by Erika Reynolds, associate director, First Year Experience
FYE Peer Mentors are one source of support for first year and continuing students as they transition into and through college. FYE Peer Mentors are current students who meet with first year students to answer questions, share experiences and offer suggestions.
Peer Mentors offer “office hours” in the residence halls, at The Green, and on campus and they put on academic programs and events.
FYE Peer Mentors are trained to assist students in all four colleges and can help:
Everything you need to know to about UC Davis Parent and Family Weekend on November 1-3, 2024. The annual event which gives parents and family members of current students the opportunity to engage with UC Davis life — from academics to athletics and everything in between.
by Tessa Haden, associate director of development, parent giving, annual and special gifts, Development and Alumni Relations
Fall and football are in the air, and UC Davis is excited to welcome parents and families for the annual Parent and Family Weekend, happening November 1-3. This special weekend provides a fantastic opportunity for families of current students to fully immerse themselves in the UC Davis experience—from academics to athletics and everything in between.
More than $7 million in merit scholarships is available for continuing students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. UC Davis Financial Aid and Scholarships opened the 2025-26 Continuing Undergraduate Scholarship Application Oct. 1 and offer several online information sessions to help students with the application.
According to Maggie Mello ’10, who has experienced several career changes, life has a funny way of working out for the best.
After graduating with honors from UC Davis, Mello spent a decade serving her country as a logistics officer and eventually became a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Now, she is preparing for a promising future in international development with USAID through the prestigious Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship.
As returning, new and transfer students make their way to UC Davis this fall, invariably one of the first things they seek out, after completing finishing touches in their room decor of course, is finding a part-time job. While getting a job around campus is as common a rite of passage as a picture with an egghead statue, it can be fraught with missteps, misinformation or mistakes.
As the new school year approaches, the campus is buzzing with excitement as students make their way back. This is the perfect opportunity for parents to explore the many resources UC Davis offers to support their students’ health, safety, and success. It’s also a wonderful moment for me to introduce myself as the new associate director of development for parent giving.
Mention First-Year Seminars to UC Davis students and alumni and you’ll most likely hear a positive recollection. Recalling his time in a Sports Law First-Year Seminar, Scott Judson said he still remembers his experience 18 years ago.
Alejandra Ruiz, M.F.A. ’23, is using mushrooms to turn fast-fashion waste into reusable, eco-friendly materials.
By 2015, Ruiz said fast fashion, the mass production of low-cost garments, led to the annual production of 120 billion pieces of clothing, 15-20% of which went to waste. Most discarded items from the United States and other consumer-driven economies are sent to regions of Latin America, Asia, and Africa for disposal.
"Imagine how many of those 120 billion items are going to be discarded in these developing countries just within one year," said Ruiz.
