The Spanish language is having a "historical moment of visibility" in the U.S. this year thanks to Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny. The worldwide superstar's pride in his culture and use of language validates an experience that many bilingual Spanish speakers, including at UC Davis, relate to. Professors and students in the College of Letters and Science recently weighed in on the current cultural moment.

Nine faculty members from the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis are receiving support for their work through this year’s Hellman Fellowships, and it comes right when they need it most: early in their careers. Grants this year range from $15,000 to $40,000.

With flavor and flair, a community of academics, chefs and food justice advocates are sparking conversation at UC Davis and beyond through the new seminar Thinking Food at the Intersections: Justice and Critical Food Studies. The seminar series is supported by a $225,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation received earlier this year.

Assistant Professor Gutiérrez Flores, who specializes in early modern Spanish and colonial Latin American studies, talks about birria tacos on KQED's "Beyond the Menu." The episode also features the owners of El Garage in Richmond, Calif. and food writer Bill Esparza as host Cecilia Phillips explores the foods origins.

A team of UC Davis Humanities scholars planning a 2024-2025 seminar, Thinking Food @ the Intersections, was recently awarded $225,000 for the project. The seminar will have dual goals of understanding the complexities of food justice through a humanities framework as well as finding new potential solutions.