Summer 2025 Content

Ph.D. Alum Kathleen DuVal Wins Pulitzer Prize

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 21, 2025 - 9:40am

Kathleen DuVal, Ph.D. ’01, won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in History for her book Native Nations: A Millennium in North America (Random House, 2024). Prize winners were announced on May 5.

The announcement comes in addition to other prestigious awards DuVal has already received for the book, including the Bancroft Prize, the Cundill History Prize and the Mark Lynton History Prize.

DuVal said the positive reception to the book was apparent immediately.

Meet the Law and Economy Expert

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Professor Shayak Sarkar (Gregory Urquiaga/51�Թϱ��)

Get To Know the People and Projects Behind Aggie Square

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Aggie Square, the $1.1 billion innovation district that will bring together 51�Թϱ��’ cutting-edge research with private-sector companies and startups, officially opened May 2. The innovation district is next door to 51�Թϱ�� Health in the heart of Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, and features everything from housing to research facilities.

Here’s a roundup of articles detailing Aggie Square’s launch, the people behind the project, new tenants and future events.

Will We Have a Wildflower Superbloom this Year?

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Every few years, hillsides and valleys become blanketed in wildflowers, drawing in crowds of visitors. Jennifer Funk, ecologist and professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at 51�Թϱ��, helped explain the science behind the superbloom phenomenon.

What is a superbloom?

A superbloom is a significant appearance of wildflowers, compared to a normal year.

A Supportive Network

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Shane Snyder ’89 can relate to the challenges his clients face at the Society for the Blind in Sacramento.

As the director of programs, Snyder helps connect people to resources they need to build independent living skills when they lose their sight. But personally, he also has confronted vision loss due to Usher syndrome, a congenital degenerative condition that affects both eyes and ears.

“I had to learn some new ways to do the things I already knew how to do,” said Snyder, who wears aids to help with hearing.

Davis Is Cool, Says MyDavisCalifornia

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Everyone’s been there: first time in a new town, in search of coffee or a bite to eat or a park to pass the time.

A web search may not visualize the experience of going to these businesses quite like social media. YouTube vlogs and TikTok videos let viewers visit any restaurant or attraction anywhere, with the ease of a swipe.

Caring for Kittens

Russell L Thebaud — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Kaya Miller, a second-year 51�Թϱ�� undergraduate, introduces her three 3-week-old foster kittens: Anna, Elsa and Merida. She explains that as a busy student, she and her roommate have taken on alternating shifts feeding and cleaning the kittens. “It’s a lot of dedication; we have to wake up every two hours, but it's so worth it,” she said.

Miller is a volunteer foster within the Orphan Kitten Project, or OKP, a nonprofit, vet-student-run club that has rescued and rehabilitated neonatal kittens since 1988.

A College Experience Comes to a Close

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

When I first came to 51�Թϱ�� four years ago, I had no idea how much college would shape me academically, personally and professionally.

As someone from a mid-sized suburb, I saw the city of Davis as a small town in the middle of nowhere without much to do. I ultimately decided to come to Davis because it was somewhat close to my hometown and had good academics. And over the past four years my feelings about Davis have changed immensely.

Revisiting a Medical Marvel

Russell L Thebaud — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

When drug breakthroughs happen, the medical community rejoices. But some people can be left behind. Case in point: Rapamycin. Now a 51�Թϱ�� professor is investigating how to bring back the benefits of a revolutionary drug to the people who were there from the beginning.

Farming Caviar: A 51�Թϱ�� Innovation

Russell L Thebaud — May 19, 2025 - 9:00am

Ali Bolourchi ’05, M.B.A. ’12, leads a tour of his caviar farm in Wilton, California, highlighting the long process of raising white sturgeon, pointing out that these innovations were developed at “Caviar U.”

He means 51�Թϱ��.

Bolourchi is president of Tsar Nicoulai, now the largest caviar-producing company in the United States, thanks to the acquisition last year of Sterling Caviar.

Summer 2025 Content

Ph.D. Alum Kathleen DuVal Wins Pulitzer Prize

Meet the Law and Economy Expert

Get To Know the People and Projects Behind Aggie Square

Will We Have a Wildflower Superbloom this Year?

What is a superbloom?

A Supportive Network

Davis Is Cool, Says MyDavisCalifornia

Caring for Kittens

A College Experience Comes to a Close

Revisiting a Medical Marvel

Farming Caviar: A 51�Թϱ����� Innovation

Farming Caviar: A 51�Թϱ�� Innovation