The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences today named 18 finalists for the 2026 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. The awards recognize scientific advances made by researchers in the United States across the following disciplines: life sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences & engineering.
Estella Atekwana has been reappointed to a second five-year term as dean of the College of Letters and Science following the completion of a comprehensive performance review. The committee charged with conducting the review offered its unanimous and enthusiastic endorsement of her reappointment.
Every day faculty and students from the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis are highlighted in the news media, having their research featured and commenting on the most pressing issues facing the world. Check out some of these news media highlights from August 2026.
Gabriella Montinola received the 2026 Pi Sigma Alpha James Lengle Advisor Recognition Award for helping to re-launch the UC Davis undergraduate political science honor society Delta Upsilon, with club members planning an ambitious future.
Over the past several months, thousands of UC advocates have spoken up for California research. Together, we sent nearly 14,000 emails to lawmakers, rallied at the State Capitol, and helped make research a statewide priority.
Beatriz Cortez, a multidisciplinary artist and professor of Chicana/o/x studies at UC Davis, has been named a 2026 Joan Mitchell Fellow, which includes $60,000 in direct, unrestricted funding distributed over five years alongside learning, peer engagement and network-building opportunities.
L&S Magazine has been featuring books by authors from the College of Letters and Science for nearly two years. We’ve tried to organize the selections into relevant themes, addressing timely issues our society faces and celebrating the unique characteristics that make up humanity. These books remind us why we do what we do — not just in higher education but in the world at large. They challenge us, make us think, give us hope and inspire us.
Beatriz Cortez, a multidisciplinary artist and professor of Chicana/o/x studies at UC Davis, recently spoke with UC Berkeley Professor Ronald Rael at Aspen Ideas Festival 2026. Their panel, Ancient Futures: from Mud to Machine, was moderated by Nora Lawrence, executive director of Storm King Art Center in New York.
Every day faculty and students from the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis are highlighted in the news media, having their research featured and commenting on the most pressing issues facing the world. Check out some of these news media highlights from the past month.
Five researchers from the University of California, Davis, including two from the College of Letters and Science, were listed among recipients for the inaugural awards through the U.S. Department of Energy’s, or DOE, Genesis Mission — a national program leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science and national security.
