Golden State Today

UC Davis has inducted nine new faculty members into its CAMPOS and CAMPSSAH programs, continuing its commitment to diversity in academia. These scholars bring varied research interests, including ancient world studies, Black HIV/AIDS activism, and immune response to infection.

Chancellor Gary S. May emphasized the importance of diverse perspectives at the induction ceremony on November 6. "Faculty members like these bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds that are vital to spur creativity and discovery," he said. Luis Carvajal-Carmona, associate vice chancellor for academic diversity, praised the new scholars: "Our new cohort of CAMPOS and CAMPSSAH scholars are stellar academics from diverse backgrounds who will enrich UC Davis."

Renetta Tull, vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, highlighted collaboration as key to the success of these centers. Maxine Craig, faculty director of CAMPSSAH, expressed optimism about working with the new scholars.

The university's efforts have been recognized by the National Institutes of Health with a $100,000 award for diversity initiatives. UC Davis is also progressing towards becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

CAMPOS was established through UC Davis ADVANCE to increase women's participation in science careers. Linda Bisson noted that genuine equality is the goal rather than just achieving diversity statistics.

Antoine Johnson and Vladimir Diaz-Ochoa shared positive experiences as part of these programs. Craig emphasized the importance of retention alongside recruitment.

The 2024-25 class includes assistant professors from various departments such as pathology, microbiology, education, American studies, Asian American studies, classics, Native American studies, and African American studies.