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences were announced at the symposium’s poster session.
