Alumni News

Francisco Rodriguez ’85 M.S. ’97 was honored at the Alumni Awards Gala on Feb. 1 as this year’s Jerry W. Fielder Award winner. This award is named to honor the lifelong commitment of one of the university’s most esteemed and supportive alumni.

By Theresa Steinberger

This year’s Young Alumnus Award winner Richard Addante Ph.D. ’11 – only seven years out from graduation – is already the only psychologist to participate in a NASA simulation mission to Mars. During the mission, his team helped develop NASA’s understanding of challenges that may arise for humans confined together in a long mission.  

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) supports alumni through various programs and services. Our 19 employees and over 500 volunteers help Aggies reconnect with their alma mater through engagement, membership, benefits and more. Many of the CAAA staff members are UC Davis alumni who came back to enrich the lives of their fellow Aggies while promoting pride in their alma mater.

The Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association (CLAA) of the University of California, Davis is one of the fastest growing networks within the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA).

Who you know can often be the difference between getting an interview or not, especially as an out-of-state or out-of-country candidate. That’s where fellow Aggies come in. Aggie alumni have built their careers in all 50 states, and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) makes it a priority to connect Aggies who can help each other make career connections and maintain a lifelong connection to UC Davis from anywhere in the world.

The UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association is celebrating two of the longstanding traditions of UC Davis, Picnic Day and Pajamarino, with the UC Davis Alumni Wine Program. The Wine Program partnered with Bucher Wines and brick & mortar wines to create Aggie Traditions, a perfect wine pairing to enjoy with friends, family and fellow Aggies.

Megan Kennedy, ‘14, who graduated with degrees in philosophy and political science, lights up as she explains the vision for the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) UC Davis Military Network, which she co-leads and co-founded in 2017 with Joseph Wetherbee ’16.

The University of California, Davis, Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) has elected Bill Cochran ’73, cred. ’74 as president of its board of directors and Charles Melton ‘08 as executive vice president and president-elect for 2018-2019. Both will assume the office effective July 1.

“CAAA is excited to see the direction Bill and Charles will take the organization this year,” said Rich Engel, UC Davis’ assistant vice chancellor for alumni relations and executive director of CAAA. “They both have bold, innovative ideas that will allow CAAA to better serve our alumni and members.”

Picnic Day at the University of California, Davis, has been a staple in the Famula household since the moment Thomas and Michelle Famula set foot on campus over 35 years ago. Both have marched in the parade before with their departments and all three of their daughters Melissa ’05, Jessica and Randi ’10, M.S. ’17 have marched in the parade over the years with their respective girl scout troops. Every year they look forward to the animal science displays, the parade, the exhibits–and their personal favorite– the battle of the bands.