As the inaugural Louise H. Kellogg Endowed Chair in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) at UC Davis, Amanda Thomas will advance scientific excellence in geophysics through visionary leadership at UC Davis and expand the reach of geosciences by teaching and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students.

Magali Billen, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, seeks to unravel the forces that drive plate tectonics from hundreds of kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface. Specifically, she’s interested in subduction zones — areas where two tectonic plates collide, causing one to dive back down into the Earth’s mantle.

Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Davis, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the academy announced April 24.