Ebony Lewis joined UC Davis last week as the executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, and the campus community is invited to meet her at a reception this Friday afternoon (March 4). She previously served as associate director of admissions at UC Santa Cruz for eight years.

Here, she takes on leadership of freshman and transfer student recruitment and admissions at a time when the university is admitting what will be its largest entering class (9,500 students); developing and implementing new and expanded initiatives to recruit and retain historically underrepresented students; and seeking designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Lewis serves on the Chancellor’s Enrollment Policy Board and the Academic Senate Committee on Admissions and Enrollment. She oversees a staff of nearly 70.

Over her more than 15-year career at UC Santa Cruz, Lewis played an important role in key initiatives to enroll a more diverse student body, increase enrollment of national and international students, and strive for Hispanic Serving Institution status. Lewis also was a leader on the UC Collaborative Recruitment Team, coordinating and streamlining innovative systemwide recruitment efforts.

Among her recent professional activities at UC Santa Cruz, Lewis was a member of the campus team focused on climate, recruitment and retention of African, Black and Caribbean students; the Police Chief’s Advisory Board; and the Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Council focused on campus climate, culture and inclusion. She also served on campus’s Staff Advisory Board as well as the systemwide Council of UC Staff Assemblies.

Lewis has a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and politics from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in public administration with a focus in public policy and organizational change from California State University East Bay.

Friday’s reception is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Welcome Center.

Intellectual property licensing academies

UC Davis announced its annual intellectual property licensing academies. Two are being held, the first in Latin America and the other on the Davis campus.

The School of Law and UC Davis’ Public Intellectual Property Resource in Agriculture program are partners in the academies, which are for lawyers, technology transfer officers, academics and inventors.

The first academy, starting today (March 1) in La Paz, Mexico, explores the issues surrounding intellectual property and technology transfer from a Latin American perspective. The camapus academy, starting June 20, has a global perspective and draws participants from as close as UC Davis and from as far away as Asia, Africa and the Pacific Rim.

UC Davis faculty members are among the speakers at both academies. The campus program also features talks by representatives of UC Davis Innovation Access and Corporate Relations.

Read more.

Summer Olympics: Who’s going to Rio?

UC Davis News and Media Relations is compiling a list of UC Davis afilliates — students, alumni, staff and faculty — who may be participating in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as athletes or coaches, or in other ways, say, as officials, trainers, medical or veterinary staff, or volunteers. Please let us know, so we can share with the campus community and the general media. Send emails to dateline.ucdavis.edu.

IN MEMORIAM: Celebrating ‘Coach V,’ March 13

A celebration of the life of Jon Vochatzer, track and field head coach for more than three decades, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, March 13, at the university’s Conference Center.

Vochatzer died Feb. 22 at the age of 71, after having had a stroke in late January shortly before he and his wife, former women’s track coach Deanne Vochatzer, were to depart for their annual trip to Pismo Beach.

Jon Vochatzer earned multiple coach of the year awards at various levels, and  saw eight of his athletes win NCAA individual championships and dozens more earn All-America honors. His teams placed among the top five at either the Division II indoor or outdoor championships four times shortly before the university moved to Division I. He also coached at the national and international levels.

With a master’s degree in adaptive physical education, he developed programs for senior citizens, as well as mentally and physically challenged athletes, and became a consultant to California Special Olympics.

He taught a popular UC Davis course on fly fishing, specifically designed for women. And he held a number of committee assignments across the campus.

Read the complete obituary on the athletics department website.

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