UC Davis Global Affairs Annual Report 2023-24 by UC Davis Global

ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24

GL i

EAR Y 5

ENGA

M E G

Contents 2

Letter from the Vice Provost and Dean

3 About UC Davis 4

UC Davis Global Highlights

5 25th Anniversary 7 Tackling Global Challenges 9 Transforming Global Partnerships 13

Taking Care of Global Community

15 Telling Global Stories 18 18 Philanthropic Philanthropic Support

LETTER FROM THE VICE PROVOST AND DEAN Dear Friends, I am proud to share our Annual Report with you. This past year, we made significant strides toward our mission thanks to the dedication of our staff, faculty, students, and partners on campus and around the world. We recognize that this is a time of deep challenges and suffering for many people around the world. Global conflicts, natural disasters, and social injustices have intensified, reminding us of our shared responsibility to foster empathy, inclusivity, and support across borders. UC Davis remains committed to being a welcoming space for all, and we continue to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as central pillars of our work. This year marks a major milestone for us: 25 years of catalyzing global engagement at UC Davis. This report includes a few highlights on pages 5-6, and we have a special webpage with additional details, including a brief timeline of key accomplishments. In 2023-2024, we continued advancing our goal of providing Global Education for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by engaging more than 10,000 students in global learning opportunities, supporting faculty research and strengthening meaningful partnerships on campus, with surrounding communities and worldwide. We hosted a forum that brought together higher education representatives to discuss and share approaches to advance the SDGs, co-edited a book entitled Global Goals, Global Education: Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and jointly released a Voluntary Local Review with the City of Sacramento that aligns the SDGs with Sacramento’s city plans. Each initiative reflects our commitment to help create a more sustainable, interconnected world. We continued to host two exceptional global professional programs—the Humphrey Fellowship Program and Mandela Washington Fellowship—and provided critical services for over 9,000 students, faculty and researchers from over 100 countries. In partnership with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and Universiti Malaya, we co-hosted the first inperson summit of the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Mentoring Program at the University of Auckland. We also joined UC Davis leadership in delegation visits to Australia, Chile, and Hong Kong to facilitate and elevate equitable and transformative partnerships. This year, we celebrated the close of a successful multi-year fundraising campaign at UC Davis, which brought in $2.25 billion to support students, research, innovation and other academic efforts. We thank the alumni, friends, and community partners whose generosity contributed $7.02 million to Global Affairs, reaching 140% of our campaign goal! Thank you for joining us in our mission! I look forward to what the next 25 years bring for global engagement, and I am grateful for your continued partnership in building a brighter, more inclusive future for all. All the best,

Joanna Regulska Vice Provost and Dean - Global Affairs Distinguished Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies University of California, Davis 2

ABOUT UC DAVIS $1.039

40,850

billion

students

3rd

best public institution

263+

263 visitors as a part of 46 delegations from 48 institutions in 30 countries

2024 Distinguished Friends of the University: Cathy and Bob Kerr 3

$12.6 billion

external research funding

annual economic activity

7,508

1,909

international students

international scholars

162

3rd

162 international agreements across 39 countries

3rd in the U.S. among public universities for how well we set graduates up for financial success

UC Davis Ranks 3rd for Large Universities with Students Studying Abroad as Gilman Scholars

UC DAVIS GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES African Orphan Crops Consortium Sparks a Movement

COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE How Professor Burnett is Changing the Way We View Tea

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Leaving My Comfort Zone as an International Student

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Improving Access to Neurosurgery Care in Bolivia

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION Association Offers Ladders of Opportunity to Hispanic Students

PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT

Studying Sacramento History with an Eye Toward Reparations

COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

GRADUATE STUDIES

BETTY IRENE MOORE SCHOOL OF NURSING

A Mixed Origin Made Maize Successful

Inaugural Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Exhibition

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Coffee Across Borders

UC Davis Nursing Faculty Receive Seed Grant for Work in Kenya

SCHOOL OF LAW

Chicanx and Latinx Education Symposium Research Panel

Hosting Members of the European Parliament for Technology Roundtable

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Global Summer Externships Locally and Globally

