Awards & Laurels

The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) has elected Dan Starr, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, as a 2026 ASCB Fellow.

Starr is one of 15 scientists elected this year in recognition of exceptional contributions to cell biology and the society. ASCB Fellows are selected by their peers and approved by the ASCB Council, recognizing careers distinguished by scientific excellence, leadership and service to the cell biology community.

As the planet warms, how will plants respond? For a clue, evolutionary ecologists like Sharon Strauss can move a plant outside of its comfort zone.

Strauss, a distinguished professor emerita of evolution and ecology, has conducted numerous experiments growing plants under conditions where they aren’t usually found, with the aim of studying how they’ll respond.

Xiaosa Xu, assistant professor of plant biology in the College of Biological Sciences, has received a UC Office of the President Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Award. The award includes $50,000 to support his research on the evolution of maize.

The College of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025-26 CBS Faculty Research and Teaching Awards. These annual honors recognize faculty members whose contributions exemplify the college's commitment to advancing discovery and providing outstanding educational experiences for students.

The National Academy of Sciences has elected Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at University of California, Davis, as a member. His election was announced April 28.

Ross-Ibarra is one of 120 members and 25 international members elected this year in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

Recent national and global rankings continue to highlight UC Davis as a leader in the biological sciences. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, UC Davis biological sciences tied for 21st, placing it among the top biological sciences graduate programs in the United States.

Four faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, class of 2025. They are among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and other innovators that the society recognized this year for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

Here are the new fellows, with their fellowship citations:

Four faculty, two each in CBS departments and graduate groups, are among this year’s recipients of the Academic Senate and Federation top awards. They are in a cohort of 15 academics across various disciplines throughout the university to be recognized. 

The awards cite the impact these academics have had on their fields, on UC Davis students and on the broader community through public service.

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.

The 2026 UC Davis Medal, the University of California, Davis’ highest honor, will be awarded to Robert D. and A. Kathleen Grey. The couple have dedicated their lives and careers to the university and the surrounding community for nearly six decades, playing an integral role in the university’s transformation into the world-class research institution it is today.