UC Davis Stories

Creative collaborations

Why is UC Davis the “one” for you? “UC Davis' combination of great students, collegial faculty and staff, and land grant ethos of public service embodies what I envision in a research university.”

What is the best experience you have had here that you could share with us – something that happened to you uniquely because of your ties to UC Davis? “The collaborative interdisciplinary training programs in which I have worked — whether they combine biology and mathematics, or ecological sciences and social science, or hydrology, atmospheric science, and water policy — have been high points of my career. Other institutions struggle to get interdisciplinary research and teaching off the ground. At UC Davis, they're in our bones.”

What do you hope to be your legacy here at UC Davis – what marks have you made or changes that you hope will continue? “My former students constitute my legacy. They're helping to prepare the next generation of creative thinkers, addressing important societal concerns, and making this a better place for the next generation.”

Tell us about one person at UC Davis who has enhanced your life or your work. “There are too many to name. Dozens of colleagues and students have touched my life and profoundly influenced my approach to research, teaching and mentoring students.”