UC Davis College of Letters and Science

09/10/2026

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Konstantinos “Kosta” Papamichael, a visionary researcher, educator, and leader in the field of daylighting design and founder of the California Lighting Technology Center at UC Davis.

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

A new review paper in Nature Neuroscience summarizes what researchers have learned about how the insula works in animals and how that might translate to its function in humans. These insights may open up the potential for the development of new treatments and therapies that change people’s lives.

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

Born on this day, we celebrate UC Davis’ own Robert Arneson (1930-1992).

Arneson was a prominent leader in the Funk art movement that was incubated at UC Davis before reaching a global audience. He imbued his ceramic sculptures and portraits with themes of comedy, vulgarity and playfulness, and is known for his Eggheads Series. The sculptures on five central sites are part of the lore of the UC Davis campus, bringing everything from good luck during exams to a watchful eye on campus administrators.

As an early faculty member of the university's art department, created in the 1960s, Arneson created art and taught studio classes at the historic TB 9 building until he died in 1992. The department created an endowed faculty chair in ceramic sculpture in 1997 to honor his contributions.

Arneson’s legacy as a teacher and artist transcends UC Davis. His fearless commitment to freedom and play as an artist inspired future generations of ceramicists. Today, many works of Arneson are on view across the country. You can see one of Arneson’s works, “Mr. Unatural,” in “Together Again: 1960–2026,” opening Sept. 23.

Image credit:
Robert Arneson, Mr. Unatural, 1978. Painted and glazed ceramic, 94 x 24 x 22 in. The Fine Arts Collection, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, University of California, Davis. Gift of the Lipman Family Foundation. © 2026 Estate of Robert Arneson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Photo: © Muzi Li Rowe.

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

UC Davis alum Roderic Vanderscoff always had his eyes on the stars. His love for space exploration was forged in his youth, informed by penchants for stargazing and science fiction, and conversations with his grandfather, an aerospace engineer who worked on the Apollo program. Today, Vanderscoff is....

09/02/2026

09/02/2026