LAURELS: Nancy J. Allen, Samuel Sandoval Solis Honored for International Engagement

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Two women and two men, posed
Global award recipients Samuel Sandoval Solis, center left, and Nancy J. Allen, center right, flanked by Vice Provost and Dean Joanna Regulska and Chancellor Gary S. May. (TJ Ushing/UC Davis)

IN THIS COLUMN

  • Nancy J. Allen, College of Agricultural and Environment Sciences
  • Samuel Sandoval Solis, College of Agricultural and Environment Sciences
  • Paul Cody, Staff Assembly and Center for Student Involvement
  • Geoffrey Attardo, College of Agricultural and Environment Sciences
  • Erin Taylor Kelly, doctoral student, Department of Entomology and Nematology
  • Gwendolyn “Gwen” Erdosh, undergraduate, entomology major
  • Ben Shaw, College of Engineering
  • Seongkyu Lee, College of Engineering

Nancy J. Allen of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Samuel Sandoval Solis of CA&ES’ Department of Land, Air and Water Resources recently received the Chancellor’s Awards for International Engagement.

“Our 2022 recipients continue to spur the global engagement of UC Davis,” said Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of Global Affairs. “Their ability to initiate and implement international multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects is a testament to the global collaborative spirit of our university community and the power of working across borders.” 

Chancellor Gary S. Map presented the awards March 3 during Global Affairs’ annual International Connections reception. More than 130 people attended this year’s event, held in person in the International Center’s multipurpose room.

Nancy J. Allen and Samuel Sandoval Solis headshots
Nancy J. Allen and Samuel Sandoval Solis
  • Nancy J. Allen, grant writer, international projects coordinator, executive director of Global Fellowships in Agricultural Development, and deputy director of the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security. “By wearing myriad hats, Allen has been instrumental in putting teams of faculty, students and partner organizations together and helping them prepare highly competitive grants, particularly through USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Global Affairs said in announcing her award.
  • Samuel Sandoval Solís, associate professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in water resources. His research interests run deep, from water supply and flood control management in California to hydrology and climate change across the Americas, and he has been a crucial partner on projects around the world. On campus, he has served as a technical advisor for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, sharing his expertise with international fellows.

Read more about Allen and Sandoval Solis on the Global Affairs website.

The International Connections reception also included Global Affairs’ announcement of 2022’s Seed Grants for International Activities and Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals .


Paul Cody headshot
Paul Cody

The Council of UC Staff Assemblies, or CUCSA, has named UC Davis’ Paul Cody as one of four recipients of the Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award for 2021-22.

The award recognizes staff members who are supportive and inclusive of staff; encourage equity, diversity and inclusion; are forward thinking; and do not compromise quality, on behalf of fellow staff, students and/or faculty.

UC Davis Staff Assembly announced Cody’s award in Staff Voice: “For nearly 25 years, Paul has been helping cultivate a sense of belonging for students and staff at UC Davis through his leadership within the Center for Student Involvement and Staff Assembly. He seeks steps that bring active change and uses statistics and research to reinforce his advocacy work.

“We appreciate all that Paul has done for our Staff Assembly and our diverse staff population. Congratulations, Paul!”


Gregory Attardo headshot
Geoffrey Attardo

The Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America announced Assistant Professor Geoffrey Attardo as the recipient of the branch’s Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology Award for 2022.

Attardo, a medical entomologist and geneticist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology, is a global expert on vectorborne diseases, renowned for his groundbreaking work on tsetse flies.

Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock nominated his department colleague for the award, stating: “He leads a highly successful research group that focuses on the molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology of medically important insects.”

The Pacific Branch also announced the following awards for UC Davis students:

  • Student Leadership Award — Erin Taylor Kelly, a doctoral student in Attardo’s lab. She is is serving her second term as the president of Equity in STEM and Entrepreneurship, or ESTEME, and serves as the vice president of the Entomology Graduate Student Association.
  • Inaugural Stephen Garczynski Undergraduate Research Scholarship — Gwendolyn “Gwen” Erdosh, an entomology major who works in Professor Louie Yang’s lab (Yang is a community ecologist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology), participates in the Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology and is the president of the Entomology Club.

The Pacific Branch encompasses 11 Western states, parts of Canada and Mexico and several U.S. territories.


Ben Shaw and Seongkyu Lee headshots
Ben Shaw, left, and Seongkyu Lee

Professor Ben Shaw and Associate Professor Seongkyu Lee of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have been elected associate fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Being elected an associate fellow recognizes those who have made significant accomplishments in the field of aeronautics or astronautics, through leading important work, doing original work of outstanding merit, or making exceptional contributions to the arts, sciences or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.

Lee works in rotorcraft aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, with an emphasis on urban air mobility, an emerging field that promises short rotorcraft flights carrying passengers and cargo as a new method of transportation in urban environments. His group uses computational fluid dynamics simulations to simulate and predict the noise of these crafts and recommend ways to reduce it.

Shaw teaches thermodynamics, combustion, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and experimental methods. He and his group have studied droplet combustion aboard the International Space Station, in drop towers and in his laboratory at UC Davis, as well as the detection of nitrate ions in groundwater with UV spectroscopy.

Noah A Pflueger-Peters, content specialist, marketing and communications, College of Engineering


Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

Media Resources

Dateline Staff: Dave Jones, editor, 530-752-6556, dateline@ucdavis.edu; Cody Kitaura, News and Media Relations specialist, 530-752-1932, kitaura@ucdavis.edu.

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