This article originally appeared in the UC Davis College of Letters & Science blog. Original Article

College students are often told undergraduate research will give them an edge in the job market. But the steps involved in finding a project can seem daunting. UC Davis makes the process easier with courses that open doors to meaningful research for all students.

Through ethnographic interviews with Black mothers and archival research, my hope is to bear witness to the voices that have been drowned out and turned into statistics. - from the Abstract of "Into My Mother's Womb: The Violence of Narration

Dave Furlow, Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, will step down from his positions as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Director of the University Honors Program, and Director of the First Year Seminars program at the end of summer. Furlow has been a quiet force in Undergraduate Education since 2015 when he took on his leadership role, overseeing the development of the newly-restructured honors program and doubling and diversifying first-year seminar offerings.

Chemistry professor Annaliese Franz will transition out of her role as faculty director of the Undergraduate Research Center at the end of summer. Franz has brought extraordinary energy and focus to the center, which facilitates research opportunities for UC Davis undergraduates. The center has grown in scope, influence and impact on campus and systemwide, expanding externally funded projects, philanthropic donations, and research support and opportunities for students.

New Programs, Grants, and Awards

The Dean Keith Simonton Prize for Creativity in Undergraduate Research is a newly established annual award to support and encourage faculty-guided undergraduate research by UC Davis students. The award recognizes creativity, or the potential for creativity, in undergraduate research or design projects, as well as the student's innovative spirit and motivation.

A year of sharply increased violence against Asians and Asian Americans reached a devastating mark in Tuesday’s mass shooting in Atlanta which claimed the lives of eight people, including six women of Asian descent.

Vanessa Dennen, Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies at Florida State University, will speak at the UC Davis Forum on Higher Education and the Public Good this Monday, March 8 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm.

Kayton Carter, MA has been named Executive Director for Academic Advising Enrichment at UC Davis. A unit of Undergraduate Education, Academic Advising Enrichment was established in 2014 to strengthen the UC Davis student experience by providing centralized, campus-wide leadership and advocacy for academic advising.

By Sarah Colwell

Cheryl Purifoy’s mission is to give students real-world experiences that help them imagine their future.

As Director of the UC Davis Washington Program, Purifoy leads a team focused on equipping students to vie for competitive internships in the nation’s capital and connecting them with industry experts. 

Every April, hundreds of undergraduates converge to present research posters, deliver talks, and display creative accomplishments in what has become a rite of passage for students bound for graduate school and beyond. Recent years have seen upwards of 900 students registering to present at the annual UC Davis Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference.

What concerns do you have about your education this quarter?

Leadership from Oak Ridge Elementary and Aggie Square joined the Quarter at Aggie Square’s Transformative Justice Studies students and faculty for a conversation with Sacramentan David Garibaldi about arts, education, and community.

“This past summer, we saw our world creating images that reflected how we felt, saying what we had no words for,” Garibaldi said. “Art has always been a voice for the unsaid.”

A new initiative aimed at addressing the impacts of California’s carceral system – both on our campus and throughout the state and the nation–launches this month. Beyond the Barriers supports students, faculty, and staff who have been impacted by the carceral system:  those who have had an immediate family member incarcerated, arrested, or detained, or have been themselves. The initiative also fosters research on California’s carceral system, and offers educational resources. 

Cynthia Carter Ching, professor in the school of education, was appointed interim vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Education on July 15, 2020. She was associate dean for academic programs in the School of Education from 2015-2020 and faculty director of the education minor from 2008-2013. She has taught at UC Davis since 2007.