Voices of impact
The Expect Greater campaign benefited colleges, schools and units across the university. Read on for snapshots of how donors have delivered greater support to the entire UC Davis community.
UC Davis Medical Center
Victor and Phela Vesci’s $8 million estate gift to UC Davis Children’s Hospital, the largest in its history, is transforming care for our youngest patients. Their generosity has funded a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, supported the Children’s Surgery Center, and established endowments for pediatric intensive care, lung and gastrointestinal programs—all gifts that will impact children’s health care for generations to come.
“We are extremely grateful to the Vesci family’s gift that helped to support the development and education for our small baby unit.”
—Steven McElroy, chief of neonatology, UC Davis Children’s Hospital
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Advancing the college’s dedication to sustainable solutions, Professor Ermias Kebreab in the Department of Animal Science is finding ingenious ways to reduce methane emissions from cattle—including adding seaweed to their diets. Kebreab’s work is supported by philanthropic funding like the Sesnon Endowed Chair, in addition to a UC collaboration funded by the TED Audacious Project that aims in part to cut emissions from cattle by using the genome-editing tool CRISPR on microbes in cows’ guts.
“Donor support gives us the freedom to think outside of the box. It really allows us to be much more flexible and take a risk that we might not be able to take otherwise. Climate change is one of the biggest issues that we have to solve, not just for us, but also for our children and grandchildren. It’s our duty to find a solution and leave the planet better than when we found it.”
—Ermias Kebreab, Sesnon Endowed Chair in Sustainable Animal Agriculture
Athletics
“My first reaction when I entered the new Edwards Family Athletics Center was, wow! Having all of this in one building is going to help the whole athletic community. I’d like to thank the donors on behalf of all the coaches and student-athletes. This facility is going to impact our future success on the field and on the courts, and you will be a huge part of everything we do going forward.”
—Suzanne Isidor, Women’s Lacrosse head coach
Graduate School of Management
“Donor support is what allowed me to attend the Graduate School of Management. People have invested so much in me—from the donors who invested their time and money to the teachers and staff at GSM who mentored me. This opportunity has really enriched me as a person, and I know that when I go out into the world, I’ll be able to make an impact in a positive way.”
—Elisse White ’22, M.B.A. ’24
Student Affairs
“Applying for this fellowship was one of the best decisions that I’ve made. It really solidified my passion for wanting to work in higher education. I love working with students and collaborating with all the staff, faculty and campus leaders here.”
—Sergio Maciel ’24, 2023-24 Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, Division of Student Affairs
College of Biological Sciences
Every day, students now walk into the Khaira Lecture Hall, named in 2023 for Kamaljeet Singh-Khaira ’93, M.S. ’12 and Ravinder Khaira ’90 in honor of the couple’s $1 million gift to the college. It is the first building on campus to carry an Indian name and inspires budding scientists of all backgrounds to pursue their goals.
“Punjabi kids on campus will see a name they recognize and know that their community has a presence on campus. Maybe some of them will even be inspired to give back themselves someday.”
—Kamaljeet Singh-Khaira ’93, M.S. ’12
School of Law
“The School of Law provided me with a well-rounded education that allowed me the opportunity to reach many of my goals. Because of that, I feel that I want to pay something back and pass it forward. For me, my gift takes care of both.”
—Bill Owen ’69, J.D. ’72, School of Law Annual Fund donor
Mondavi Center
“Having consistent access to free music lessons allowed me to work on my senior recital, get critiques on my playing and improve my skills. Without donor support, I wouldn’t have been able to afford regular lessons, which are essential to progressing as a musician.”
—Maya True-Fogel ’24, Violist, UC Davis Symphony Orchestra
Office of Research
Donor support for the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) helps experts lead the way in protecting the lake, its wildlife and watershed—and similar freshwater ecosystems across the globe.
“Tahoe is like no place on Earth. You can see its boundaries by the snow-capped mountains. You can look at the lake—it’s the bluest blue I’ve ever seen. It goes down deeper than you can imagine. Lots of places have one of those elements, only Tahoe has all of them. It’s our job to keep this region as beautiful as it ever was.”
—Geoffrey Schladow, TERC director emeritus
UC Davis Arboretum
Environmental science senior Nurjannah Wiryadimejo is part of a team working to prepare the campus’s 20,000 trees for climate change. Wiryadimejo and her team are adapting the campus tree canopy for the next 100 years through the Urban Tree Stewardship program, a division of the Arboretum and Public Garden’s Learning by Leading™ initiative. They use the campus as a living lab to test climate-ready tree species and demonstrate how students can impact climate change and their communities.
“One day we’re going to come back here and these trees will be flourishing, and we’re going to be able to tell our kids we planted them.”
—Nurjannah Wiryadimejo
School of Education
First-generation UC Davis alumni Gary and Sharon (Kurakazu) Takahashi ’74 have established their second scholarship at the School of Education, including a planned gift. This scholarship supports students pursuing multiple-subject teaching credentials, prioritizing first-generation students. The Takahashis believe that scholarships for student teachers have a positive impact on both the recipients and their future students.
“We saw the impact that a good teacher can have on students—they can do wonders for your confidence and what you think you might be able to accomplish. We want to do whatever we can do to help keep that pipeline of quality teachers going.”
