Five faculty members from the University of California, Davis have been awarded the 2025 Chancellor’s Fellowship for their dedication to fostering an inclusive learning environment. The fellowship recognizes efforts to support underrepresented and underserved students.
Chancellor Gary S. May expressed pride in the recipients’ “commitment to reducing opportunity gaps for underrepresented students and/or students from underserved communities.”
The honorees, as announced by Chancellor May and the Academic Senate, include Raquel E. Aldana from the School of Law, José Arenas from the College of Letters and Science, Gwen Arnold from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Alejandro Naranjo Sandoval also from the College of Letters and Science, and Luis M. Peña-Lévano from the School of Veterinary Medicine. Arenas and Peña-Lévano are part of the Academic Federation; others belong to the Academic Senate.
Each recipient will receive $5,000 in Academic Enrichment Funds.
Michelle Ko, associate professor in the School of Medicine and chair of the selection committee, commended them for their “outstanding mentorship of underrepresented students and/or students from underserved communities.”
The committee detailed each winner’s contributions:
Raquel E. Aldana is acknowledged for her work in law and human rights which supports marginalized students through outreach, mentoring, advocacy, inclusive programs across campus promoting educational access and social justice.
José Arenas leads Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA), engaging UC Davis students with art as a healing tool while uplifting marginalized voices through culturally rooted experiences.
Gwen Arnold has mentored over 140 students to diversify environmental policy education. She developed a mentorship program connecting current undergraduates with alumni for professional growth.
Alejandro Naranjo Sandoval focuses his research on making philosophy more accessible to historically minoritized groups while advising UC Davis’s Minorities and Philosophy chapter.
Luis M. Peña-Lévano is noted for his expertise in agricultural economics advocating inclusivity by mentoring graduate students towards equitable professional environments in academia.
