By Bonnie Shea, director of communications, Global Affairs

In 2017, the inaugural Chancellor’s Awards for International Engagement kicked off a tradition of honoring those on campus advancing the mission of UC Davis through international engagement.

This year’s awardees, who span three UC Davis colleges and schools, were recognized by Chancellor Gary S. May at the annual International Connections Reception hosted by Global Affairs on March 2.

“At UC Davis, we know the importance of global research and partnerships in finding solutions for many of today’s most pressing challenges. This international engagement reaches just about every corner of the campus, the region, and involves our international partners in advancing the university’s teaching, research, and service,” said Joanna Regulska, vice provost and associate chancellor of Global Affairs.

2018 Chancellor’s Awards for International Engagement

Rosalind Christian

An undergraduate advisor in the College of Engineering, Rosalind Christian turns the international dreams of her students into reality, supporting them in navigating a particularly complex academic curriculum and clearing paths that broaden their horizons.

Whether it’s researching to match students with the right international experiences or contributing to advisory workshops and committees, Christian has made important international and study abroad experiences more accessible. A Biomedical Engineering student currently spending an entire year enrolled at a university in London is one of countless examples of Christian’s advocacy at work.

One nominator touted Christian’s innovation in advising as a promising sign for the future of one of the university’s 13 “Big Ideas” Global Education for All, saying, “it will be achieved student by student, with this persistent attention to the details of real student lives and real academic plans, as well as through this collaboration between departments on campus, statewide, and internationally.”

Patricia Conrad

An associate dean for Global Programs and professor of Parasitology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, and co-director of the University of California’s Global Health Institute, Patricia Conrad has been internationally engaged at UC Davis for three decades.

Her commitment to being global is apparent in her research and professional work, through her hundreds of publications and multidisciplinary international research. But Conrad is also training the next generation of researchers, health science students, and faculty—with the goal of improving the health of people, animals, and the environment through a One Health approach.

Recognized by her colleagues for embracing the interconnectedness of the world in advancing discovery and in meeting societal needs, while educating future global health leaders, one nominator put it, “Pat’s approach to team building is constructed on a bedrock of respect, cultural sensitivity, and sharing—rather than owning—knowledge.”

Paul Gepts

A distinguished professor of Plant Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Paul Gepts engages students and scholars from numerous countries in research that spans continents and integrates both laboratory and field work.

Gepts, a multilingual native of Belgium, serves on thesis committees for students at universities around the world, boasts several international students and scholars in his lab, and almost half of his couple hundred research publications are because of international collaborations.

His engagement with the world is useful for society, not just academia. A nominator, one of the many researchers Gepts has welcomed to his lab during his more than 30 years at UC Davis noted, “these trainings have significantly contributed to reducing the deficit of bean breeders in Africa and to fostering the image of UC Davis as a global leader. There are African bean scholars who may not have had an opportunity to research at UC Davis if not for Paul’s engagements with them.”

2017-18 Global Affairs Award Announcements

The International Connections Reception also included the announcements of Global Affairs signature award programs—ones that engage faculty and staff in international partnerships, connect faculty from across disciplines working in the same world regions, and fund innovative faculty research proposals.

• Chancellor’s Awards for International Engagement
• Faculty and Staff Ambassadors
• Grants for Regional Faculty Groups
• Seed Grants for International Activities

About Global Affairs at UC Davis

Global Affairs brings the world to UC Davis, welcoming more than 8,400 international students, scholars and leaders, and hosting programs that inspire global curiosity, understanding and engagement. Compelled by the valuable outcomes of thinking globally, we make transformative opportunities a reality by supporting the thousands of students and faculty studying and researching internationally—and by facilitating collaborations that tackle the world’s most pressing problems through more than 150 international partnerships.

Putting our vision of a UC Davis community that engages, thrives, and leads in this interconnected world into action, Global Affairs is now in pursuit of an ambitious goal: Global Education for All.