They are experts in a parasitic amoeba, scientific history, the health effects of stress and more, and now these eight faculty members can add a new title: Chancellor’s Fellow.
The recognition is given each year to early career academics doing exemplary work, and the 2025-26 class will be recognized at a reception next week.
“I am continually inspired by the brilliant work of faculty across every area of the university,” said Chancellor Gary S. May. “I’m honored to welcome the 26th class of Chancellor’s Fellows to a group of those who have a long history of making an impact on our students, our region and our world.”
The Chancellor’s Fellows program was created in 2000. Recipients carry the title for five years and are awarded $25,000 in unrestricted philanthropic support for research or other scholarly work.
“This program is a perfect example of the impact of philanthropy,” said Shaun B. Keister, vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations. “These researchers go forth to make a difference in many areas of the world, and we are honored to have a hand in supporting the early stages of their work.”
The nominees for the award are selected by their respective deans, and Philip Kass, vice provost of Academic Affairs, said the recognition was a sign that these faculty members are truly among the most remarkable of their peer group.
“These bright researchers are some of our most promising academics, and our faculty review committee and I are confident they will accomplish even more impressive work now that they’ve achieved this honor,” Kass said.
The 2025-26 Chancellor’s Fellows from the College of Letters and Science are:
Camelia Hostinar
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Hostinar, a developmental psychologist, studies how stress affects health across people’s lives with a focus on the body’s response to stress, particularly in early life. Her research also examines ways that might reduce the long-term harm caused by early life stress.
“She is at the forefront of creating a new understanding of the causes, manifestations and effects of stress in childhood and adolescence, and what can be done to mitigate and resolve the impacts of stress,” said Paul Hastings, a professor of psychology. “She has woven a network of collaborative scholarship that unites the strengths of our university.”
Emily Merchant
Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies
A science historian focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries, Merchant analyzes quantitative human sciences and technologies of human measurement. Merchant's current project is a book titled Molecular Eugenics: The American Pursuit of Intelligence Genes. It will explore the 100-year history of eugenics in the social sciences and its impact on modern sociogenomics, a field that’s explored the genetic basis for educational attainment and income.
“Emily Merchant is an exciting, accomplished scholar who is reinventing the history of the social sciences in the 20th century," wrote Dan Bouk, professor and chair of the Department of History at Colgate University. “She is a gifted, and tireless, archival researcher — a historian’s historian.”
Laura Starkston
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics
Starkston’s research is in symplectic topology, low-dimensional topology and algebraic geometry. A key approach in her research in these areas is to represent objects in four dimensions using diagrams in two or three dimensions. Starkston has made major contributions in this area, which has connections to a wide range of fields, including high energy physics.
Starkston’s work has been supported by a series of grants, including an NSF CAREER award and Sloan Research Foundation fellowship. She is a sought-after speaker at international conferences and highly praised as a teacher at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“I cannot think of a better candidate than Laura for a Chancellor’s Fellowship. Certainly, I have not seen one in my 29 years at UC Davis,” wrote Bruno Nachtergaele, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics.
Katia Vega
Associate Professor, Department of Design
An internationally recognized leader in the field of bio-human-computer interactions, Vega’s research leads new explorations of organisms-device symbiosis. She has pioneered new domains that embed biosensors and electronics seamlessly into cosmetics, wearables and living materials, and is the founder and director of the Interactive Organisms Lab. Her innovations have reshaped how we understand the relationship between organisms and devices, pushing the boundaries of design, biotechnology and computing.
Her colleagues describe her as a team player and a creative “star” who continually works to uplift others, especially underrepresented women in technology. She is known for her consistent, long-held commitment to her students, peers and community.
“Dr. Vega is an extremely rare and unique researcher — demonstrating consistent excellence in research taste, human empathy, technical execution and design polish,” wrote Professor Eric Paulos, faculty director for the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation at UC Berkeley.
Media Resources
Cody Kitaura is the editor of Dateline UC Davis and can be reached by email or at 530-752-1932.
This article originally appeared on the UC Davis News website.
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