Angelica Guercio, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, is one of five UC Davis faculty and staff named 2026-27 UC Dialogue Fellows for projects they will lead to advance the teaching and practice of dialogue across differences.

This is the first year for the fellowship, and 18 faculty and staff from six UC campuses have been named to the inaugural cohort of fellows, each receiving a $5,000 grant.

“Through 18 innovative projects spanning disciplines from science and medicine to the arts, classics and communication, fellows will develop and expand curricular resources while building a systemwide community of practice dedicated to strengthening dialogue as a foundation for learning, civic engagement and democratic participation,” the UC Office of the President said in its announcement.

Angelica Guercio 

Assistant professor of teaching, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
"Scientific Dialogue as Authentic Practice: A Scalable Model for Large-Enrollment Courses"

Guercio describes the project as “a scientific dialogue activity in a large-enrollment genetics course serving more than 400 students per quarter. Building from an existing science communication assignment, the project will move students beyond communicating to another person toward practicing true dialogue with another person. Students will encounter another perspective, practice inquiring and listening and finally respond, adapt and reflect on the interaction. The goal is for students to learn how to engage with people who bring different perspectives and expertise to a conversation and to approach these conversations as opportunities to build something together.”

A central focus of Guercio’s teaching and scholarship is how we can provide students with opportunities not only to gain disciplinary knowledge, but to practice meaningfully participating in their disciplines, as a part of a broader program of “Belonging Through Practice” — helping students think, work and engage with others as developing professionals while building their sense that they belong in STEM.

“In the classroom my students are becoming experts in science, but knowing the content is only part of what they will do as scientists,” she said. “They will have conversations with peers, patients, families, communities and the public, including people who understand or experience science differently than they do. Yet, we rarely give students explicit opportunities to practice having those conversations.”