Collage of students, faculty, staff and fellows in the field, in the lab, and working on projects together on campus and around world

Global Aggies Confronting Global Challenges

Global Aggies Confronting Global Challenges 

UC Davis Global Aggies are confronting global challenges to advance the global good in California and around the world, whether by feeding a growing population, taking action against climate change, eradicating inequalities, advancing health and wellbeing, increasing access to clean water, and more. Often using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework, Global Aggies are collaborating with local and global communities to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

 

Diverse Group of 2022 Grant Recipients Advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 

On March 3, 2022, three research teams were honored with $7,500 in grant funding each to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The grants were announced at the seventh annual Global Affairs International Connections Reception, hosted by Global Affairs, a special event that celebrates the global engagement of UC Davis faculty, staff and scholars. 

Global Aggies: Bridging Technical and Cross-Cultural Skills to Improve Access to Clean Water

Tiven Buggy, a 2020 graduate of the UC Davis College of Engineering's civil and environmental engineering master’s program, now serves as director of water and sanitation for the nonprofit Puente, based in Constanza, La Vega, Dominican Republic. In this role, Buggy relies on data collection and analysis technology to help solve water crises in remote parts of the region. His passion for improving access to clean water ignited during his time in the Peace Corps and continued to be fueled by his global experiences while at UC Davis.

2021 Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Support Collaborations Locally and Globally

The sixth annual International Connections Reception, hosted by Global Affairs on March 4, brought together the UC Davis community in an online forum to celebrate several award and grant programs. The event included the announcement of the 2021 recipients of Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals. One grant was reserved for a project that is clearly focused on SDG 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.” Two grants were reserved for CAMPOS and CAMPSSAH Scholars, who have as their mission to encompass the multicultural perspectives of academic faculty in STEM as well as in the social sciences, arts, and humanities—while focusing on expanding the presence of women and underrepresented faculty in those disciplines.

Global Aggies: Weaving Together One Health Collaborations Around the World

As part of USAID’s Emerging Pandemic Threats program, the PREDICT project at UC Davis made significant progress in understanding what’s going on in wildlife with regard to different viruses that could spill over and cause disease in humans, like coronaviruses. As the sister project of PREDICT, the One Health Workforce — Next Generation project is now underway and dedicated to training One Health practitioners to prevent future pandemics through connected global networks—thanks in part to a USAID award of $85 million.

Global Aggies: Leading COVID Symposiums for the Global Good

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Walter Leal, a UC Davis distinguished professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the College of Biological Sciences, realized it was in the public’s best interest to have access to the medical experts at UC Davis. Given the state’s stay-at-home orders, he decided to organize and host virtual COVID-19 public awareness symposiums featuring colleagues and longtime collaborators as panelists and guest speakers.

Global Aggies: Building Global Coalitions to Prevent Pandemics

Jonna Mazet, the founding director of the UC Davis One Health Institute and a professor of epidemiology and disease ecology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, partners around the world to strengthen global capacity for the detection of zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential—including COVID-19. What started as a USAID pilot project at UC Davis has grown to become the Global Virome Project, a multidisciplinary coalition targeting zoonotic viral threats worldwide.