GRAND CHALLENGES

Ingredients for the Food-ture: UC Davis Cooks Up Innovation

SUSTAINABILITY

Cork Harvest Comes to UC Davis

Engineer Turned Brewer Drives Innovation in Brazil

OFFICE OF RESEARCH

CLTC and KAIST Establish Partnership to Advance Smart City Research

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Advancing Health Equity Speakers Series

For 25 years, we have proudly served as a catalyst for global engagement, fostering collaboration, innovation and meaningful connections across borders. As we celebrate this milestone, we reflect on our achievements and remain dedicated to continuing our mission of driving global engagement and shaping a more just, resilient and interconnected world.

EAR Y 5

ENGAGE

Points of Pride Since 2005, we have supported more than 83,000 international students and 34,000 scholars.

Since 2001, Global Affairs Seed Grants for International Activities have funded 284 global faculty projects, with $2 million invested by Global Affairs, leading to over $50 million in external funding.

10,000+ students currently participate in global learning experiences on campus, online or around the world each year.

Since 2019, Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals have supported 24 faculty projects with 14 collaborators across 18 countries, addressing all 17 SDGs.

Since 2014, more than 11,000 students have studied, interned and researched abroad.

Since 1986, UC Davis has welcomed 344 Humphrey Fellows from over 100 countries.

Since 1999, 120 UC Davis faculty and staff have received Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards.

Since 2016, UC Davis has welcomed more than 200 Mandela Washington Fellows from more than 35 countries.

Since 2016, 32 UC Davis faculty and staff have been honored with the Chancellor’s Achievement Award or Excellence in Teaching for Global Learning Award.

Since 2014, 503 students have received Gilman Scholarships, totaling over $1.8 million.

Awards and Recognition

Visitour our25th 25thYear YearAnniversary Anniversarywebpage webpageatatglobalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/25th-anniversary globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/25th-anniversary Visit

TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES A Backpack to Help Refugees

Education: Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, highlights how higher education institutions are integrating the SDGs into their priorities and strategies, teaching and research, and engagement across campus, local and international communities. The book is edited by Jolynn Shoemaker, Global Affairs director of global engagement and Joanna Regulska, Global Affairs vice provost and dean.

January’s guest on Face to Face with Chancellor May was a student who came to UC Davis to help refugees preserve their access to higher education — all while completing her own studies. Dheera Dusanapudi is a junior studying international relations and religious studies and works as the student lead for the Article 26 Backpack, a program that offers refugees counseling and a cloud storage platform to preserve important records like transcripts and diplomas.

New Book Explores How Higher Education Institutions are Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals

City of Sacramento and UC Davis Celebrate Voluntary Local Review on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. At its core are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address the major global challenges facing human society, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Released in May, May, Global Goals, Global

1,000+

students attended the Global Learning Fair and Global Learning Conference

students lived in the Global Engagement Opportunities Living Learning Community

10,000+

students participated in on-campus and virtual global and intercultural learning programming

1,239

students pursued study, internships, or research/ projects in other countries

This past year, UC Davis and the City of Sacramento embarked on a significant collaborative endeavor to assess and advance the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in our community. This city-university project culminated in the drafting of a Voluntary Local Review, Review, which aligns the SDGs to Sacramento’s 2040 General Plan and Climate Action & Adaptation Plan and offers an overview of the City’s progress towards the SDGs.

UC Davis Honors International Connections

UC Davis Faculty and Staff Receive Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards Several UC Davis faculty and staff received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 20242025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright scholars also play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations.

8 Outstanding Aggies Receive 20232024 Fulbright Awards Eight UC Davis students and alumni were awarded prestigious Fulbright grants by the Fulbright U.S. Program. These students traveled abroad in the 2023-2024 academic year to serve as English Teaching Assistants or international researchers. Their service and research spans four continents: Asia (Taiwan), Africa (Ghana), Europe (Sweden, Spain, Greece), and South America (Argentina). Fulbright grantees receive round-trip airfare, limited health insurance, and a monthly stipend for up to one academic year.

