When the most recent war broke out between Israel and Palestine's leaders in the Gaza Strip, UC Davis Associate Professors Sven-Erik Rose and Mairaj Syed decided to confront the controversial topic head on, facilitating talks on campus and teaching a class on antisemitism and Islamophobia. Students were asked to think critically about the past and to question narratives that use stereotypes to pit people against each other.

The Davis Humanities Institute is on track to start anew. By fall 2025, it will become the campus hub for making connections and sharing ideas across the arts, humanities and beyond. Its goals include making a deeper impact on campus and in the community, providing more research opportunities for undergraduate students and supporting cross-collaborations between disciplines within the College of Letters and Science as well as other colleges within UC Davis.

We a deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of David Biale just following his 75th birthday. Biale was a professor emeritus at UC Davis and a long-time Berkeley resident.