Jesus Barajas
Jesus Barajas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. His research at the intersection of transportation planning and environmental justice addresses how systems of inequities influence travel behavior and how policymakers can and should respond. Much of his work has engaged directly with transportation advocates and public agencies trying to understand and effect change in their communities on issues such as affordable housing, policing, safety, and institutional planning challenges. At UC Davis, he will teach courses on environmental justice, transportation equity, and transportation policy.
Beth Ferguson
Beth Ferguson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at the University of California Davis. Professor Ferguson studies active mobility infrastructure, solar energy, climate adaptation strategies, and sustainable design. In her work, she partners with government agencies, cultural institutions, and community organizations working on sustainable design. Ferguson has engaged thousands of participants in the development of projects such as solar charging stations, sustainable transportation, and urban resiliency planning. She is a faculty researcher at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies collaborating on future mobility and public transit projects.
Laci M. Gerhart-Barley, PhD
Laci is an Assistant Professor of Teaching (LPSOE) in Evolution and Ecology (EVE). Prior to joining EVE, she was an instructor at the University of Hawai'i, Mānoa and West O'ahu campuses. Laci was born and raised in Kansas and received both her bachelor of science degree (with distinction) and PhD (with honors) from the University of Kansas. Her disciplinary research uses stable isotope analysis of tree ring chronologies to reconstruct nutrient cycling and plant physiology in US forests. Her pedagogical research focuses on instructional technology, including in-class and out-of-class engagement tools. At UCD, Laci primarily teaches the large-enrollment introductory course Biosciences 2B, in addition to EVE electives such as Global Change Ecology and the California Naturalist Certification course Wild Davis.
Thomas Maiorana
Tom Maiorana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at the University of California, Davis. Tom specializes in product design and development, design thinking, and prototyping. His research explores the ways which low-resolution prototypes can be used in service of systemic change. He is a Fellow at the John Muir Institute for the Environment and the Initiative Architect for One Climate at UC Davis.
Lisa Soederberg Miller
Lisa M. Soederberg Miller is a Professor of Human Development in the Department of Human Ecology where she teaches courses on adult development and aging; field studies of elders; and technology use, health, and aging. Her research focuses on identifying strengths within communities and individuals that can be leveraged to empower individuals to adopt a healthier lifestyle. She particularly enjoys working on projects that address health disparities across adulthood and into later life.
Diane Ullman
Diane Ullman is a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. She is an entomologist who studies vector-pathogen relationships, in particular insects that transmit plant viruses. Ullman is known for research that has advanced international knowledge of interactions between thrips and the tospoviruses they transmit. Throughout her teaching career, she has held a deep interest in new paradigms for biological and environmental science education, as well as strategies for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Ullman co-founded the University of California Art/Science Fusion program that has fostered innovative pedagogies for connecting the arts and sciences in teaching entomology and environmental sciences. Outcomes from this program include many undergraduate courses, a Consilience Symposium and exhibit series and at least eight permanently installed, large scale, community-built public artworks on the UC Davis campus.