—Sharon (Kurakazu) Takahashi ’74
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Global Affairs
It’s not every day that UC Davis students get to witness live C-sections and orthopedic surgeries—and then follow up such experiences with a historic walking tour of Milan or a group dinner of local cuisine. Amrit Bains, a pre-medical student studying biological sciences, was able to do just this in summer 2023. With support from the Alys Hay Travel Award—an endowment that funds travel-based learning for students in the College of Biological Sciences—and with a diversity award from the Doctors in Italy program, Bains was able to travel abroad and gain insights into her planned future career as a physician.
“UC Davis is a huge advocate for getting in-the-field experience. I love that I’ve been able to do hands-on work in the field, not just in a classroom—what I was able to learn by following what a physician does all day was unparalleled.”
—Amrit Bains
Manetti Shrem Museum
Artworks by world-renowned 20th-century luminaries Willem De Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Giorgio Morandi, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso have been added to the Fine Arts Collection at UC Davis, thanks to the generosity of the Wayne Thiebaud Foundation. The foundation gifted 12 works from Thiebaud’s personal collection. The late UC Davis professor influenced countless students and artists throughout his long career.
“These signature works are truly a transformational gift. Generations of students and scholars will be able to draw first-hand inspiration from some of the most important and influential artists of the modern era.”
—Rachel Teagle, founding director, Manetti Shrem Museum of Art
College of Engineering
The Diane Bryant Engineering Student Design Center inspired Jason Pieck, a third-year mechanical engineering major, to start the first underwater robotics club at UC Davis. Members of the Cyclone RoboSub club built an autonomous underwater vehicle—a submarine that operates without a human controlling it—to compete in RoboSub 2024, an annual competition of teams from around the world.
“We had a unique opportunity provided to us by the creation of the new ESDC. Having a shop space we could use for free, with all the equipment and tools we needed, was huge for us! It was a big push in making this club a reality.”
—Jason Pieck, Co-Founder, Cyclone RoboSub
Graduate Studies
Designer Alejandra Ruiz, M.F.A. ’23, is using mushrooms to turn fast-fashion waste into reusable, eco-friendly materials. Her research focuses on the environmental impact of discarded clothing and turning textile waste into reusable architectural materials. Ruiz’s graduating installation, “Sustainable Pathways for Repurposing Textile Waste,” was granted the prestigious 2023 Savageau Award, which supported her transition from graduate school to a teaching position at UC Davis.
“I really feel there is a need to try to collaborate with nature to create new products that can be used to improve the lives of people.”
—Alejandra Ruiz, M.F.A. ’23
College of Letters and Science
Renowned cosmologist and UC Davis professor Lloyd Knox was named the inaugural Michael and Ester Vaida Endowed Chair in Cosmology and Astrophysics. The first endowed faculty position in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the chair was established through a $1.5 million estate gift from Michael L. Vaida, Ph.D. ’73, and his wife, Ester Vaida. The couple chose to activate the gift early so they could see the benefits of it within their lifetime.
“If this gift to UC Davis leads to any new discoveries about the universe, we would be delighted.”
—Michael Vaida, Ph.D. ’73
UC Davis Library
Renowned Napa Valley winemaker, grape grower, land preservationist, and philanthropist Warren Winiarski devoted his life to elevating the heritage of wine and its cultural importance in the United States and around the world and preserving the agricultural land of his beloved Napa Valley. The UC Davis Library is honored to have had Winiarski as a long-time supporter and partner, receiving $3.3 million to build the world’s most comprehensive Wine Writer Collections. Thanks to his contribution, the library continues to acquire, preserve, and share the works and papers of prominent wine writers, part of the Library’s food and science collections.
“We need to continue to get more finesse in our wines and I’m hoping that this collection will help bring about those developmental benefits for the industry for many years to come.”
—Warren Winiarski (1928-2024)
School of Medicine
When the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine’s chair Dr. Lydia Howell retired in 2023, her husband made a surprise announcement: The couple were creating an endowed chair at the UC Davis School of Medicine in her name. The chair honors Howell’s 13 years of commitment as the department’s leader and her 37 years on the faculty.
“I’ve spent my whole career at UC Davis, and I feel so much gratitude and loyalty. It’s nice to know that through this gift, the wonderful experiences available to me as a faculty member and chair can continue to grow and become even better for others.”
—Lydia Howell, distinguished professor and chair emerita, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
The Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators has provided unparalleled opportunities to more than 60 fellows across the nation since it began in 2020. Funded by two generous donations totaling $44.9 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the competitive fellowship program supports early- to mid-career nursing scholars and innovators. Each fellow receives $450,000 in funding over three years, plus $50,000 for their home institution, to focus on projects that aim to address vital issues in health care delivery, prevention and education.
“We appreciate the foundation’s support and are enthusiastic about the strong fellowship community that has gained such impressive momentum. By equipping nurse scientists with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to be effective leaders and innovators, we can drive meaningful change and improve health care delivery.”
—Heather M. Young, fellowship national program director and School of Nursing dean emeriti
School of Veterinary Medicine
In August 2024, Emily McCobb, D.V.M., M.S., D.A.C.V.A.A., was selected as the first PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care. PetSmart Charities committed $6 million in 2023 to establish the chair at the School of Veterinary Medicine.
PetSmart Charities chose UC Davis for the veterinary school’s sustained priority of improving access to care and integrated approach to student training. Its longstanding rank as the top veterinary school in the nation, experience serving communities in need, and commitment to attracting a more diverse student population made for an ideal match in supporting the foundation’s initiatives.