Philanthropy benefits all of us in the University of California, Davis, community in more ways than just scholarships, endowed positions and facilities.
As the federal government continues to allocate fewer dollars to higher education, charitable gifts become more and more important to UC Davis and UC Davis Health’s teaching, research and service mission.
From May 1 through 17, the UC Davis Foundation’s "by philanthropy" initiative aims to draw attention to the facilities, programs and research that have been made possible in part by the generosity of others. Blue bows affixed to buildings, rooms, signs and more across both the Davis and Sacramento campuses mark the influence of philanthropy on our daily lives.
Check out byphilanthropy.ucdavis.edu for videos and stories about what has been made possible by philanthropy.
All students are also invited to the Thank U by philanthropy festival from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 17, on the Quad. Activities will highlight the many ways donors make a college education possible, from scholarship support to endowed professorships to the very buildings where classes are held. Come for free pizza, T-shirts and fun.
Check out some of the other ways philanthropy is positively influencing UC Davis. There are many more examples; share your story using #byphilanthropy.
Zachary McGaugh ’21
One day after Zachary McGaugh ’21 moved into his residence hall, he attended an interview at the Cal Aggie Alumni Association that would help support the next two years of his college career. McGaugh, who won this year’s Blue and Gold Leadership Scholarship, is studying political science and African American studies and plans to teach in marginalized urban communities. Read more about his goal of spearheading education reform.
Chancellor’s Fellows Highlight: Associate Professor Katrina Jessoe
Associate Professor Katrina Jessoe’s work on energy and water conservation has a direct impact on many communities across California. Jessoe, who teaches agricultural and resource economics, is one of the 12 UC Davis faculty members to be named a 2018 Chancellor’s Fellow. This philanthropically funded award provides early-career faculty $25,000 to advance their research projects and other scholarly work. Read more about her story.
AvenueE Program
Mechanical engineering student Eunbee Park ’19, computer science and engineering student Max Nedorezov ‘19 and civil engineering students Claudia Plascencia ’19 and Tadewos Getachew ’19 are just a few of the students at UC Davis who have the chance to achieve their dreams thanks in part to the growing AvenueE program. Read about their journeys here.
Transformative Justice in Education Center
Husband and wife Torry and Maisha Winn ’94 co-direct the Transformative Justice in Education Center (TJE) at UC Davis, which officially opened in September 2017 after a soft launch during the 2016-2017 academic year. TJE brings the community and university together to stop racial inequalities in education and strengthen UC Davis’ efforts to create a cohesive, justice-seeking community. Read more about TJE.
Cutting-edge research and learning environments
Many of the new or renovated facilities on campus are made possible by philanthropy, including Gallagher Hall, King Hall, the La Rue Softball Field, the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, the Ann E. Pitzer Center, the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Performing Arts Center and more. Read more about how philanthropy is taking UC Davis to even greater heights.