The 2024-2025 academic year came to a celebratory close last month with cheers and happy tears for our newest graduates. More than 8,000 crossed the stage, and I was pleased to shake their hands or share a fist bump, hand over heart, or heart hands.

We reached new milestones, from rankings, fundraising support and success on athletic fields. We faced challenges as well, but through our ingenuity and dedication to partnership, UC Davis is persevering.

Here are some highlights of the past academic year:

Ranked in the Winners’ Circle

In September, the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse placed UC Davis at the #3 spot among public universities nationally. This ranking focuses on how well we prepare our students for success after college.

Also, U.S. News & World Report placed UC Davis at No. 9 among the nation’s top public universities. This marks the fourth consecutive year our university has been ranked among its top 10 public universities. I feel confident in saying that UC Davis is no longer “the best kept secret” in higher education.

Federally Funded Research Unlocks Advancements

The academic year held challenges as well, such as ongoing uncertainties over federal research funding cuts. In response, our legal teams are exploring a variety of options. We’re in active conversations with universities throughout the nation. We launched a web series called “From Labs to Lives” that spotlights how research funding is critical to advances in human and animal health, sustainability, and so much more. Fact sheets about how federal funding has benefited American research can be downloaded on that site.

A Bold New Era for UC Davis Arts

The arts are an essential part of who we are at UC Davis, from Robert Arneson’s iconic “Eggheads” sculptures to our historic TB 9 art building and Gorman Museum of Native American Art. Thanks to a gift of over $20 million from Maria Manetti Shrem, a full-blown arts renaissance is underway on campus. A ribbon cutting was held in January for the Maria Manetti Shrem Art District, which expands the arts across our campus. Students and visitors alike will benefit from cutting-edge programming and a renewed ability to attract world-class artists and scholars to campus.

Historic Fundraising Effort Concludes

One of the most significant achievements this year was the conclusion of our multi-year fundraising campaign, “Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World.” In all, we raised more than $2.25 billion with gifts that help students achieve their dreams, build a better tomorrow through our research and move UC Davis boldly into the future. I’d also note that 9,130 individuals from the city of Davis donated more than $119 million during the campaign. I thank everyone who demonstrated their belief in UC Davis by supporting this effort.

Inspiring Year for Aggie Football

Coach Tim Plough moved from inspiring the Aggies on the field to guiding them on the sidelines, leading the team to historic success in his first season as head football coach. The 2008 graduate returned to UC Davis Health Stadium — or, as he calls it, “Shredville” — to lead the Aggies to an 11-3 season and a #5 national ranking, the highest in program history. For only the third time, the team reached the NCAA FCS quarterfinals, and they are poised for even greater success next year.

Setting the Bar for Sustainability

For the ninth consecutive year, UC Davis was named the greenest university in the nation in the GreenMetric rankings. A commitment to sustainability reaches every aspect of our campus, from our plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 to our classroom instruction on sustainable practices. We know that achieving these goals depends on partnership, and we are eager to continue our shared efforts to create transportation and sustainability infrastructure with the Davis community.

UC Davis Coffee Center in the National Spotlight

In October, the Today Show featured the UC Davis Coffee Center, the nation’s first multidisciplinary research facility focused on coffee science and education. By leveraging our world-class food science and agricultural programs, the Center helps students uncover the key to great coffee all the way from crop to cup. Working alongside them, our researchers will ensure that the coffee that fuels many of us remains affordable and sustainable.

An Enhanced Arboretum

The UC Davis Arboretum remains one of the city’s most beloved areas, a place to stroll among California native plants and the gentle flow of Putah Creek. A restoration project started in 2024, and I appreciate everyone’s patience while construction was underway. The good news is that the restoration finished a year ahead of schedule. Now, the UC Davis Arboretum is more resilient than ever to flooding and is planted with new native plantings. If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll come by soon and see it yourself.

There were more highlights than I can share here. Let me close by thanking our community for continuing to be good neighbors and good friends to UC Davis as we navigate through unprecedented pressures on higher education.