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In this Laurels column, find honors from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the National Science Foundation and more.

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

CASE Awards

UC Davis won more honors than any other public university for its marketing, communication and development projects in the latest competition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.

UC Davis took home in the global contest, topped only by Stanford University’s 13. More than 600 institutions from 33 countries submitted 4,185 entries, .

The winning entries from UC Davis:

Gold

• An Extreme Tree Hunt in the Sierra Nevada, in the category Communications (Podcasts, Occasional)
• , in the category Videos (Student Audience, Short)
• , in the category Videos (Promotional, Long)

Silver

• , in the category Marketing (Microsites, Fundraising)
• , in the category Videos (News & Research)

Bronze

• , in the category Fundraising (Donor Relations & Stewardship Initiatives)
• , in the category Leadership (Talent Management Initiatives)
• , in the category Special Events (In-Person, Single-Day)
• , in the category Special Events (In-Person, Single-Day)
• , in the category Videos (Fundraising and Stewardship, Short)

— Cody Kitaura

NSF CAREER Award

The National Science Foundation, or NSF, has selected Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to receive a Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, Award. 

William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service

The American Geosciences Institute, or AGI, recently announced that paleontologist Sandra J. Carlson, a professor emerita in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the �������ý of Letters and Science, has been named the 2026 recipient of the . This award is given in recognition of exceptional and beneficial long-term service to the AGI.

Carlson's impact has spanned governance leadership, financial stewardship, program development, and deep commitment to the geoscience community. She served on the AGI Board of Directors from 2023 to 2025, including as chair of the audit committee. In that role, she led the review and coordination of AGI's audited financial statements, ensuring accuracy, transparency and accountability during a period of organizational transition. Her leadership strengthened AGI's financial integrity and institutional resilience.

Defense Science Study Group

UC Davis Professor of Physics and Astronomy has been appointed to the newest class of the , a program directed by the . The program invites outstanding science and engineering professors to apply their skills and research to the United States’ security challenges. Wetzel is one of 18 selected for the 2027-2028 cohort.  

“I feel honored and excited to be selected for DSSG,” said Wetzel. “I am eager to learn more about the many facets of our national security program, especially the role of science and technology, and to help build bridges with academia, including our campus.” 

A theoretical and computational astrophysicist and cosmologist, Wetzel generates simulations to model the formation of cosmic structures. These simulations are used to study star and galaxy formation, stellar nucleosynthesis and the nature of dark matter. 

—  Greg Watry

ACLS Open Access Book Prizes

by Professor Liza Grandia of the Department of Native American Studies has been selected as a finalist for the and the Arcadia Open Access Book Award. The book chronicles how indigenous maize farmers in Guatemala have successfully defended their traditional seed-saving practices against corporate interests. The book’s wide, cost-free availability to readers around the world — including an open access — will help audiences learn from the experience of these communities.

The winners will be announced in the fall.

— Michael Ladisch