Chancellor Gary S. May, the seventh leader of UC Davis, has said that his position is a cross between a school principal and the mayor of a small city. He is known as a dynamic leader with a passion for helping others succeed. May is also an accomplished scholar and engineer.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan serves as the number two person in the UC Davis administration, representing the chancellor in his absence. Mary is the campus’ chief academic and operating office and, in that post, she oversees the work of the deans and helps guide academic strategies.

Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Rocko DeLuca leads athletics at UC Davis; he is responsible for the eligibility and welfare of student-athletes, program operations, fiscal planning and management, marketing and promotions, corporate sponsorships, television and radio contracts, and more.

Associate Chancellor and Chief of Staff Karl Engelback works closely with Chancellor May and has a hand in many as[ects of running the university. Besides earning two degrees from UC Davis, he has a wealth of knowledge that comes from different roles on campus since 2008. Shadowing Karl will likely mean many high-level meetings where impactful decisions are being made for the campus.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Pablo Reguerin, who earned his doctorate in education from UC Davis, oversees the nearly 30 units that make up the Division of Student Affairs, including programs and partnerships that promote student learning and success, personal growth and lifelong education.

Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations, and Administration

Clare Shinnerl provides leadership and strategic planning in the areas of human resources, finance, budget planning, facilities management and campus planning and design, among other responsibilities. She is responsible for the university’s capital and operating budget totaling about $4.6 billion annually. 

Chief Campus Counsel Michael Sweeney is UC Davis’ chief campus counsel and provides legal services related to all aspects of running a large university, from the First Amendment to undocumented students. Michael has worked as a UC Davis attorney since 2007; prior to that he was a civil rights attorney for the California Attorney General’s Office.

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer As the chief marketing and communications officer, Dana Topousis leads the Strategic Communications department. Dana has a team of news writers, videographers and photographers, social media experts, website managers and programmers, and marketing professionals who all help tell the stories of UC Davis.

Vice chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Renetta Tull is a passionate advocate, global mentor, education policy strategist, and champion for equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She is the first person to hold this position at UC Davis.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Health, Wellness, and Divisional Resources, Student Affairs Dr. Cory Vu started his career at UC Davis in 2011 at Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) where he served as the quality improvement and risk manager. Vu focuses on programs that improve student health and wellness and student success.

Dean of the UC Davis School of Law Kevin Johnson also is the Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law, and professor of Chicana/o Studies. He has taught a wide array of classes, including immigration law, civil procedure, complex litigation, Latinos and Latinas and the law, and Critical Race Theory. In 1993, he was the recipient of the law school's Distinguished Teaching Award.

Interim University Librarian William Garrity is responsible for oversight of the UC Davis Library, one of the nation’s top academic research libraries and a major academic unit supporting the students and faculty of UC Davis, the healthcare professionals of UC Davis Health, and the public. Garrity brings more than 30 years of experience working in university libraries, health science libraries and information technology.

Interim Dean of the School of Education Cynthia Carter Ching was appointed interim dean for the School of Education on July 1, 2023. She is a professor of education and associate dean for academic programs in the UC Davis School of Education. In her research, she examines how children, youth, and adults represent and negotiate aspects of themselves via technology in classrooms, in online environments, and in games.

Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Tammy Kenber assumed the role of Chief Human Resources Officer for UC Davis and UC Davis Health in December 2022. Kenber's priorities focus on people and cultivating a holistic and rewarding work environment throughout each phase of employment, from candidacy to retirement, for all employees. 

Director of Audit and Management Advisory Services Ryan Dickson oversees the team that reviews and monitors how the university at large manages its operations, adheres to governance processes, manages systems of internal control and financial oversight, and complies with laws, regulations and university policies for both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. Prior to joining AMAS, Dickson was a lecturer in the Department of English for three years.