Every year, outstanding individuals are recognized for their dedication to guiding and mentoring graduate students. Their exceptional guidance and unwavering support have profoundly impacted the lives of those they have mentored. The winners of the 2023 Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Award were commended for their unparalleled dedication and commitment to the growth and success of others.

“[This professor]’s exceptional mentorship has been instrumental in shaping the research direction, scholarly achievements, and career paths of numerous M.S. and Ph.D. students.”

 “[This professor] creates an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and offering suggestions, thereby fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and collaboration.”

Among the 2023 award winners, 34 faculty members were recognized for their outstanding contributions. Seven were from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, five were from the College of Biological Sciences, six were from the College of Engineering, fourteen were from the College of Letters and Sciences, one was from the School of Medicine, and one was from the School of Veterinary Medicine. This award is one of many Graduate Studies initiatives dedicated to showcasing and promoting positive advising and mentoring experiences within graduate education at UC Davis.

Jean-Pierre Delplanque, vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies, said it was an honor to acknowledge this year’s winners who exemplify the importance of mentorship and advising in graduate education.

“Mentorship and advising are critical aspects of graduate student success and pillar of the UC Davis Graduate Studies’ strategic plan, but these faculty are truly living this mission through their energy and effort,” he said. “We are so grateful to them for sharing their time and talents with our graduate students and postdocs.”

Here are the 2023 winners by college/school:

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences       

• Cort Anastasio                             Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry
• Brian Bailey                                 Horticulture and Agronomy
• Amanda Crump                           International Agricultural Development 
• Katrina Jessoe                              Agricultural & Resource Economics
• Alessandro Ossola                       Environmental Policy and Management
• Caroline Slupsky                          Nutritional Biology
• Louie Yang                                    Entomology

College of Biological Sciences

• Rishidev Chaudri                            Neuroscience
• Mark Huising                                  Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
• Dan Kliebenstein                             Plant Biology Graduate Group
• Stefano Morotti                               Biophysics Graduate Group
• Madeline Nieves-Cintron                Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Graduate Group

College of Engineering  

• Jesus Barajas                                    Transportation Technology and Policy
• Premkumar Devanbu                       Computer Science
• Juan Sebastian Gomez-Diaz             Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Lucas Smith                                       Biomedical Engineering
• Vinod Narayanan                               Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Katerina Ziotopoulou                         Civil and Environmental Engineering

College of Letters and Science 

• Andreas Albrecht                                 Physics
• Krishnakumar Balasubramanian          Statistics
• Shuai Chen                                          Biostatistics
• Jaeho Cho                                           Communications
• Jesus De Loera                                    Mathematics
• Kris Fallon                                           Performance Studies
• Naomi Janowitz                                  Religious Studies
• Mark Mascal                                       Chemistry and Chemical Biology
• Lisa Oakes                                           Psychology
• Arman Rezaee                                     Economics
• Emily Vazquez-Enriquez                     Spanish
• Michael Yonan                                    Art History
• Lauren Young                                      Political Science
• Michael Ziser                                       English 

School of Medicine

• Jesse Pry                                              Public Health Sciences

School of Veterinary Medicine

• Heather Knych                                    Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group

More about the award                                 

To be considered for this award, graduate programs nominated faculty members who displayed outstanding excellence in advising and mentoring of their graduate students. As part of the nomination process, these Graduate programs highlighted faculty for their service to the program, commitment to advising and mentoring, and positive impact on graduate students and colleagues. This was an optional recognition program and graduate programs participated at will. The award recipients received a letter of recognition from the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies that can be included in merit and promotion files or to document their service for grant applications or organizations.

For more information on Graduate Studies' mentoring resources, awards, and programs, visit the mentoring website.