Scholar Reconnects to UC Davis and His Homeland Through Research on San Francisco Murals

Mauricio Ernesto Ramírez, a postdoctoral scholar in the UC Davis Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, first walked through Balmy Alley when he was a student at a nearby elementary school in San Francisco’s Mission District. The block-long alley contains the most concentrated collection of murals in a city that’s a tapestry of murals. The alley’s art — which first began appearing in the early 1970s —has long been about issues relevant to the many Mission residents who trace their roots to Mexico and Central America.

Young Alumni Group Connects Aggies in the Bay

When Peter Ng heard about a new group for young alumni living in the San Francisco Bay Area, he immediately called his old campus friend Chris Backer, who he knew had great networking skills.

The two have taken leading roles in the College of Letters and Science Young Alumni Program, San Francisco Bay Area, serving on the group’s seven-member advisory board, chaired by Lauren Levin (B.A., communication, ’11).

2008 - Jessica Bejarano

Jessica Bejarano (M.A. music, '08) was recently featured on the KQED's "Bay Brilliant" program. Bejarano is music director of the San Francisco Civic Orchestra. "I didn't look at the lack of females in the field. I just knew that I was motivated, I was thirsty for it, and I was passionate about conducting and being a leader. So I just went for it."

1997 - London Breed

London Breed (B.A., political science, ’97) is only the second woman and the first African American to serve as San Francisco's Mayor. Her term runs until January 2020.

Design Faculty Working on Climate Change Project

Two faculty members from the UC Davis College of Letters and Science Department of Design are part of a group selected for a year-long project bringing together local residents, public officials and experts to develop projects to strengthen resilience to sea level rise, severe storms, flooding and earthquakes.

2013 - May Wilson

May Wilson (MFA, art, ’13) has won the 2017 San Francisco Artist Award from the San Francisco Art Dealers Association (SFADA). As winner, she will have a solo exhibition at the Themes + Projects gallery, Minnesota Street Project, 1275 Minnesota St., Sept. 9 – 30. Wilson creates sculptures and installations with industrial materials — vinyl, industrial felt, nylon strapping, sand and concrete. Around 30 artists were nominated for the biennial award by art professionals, collectors and other artists.

San Francisco Young Alumni Program

When Lauren Levin (B.A., communications, ‘11) and Jacqueline Wells (B.A., English, ‘06) wanted to connect with a group of College of Letters and Science young alumni in the Bay Area and found no such group existed, they did what Aggies do: they made it happen themselves.