Global Affairs celebrated the accomplishments of faculty, staff and scholars who have worked to advance global higher education at the eighth annual International Connections Reception. UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May honored Ermias Kebreab and Nicole Rabaud with the Chancellor’s Award for International Engagement. Jonathan K. London and Timothy J. McNeil received the 2023 Excellence in Teaching for Global Learning Awards. This year’s Seed Grant projects were supported in partnership with UC Davis colleges and schools, the Office of Research and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, to faculty taking on innovative research, service, and engagement projects around the world. These 12 projects bring together more than 20 researchers across UC Davis and collaborating institutions worldwide and foster longterm international research collaborations, create innovations in internationalizing the curriculum, and grow or build global partnerships. The Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals are offered in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sustainability and Grand Challenges to faculty promoting multidisciplinary collaborations focused on advancing one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s four projects bring together more than 15 researchers across UC Davis and collaborating institutions worldwide.

TRANSFORMING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS Americas •

From Sacramento to Santiago: Exploring Shared Solutions for Sustainable Energy

•

UC Davis Chile develops a Methodological Guide for Municipalities to Prepare their Climate Change Action Plans

•

UC Davis and UC|Chile Announce 2023 Recipients of the Seed Grants for Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration for Sustainability

•

Alianza MX, Tec de Monterrey and UC Davis Announce 2023 Recipients of Seed Funding for Exploratory Research

•

UC Davis Delegation led by Chancellor Gary S. May Visits Chile

Africa •

Navigating the Waves of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by Alusine Diamond-Suma (Sierra Leone), Mandela Washington Fellow

•

Kelsey Kalu, Mandela Washington Fellow (Nigeria), Gave Their Ignite Talk on My Permanent Grief

•

Fictional Adventure in Egypt to Become Reality for Top UC Davis Graduate

•

Joanna Regulska Participated in a Panel Discussion on Inclusive and Equitable Partnerships in Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa hosted by Rutgers University and the Alliance for African Partnership during the 66th African Studies Association Annual Meeting

•

Emergency Medicine Team Trains Health Care Professionals in West Africa

Europe

Asia

•

Joanna Regulska and Michael Lazzara Met with Former Minister Mari Pangestu, a UC Davis Alumna, and Participated in Several Business Meetings in Indonesia

•

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Shifting Research and Education Agenda

•

New Study Abroad Program with Korea University Offers ‘International Insights’ in Semiconductor Engineering

•

Provost Croughan and Joanna Regulska Attended the U21 Annual Network Meeting and Presidential Symposium and Met With UC Davis Alumni in Hong Kong

Biological Sciences Student Gains Cross-Cultural Experience Shadowing Doctors in Italy

Oceania

Middle East •

Course Fosters Global Innovation Through Collaboration

•

UC Davis Hosts The University of Sydney for a Workshop on Building Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems

•

UC Davis Co-Hosted with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and Universiti Malaya the First In-Person Summit of the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Mentoring Program at University of Auckland, in New Zealand

GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS UC Davis Welcomed 12 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a prestigious program bringing accomplished midcareer professionals from countries around the world to host universities throughout the United States, returned to UC Davis as 12 Fellows from 12 different countries arrived on campus. During the 2023-24 academic year, the UC Davis Humphrey Fellows focused on strengthening their professional skills, improving their leadership abilities and engaging in meaningful collaboration and connections across campus. Several of the Fellows wrote blogs about their experiences. experiences.

APWiL Mentoring Program 3rd Cohort Concludes, Having Promoted Teaching and Learning in Both Directions The APWiL Mentoring Program 3rd Cohort wrapped up with a virtual graduation ceremony kick-started with a keynote speech by Prof. Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor, University of Auckland and APWiL Presidential Champion. The ceremony highlighted participants’ accomplishments and appreciation for a fruitful year of mentor-mentee exchanges.

