American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced on March 27 its newly elected fellows, which included Professor Stephanie Hampton under the Biological Sciences section for her contributions in environmental and aquatic sciences.  Election as a fellow honors members who have contributed to the advancement of science in service to society.  

Recent departmental PhD graduate, JonahMaria Weeks from the Safford Lab, served as lead author for a study modeling fire behavior to see how effective prescribed fires can be to preserve forests and minimize the damage caused by wildfires.  The study emphasizes how proactive management of old-growth forests can not only prevent fire damage, but even strengthen ecological integrity and biodiversity as well.  An article was posted on the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) page. 

Professor Emeritus Eliška Rejmánková was recently announced as one of the recipients for the 2024-25 Seed Grants for International Activities.  

https://globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/funding-resources/seed-grants/2024-25-grantees 

Department Professor, James Sanchirico, was named one of the recipients of the Advancing Sustainable Development Goals grant.  The grant is awarded by the UC Davis Sustainable Development Leadership Initiative which aims to further the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

Alan Hastings has been named one of the recipients for the 2024-2025 UC Davis Distinguished Emeritus Award.  Awarded by the UC Davis Emeriti Association (UCDEA), the recipient is recognized for their outstanding scholarly work or service since retiring from teaching at the university. 

https://emeritiassociation.ucdavis.edu/awards-and-recognition/distinguished-emeritusa-award 

In a recently published article in Wired magazine, research faculty member, Hugh Safford, discusses the impact rain will have on the recently ravaged areas of Southern California due to wildfires.  Safford explains that many factors prime Southern California flash floods and landslides due to the "...steep landscape, propensity for fire, and occurrence of powerful Pacific storms."

Associate Professor, Frances Moore, was recently featured on CBS Eye on America to discuss how the wildfires in Southern California has impacted to costs related to insurance.  Moore describes the social cost of carbon as a figure that policymakers use to analyze and inform economic policies around climate change.  This figure has been estimated as too low according to a study led by Moore.  

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2410733121

Department Vice Chair and Professor, Marissa L Baskett, has been bestowed the NACADA Excellence in Advising award.  NACADA is an association of professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators, and students working to enhance the educational development of students.  

https://mailchi.mp/ucdavis/caes-highlights-jan2025

Susan L Handy, Department Vice Chair and Professor, will be receiving an honorary doctorate from the Delft University of Technology during the Dies Natalis Ceremony on January 16, 2025.  Susan will also be giving a lecture during the ceremony titled "Shifting Gears: The Role of Research in Changing Professional Thinking."  Bert van Wee, Professor in Transport Policy and honorary promoter for Susan, had this to say about her work: "Susan Handy has a strong societal research focus: cycling, methodological and empirical contributions.

In a joint study between UC Davis and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, published in the Journal of Ethology, Sonja Wild's research observed never-before-seen behavior from California Ground Squirrels.  Previously, it was believed that these squirrels were granivorous, but the research found them hunting and feeding on voles, a type of small rodent.  Sonja posted a video on YouTube showing a squirrel hunting a vole here.

Dr. Stephanie Hampton has been named the new director of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and professor in the Department of Environmental Science & Policy. A distinguished aquatic ecologist, Dr. Hampton brings extensive experience to these roles, including her current position as deputy director of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering at Carnegie Science. Dr. Hampton received her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Alan Hastings, explains in a recent UC Davis Dateline article how using mathematical tools can help to answer ecological questions and predict the dynamics of certain ecosystems.  

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/among-academies-formulas-environment

In their review published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Susan Harrison, James H. Thorne, and Hugh Safford argue that California serves as a crucial test case for global biodiversity conservation amid climate change. The study examines California’s exceptional terrestrial biodiversity and the severe threats posed by climate change, including direct impacts such as shifting plant diversity hotspots, and interactive effects involving invasive species and land-use changes.

Dr. Gwen Arnold has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Outstanding Advising Award - Faculty Role by NACADA, The Global Community for Academic Advising. This accolade recognizes Dr. Arnold’s exceptional dedication to enhancing student development through academic advising. NACADA, which champions effective advising practices in higher education, selected Dr. Arnold based on her outstanding interpersonal skills, consistent availability to advisees, and her proactive approach in supporting student success.

Ph.D. candidate, Mary Jade Farruggia, and department faculty member, Steve Sadro, published a study in the Global Change Biology journal which examined how wildfire smoke impacts lakes.  The study found that wildfire smoke deposited particles in the majority of lakes in North America which lasted more than 30 days.  The study goes on to look at the impact this has on local ecology including the food webs for these lakes.