UC Davis College of Letters and Science

Join us today at 4 p.m. for a reading and lecture by Claudia Rankine about her new book, Just Us: An American Conversation. Claudia Rankine is a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship recipient, National Book Critics Circle Award winner and National Book Award finalist, whose work combines poetry, essays, photographs and argument into a passionate and persuasive case about race in this country. Register here: http://ow.ly/tGQz50CaGdW Article by Jeffrey Day: http://ow.ly/avfE50CaGdV

Tomorrow is Election Day! If you haven't done so already, make a plan to vote and make your voice heard. Early voting ends today, but remember that you can still register and vote on Election Day. Looking for some guidance? Visit https://www.ucdavis.edu/campus-life/aggies-vote for voter resources and a helpful guide created by ASUCD to navigate the various California propositions and ballot measures.

Happy Halloween, Aggies! Halloween looks a little bit different this year, so remember to continue following social-distancing guidelines, wear proper face coverings, and find indoor or online activities for your spooky celebrations. For more ways to celebrate safely, visit https://studentaffairs.ucdavis.edu/news/how-to-halloween.

Our campaign’s initiatives highlight our four academic disciplines: the arts, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. From pioneering a new arts renaissance to creating the world’s first center for the study of tea, our six strategic campaign projects will reimagine the way our world works. You can support these ventures through funding for endowments, research, and facilities, further establishing UC Davis as a world leader. Read more about each individual campaign project and support #UCDavisForAGreaterWorld: http://ow.ly/E0oN50C37Kr

Njideka Akunyili Crosby is a Nigerian American artist whose work explores the cultural terrain between her adopted home in the United States and her native Nigeria through collage and photo transfer-based paintings. She will give the seventh annual Betty Jean and Wayne Thiebaud Endowed Lecture on Nov. 12 at 4:30 p.m. This year’s free online lecture from the Department of Art and Art History celebrates professor emeritus Wayne Thiebaud’s 100th birthday on Nov. 16. http://ow.ly/wYI550C4izX

L&S Connections is a weekly drop-in group offering collaborative support for our students. Join in to build community and share experiences of navigating this especially challenging time. We are here for you. When: Tuesdays @ 2:00-2:50 p.m. Contact L&S Counselor Chris Le at [email protected] for the group Zoom link or to learn more.

Voting season can be stressful, so here is a friendly reminder that voting is a learning experience, not a test. While it is important to get out there and cast your vote, it is perfectly acceptable to leave some of the ballot questions blank. Alison Ledgerwood, a UCDavis psychology professor, elaborates on this sentiment in the ABC News article, Why it’s OK if some ballot questions get left blank. See the full story and read about what she has to say: http://ow.ly/J7SB50C029b

UC Davis’ strength in forming worldwide connections and newfound knowledge lies within our 35 academic departments and programs. We are seeking to establish faculty and graduate student research funds to create field study and undergraduate research opportunities, to support community outreach and partnerships, and to establish endowed professorships. Supporting our programs and departments will enable groundbreaking discoveries, critical connections, and newfound knowledge that will help solve today’s most pressing global issues. Read more about our #UCDavisForAGreaterWorld Campaign here: ow.ly/Spxa50BOLzQ

Devastating wildfires raging across California this year have been perceived mostly as a destructive force. But prior to European arrival in California, Native Americans used fire as a restorative land management technique that cleared underbrush and encouraged new plant growth. The practice of cultural burning is being explored at UC Davis by students and faculty in collaboration with tribes through the Native American studies course Keepers of the Flame. Read the full ...story about rethinking wildfire by Kat Kerlin for UC Davis News and Media Relations here: http://ow.ly/KDv850BXPo2

Are you interested in exploring the many global learning opportunities available across UC Davis? Come to the Global Learning Showcase to learn about study abroad, global internships, research, leadership, and much more! This four-day virtual event, hosted by the Global Learning Hub and the Internship & Career Center, includes info sessions and panels on a wide range of topics and opportunities. Learn more and pre-register here: http://ow.ly/7E7l50BTDdW

Students in the Department of Chemistry can conduct research in labs across campus, benefitting from interdisciplinary collaborations. For example, chemistry graduate students can join the lab of Patrick Shih, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, who was just awarded a prestigious Packard Fellowship. http://ow.ly/Oo7Z50BULtU

A recent study by UC Davis political scientist Isaac Hale (Ph.D. ’20) and fellow Aggie alumnus Carlos Algara (Ph.D. ’19) finds that there are still many racially conservative Democrats who can be persuaded to vote for Republican candidates. Read more about their research in The New York Times article, Biden Is Not Out of the Woods, before the upcoming election. http://ow.ly/k6ga50BTzUU

Research by UC Davis political scientist Isaac Hale (Ph.D. ’20) and fellow Aggie alumnus Carlos Algara (Ph.D. ’19 ) finds that there are still many racially conservative Democrats who can be persuaded to vote for Republican candidates. http://ow.ly/PQVe50BTWpO