Supporting Student-Driven Partnerships

We launched Global Grad Grants to provide funding opportunities for UC Davis graduate and professional students seeking to participate in a globally focused social impact project, which includes enrollment in our Widening Circles Program, Program, or a globally focused research opportunity, which includes enrollment in our Global Leadership Pathway Micro-Credential Program.. This grant adds to our growing portfolio to Program support student-designed research, internships, and creative work globally. Global Grad Grants are made possible by generous contributions from donors.

UC Davis Hosted 2024 Mandela Washington Fellows For six weeks, UC Davis hosted 24 Fellows participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Representing 20 African countries, this is UC Davis’s eighth cohort since 2016. Fellows participated in the Leadership in Public Management Institute at UC Davis, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Several of the Fellows wrote blogs about their experiences.

AIEA THEMATIC FORUM Higher Education Representatives Shared Approaches to Advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

UC Davis hosted an AIEA Thematic Forum on April 11-12, 2024, bringing together 40 UC Davis speakers and participants and 38 attendees from other institutions in the U.S. and other countries focused on integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals through their university’s internationalization efforts. The forum, “Integrating the SDGs in Comprehensive Internationalization Strategies: Approaches for Research, Teaching and Engaging Communities,” addressed the strategiclevel issue of how to integrate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development throughout university internationalization efforts, specifically via research, teaching and engagement with communities. The event, co-sponsored by UC Davis and the Association of International Education Administrators, or AIEA, was held at the UC Davis International

Center. The forum featured conversations among Senior International Officers (SIOs), international educators, faculty, researchers and administrators from universities around the world to share best practices and build a community among those in universities who are actively engaged in this global agenda. The event included welcome remarks from UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May and Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs Joanna Regulska, along with AIEA Immediate Past-President Jeet Joshee, Ambassador Ronaldo Filho Costa, Consul General of Brazil in San Francisco, and Earth University President Arturo Condo. The forum featured speakers from across UC Davis and other institutions and deep-dive strategy sessions for participants to hear examples of initiatives that promote SDGs in research, teaching and engagement with communities and students. As universities continue to adapt and evolve in an uncertain and complex world, this forum provided a crucial platform for fostering collaborations at every level to achieve shared, global goals for people, the planet and prosperity. Partnerships on campus, in communities and at the regional and international levels are crucial ingredients to advance innovation and shared solutions to these complex challenges.

TAKING CARE OF GLOBAL COMMUNITY International and Academic English

Women in STEM: Celebrating Our International Scholars

International and Academic English led Summer Start to ensure academic success for multilingual undergraduate students, provided intercultural communication opportunities through the Pal Program, delivered more than 2,200 one-on-one sessions through Language and Culture Coaching for graduate students and offered the Test of Oral English Proficiency to prospective teaching assistants.

In keeping with its commitment to the equitable representation and advancement of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), UC Davis continues to welcome and support women working in STEM fields as they arrive on campus from all over the world. Through a network of faculty, staff, centers and clubs, UC Davis provides university resources and mentorship.

Global Affairs staff, faculty and students provide programming and support to the UC Davis community to inspire and advance global curiosity, understanding and engagement.

‘Face to Face’: Strengthening Student Advising

Ask campus staff and faculty the best part about working at UC Davis and a common answer appears: the students. On an episode of “Face to Face With Chancellor May,” the podcast featured an interview with two campus leaders – Kayton Carter, Executive Director for Academic Advising Enrichment (Undergraduate Education) and Stephanie Zarate, Advising and Outreach Lead (Global Affairs) – about their roles in increasing advising opportunities for undergraduate Aggies to equip them for their futures.

Finding Global Community at UC Davis and Beyond

here, Jeff completed his Bachelor’s in Engineering in 2019 and further pursued a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering with a specialization in artificial and machine learning, graduating in 2023. Aspiring to help other students and professors by serving as a Teaching Assistant, he turned to Language and Culture Coaching within Global Affairs for help.

