Department Chair Dan Potter has given the initial portion of a $125,000 gift to support students researching in the areas of plant diversity, classification and cultural uses. He invites you to participate through the UC Davis Give Day Challenge, open now.
Daniel Potter is the new chair of the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, overseeing research, teaching, and outreach. A botanist and herbarium director, he aims to improve student connections and expand lab space.
Loren Oki, UC Davis professor emeritus, retired after 29 years of research on water conservation, pesticide management, and nursery production. His work influenced state policies and industry practices, earning him induction into the Green Industry Hall of Fame.
Richard Michelmore, UC Davis molecular biologist and founder of the Genome Center, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for his work on plant disease resistance and COVID-19 testing. His research advances crop resilience and genomics.
Richard Michelmore led the UC Davis Genome Center for 20 years, expanding its influence and spearheading a groundbreaking COVID-19 saliva test. His leadership advanced genomics research, faculty recruitment, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
After chairing the Department of Plant Sciences for seven years, Gail Taylor has taken a new appointment as the dean of Life Sciences, University College London. She will start her new role later this year.
Truman Young retired as a professor and restoration ecologist from the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. His work has taken him to Africa and beyond, helping communities restore and manage landscapes.
Robert Hutmacher retired in 2022 as professor of the University of California Cooperative Extension, based in the Department of Plant Sciences. He is also the director of the UC West Side Research and Extension Center. His research has focused on cotton, primarily in California's San Joaquin Valley and other cotton-producing states.
Kent Bradford retired in 2019 as a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Plant Sciences. He was the founding director of the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center. His research has focused on the development, maintenance and expression of seed quality.
John Yoder retired as a professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences after building a career focused on parasitic weeds and developing crops that resist them.
