Sometimes I think time must be moving in fast-forward. The quarter ends in two weeks, and our students are gearing up for their final exams, which are followed by a welcome break and then it’s spring quarter — already.

Another thing that’s just around the corner is our first-ever Alumni Game Changers event, featuring Nobel Laureate Charles Rice and NFL star Rolf Benirschke on Friday, March 15. Charles was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2020 for being the first to successfully culture the Hepatitis C virus, an effort that led to a cure for the virus. His work has since impacted millions of people, including Rolf Benirschke. I hope you will join us for what promises to be a terrific conversation between two of our most famous and esteemed alumni.

We’ve also seen new faculty laurels since the start of the quarter. Celina Juliano, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology who studies the regenerative capabilities of Hydra vulgaris, was named a UC Davis Chancellor's Fellow. And Walter Leal, a distinguished professor of molecular and cellular biology, received the Academic Senate’s Faculty Research Award, making him the first-ever UC Davis faculty member to receive all three of the Senate’s awards. My congratulations to both Celina and Walter!

There’s a lot still ahead, though the remainder of this academic year is quickly passing. As I always do, I wish each of our 6,000 students the very best of luck on their finals this quarter, and I look forward to seeing them all again for the start of the last quarter of the year.

Meanwhile, go Ags!