Supporting our International Community

Attending college for the first time can be an overwhelming experience for anyone. Attending college for the first time in a new country where you don’t speak the language adds an entirely new level of challenges. Fourth-year international student Rikiya Hatano is no stranger to this feat. Getting involved with campus programs, Hatano became a Global Ambassador Mentor Fellow in Spring 2023. Previously a mentee when he first entered UC Davis, Hatano found community through the program and later applied to be a mentor himself. Always eager to try new things, Hatano feels that the more he has gotten involved on campus, the easier his transition into life in the U.S. has been.

Enrichment and Opportunity through Language and Culture Coaching

As part of UC Davis Global Affairs, Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) is helping to build a campus community that includes students and scholars from over 100 countries and six continents. Each year, SISS serves more than 9,000 international students, faculty and researchers and their accompanying family members who come to UC Davis. With expertise in medical imaging, Emilie Roncali is one such international scholar. scholar. A leading biomedical engineer and physicist, Roncali focuses on medical imaging and the effectiveness of medical treatments for cancer patients.

Fostering Safe Global Travel Global Affairs continued to provide critical travel security resources and tips for UC Davis travelers— from pre-trip preparation and registration to real-time updates and responses—to mitigate the impact of unexpected weather, health, and security incidents. This year, we added resources for LGBTQIA+ travelers.. travelers Looking to expand his horizons, Zhengfeng “Jeff” Lai transferred to UC Davis, Davis, from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, as a senior undergraduate. Once 14

TELLING GLOBAL STORIES Creating Meaningful Impact Within the UC Davis Community and Abroad

In college, it can be challenging to balance school, work, extracurriculars, and a social life. With rigorous academics and a wide range of work and extracurricular opportunities, UC Davis students are well-accustomed to the balancing act. Mahiri Comeaux is one of these multi-talented students who did not waste a single moment during his years at Davis.. Davis

UC Davis School of Medicine Student Advances One Health Coalition to Promote Interdisciplinary Action

Rawlings Lyle is a fourth-year medical student pursuing a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research at the UC Davis School of Medicine. With an emphasis in dermatology and wound healing, Lyle has an extensive background in the medical field and wants to use his knowledge to promote global health worldwide. Given his interests and background, Lyle became involved with the One Health Institute, which works at the interface of animals, people and the environment to solve complex health and conservation challenges.

Addressing Food Insecurity With UC Davis Student Farm

Experiences Abroad and At Home Valeria Becerra Angulo, a UC Davis student, has just one thing to say to students about studying abroad: “Just do it.” Valeria is an international relations major with a minor in French, Human Rights, and Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. Originally from Mexico and having moved to America in her teens, Valeria knows how difficult it is to learn a new language and live in a new environment away from home. Fortunately, she has found a second home in Davis, but she wanted to continue her international experiences. 15

Ranked first in the country for agriculture and forestry studies, UC Davis has a unique relationship with agriculture. This is especially relevant to the university’s Student Farm, a designated teaching tool for students to practice sustainable agricultural practices and mitigate food insecurity

within the campus and Davis communities. Within this organization, the Student Farm focuses on several SDGs, including SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality of Education, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Global Education for All Fellows partnered with the Student Farm to run the fourth “Student Farming Around the World” virtual symposium.

Checking In With Chancellor May: Preparing Students for a World of Opportunity Chancellor May’s August campus community email focused on the importance of global learning and the diversity of opportunities available to UC Davis students, faculty and staff. Global learning experiences, through domestic, online and abroad programs, help our community expand their knowledge about the world around them. These experiences enhance critical thinking skills

and encourage independence, which is important for academic, career and personal development. Chancellor May shared, “We will continue to welcome the world to UC Davis and bring UC Davis to the world. The exchange of ideas and learning of new cultures — all of which come from being a part of a global campus — are more important than ever.”