Over the course of her accomplished career in academia and health care, Amy Brooks-Kayal has gone above and beyond to level the playing field in neurology.
For Sue Ebeler, M.S. ’85, Ph.D. ’93, the most rewarding part of her career isn’t the research awards or the international recognition — it’s the students whose lives she has changed.
As a professor of viticulture and enology and associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Ebeler has spent more than 30 years at UC Davis building a culture of belonging, mentorship and opportunity. Her leadership has empowered countless students — especially women — to find their place and thrive.
At commencement, she congratulates every student by name — then they ask for a hug.
She spearheaded the drive to establish an undergraduate environmental engineering major at UC Davis, knowing women are drawn to the field.
And in the words of her department chair: “She cares passionately about creating opportunities for others and institutionalizing the change needed to allow women and other underrepresented persons to thrive in engineering.”
Leigh Ann Simmons, professor and chair of the Department of Human Ecology, has won the inaugural Women & Philanthropy Impact Award at the University of California, Davis, in recognition of her work in mentorship and leadership, and efforts on behalf of women’s health.
This prestigious annual award recognizes a current UC Davis faculty or staff member who contribute to the advancement of women in their respective fields, demonstrate exemplary leadership, and make significant contributions to our local and global university communities. The recipient will direct the award of $25,000 to a UC Davis fund of their choice.
