One of my key goals when I came to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis was to make the university a household name. I believe that goal is now being fulfilled, and not just with 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 high rankings in academics and social mobility.
Our teamwork continues to flourish in the fight against COVID, along with collaborating successfully on local issues of transportation and student housing. In terms of college towns, it doesn鈥檛 get much better than Davis.
Recognition
But don鈥檛 just take my word for it. Take it from the , , and many other outlets, which all recently shared the story about Healthy Davis Together.
Said the New York Times: 鈥淧ublic health experts say the initiative is the most ambitious program of its type in the country and could be a model for other universities.鈥
In light of this national news, we had plenty to discuss and celebrate this week at our 鈥渢own-gown鈥 meeting between 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, the city of Davis and Yolo County (via Zoom, of course). The annual meeting was one of the commitments we made under the memorandum of understanding 2018.
The last time we鈥檇 held this meeting was October of 2019 鈥 just a few months away from our worlds being turned upside-down. We met back then in the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Genome Center auditorium. No one could have known how pivotal that building would become for our entire community. It鈥檚 now the heart of Healthy Davis Together.
The Genome Center has since processed more than a quarter-million COVID-19 tests since the pandemic began. The value of living in a city with a world-class research university and testing facility like this couldn鈥檛 be more apparent.
Local strengths
As part of the MOU and in our continuing strong relationships with the city and county, we鈥檝e joined forces to support the community. Earlier this week, I participated in a virtual ribbon cutting to commemorate the improved bike path on Russell Boulevard near Highway 113. I was joined by Mayor Gloria Partida and members of the Davis City Council to mark the occasion.
I鈥檓 pleased that construction is ongoing at The Green at West Village and Shasta Hall, with new construction at Orchard Park expected to start this year. When Orchard Park is complete in 2023, we will have built 6,000 new beds for our housing community.
We鈥檒l need this kind of partnership even more in the months ahead. Like all other 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 campuses, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis is planning on a return to in-person instruction in the fall. This is due to the development of COVID-19 vaccines and our outstanding asymptomatic COVID-19 screening test for all 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis faculty, staff and students.
Looking ahead
I can鈥檛 wait to see our community fully activated again. I鈥檓 ready to see everyone riding their bikes, walking around and enjoying campus and the city in the usual way. I鈥檓 sure you are, too.
So, the work continues. It鈥檚 been a long year but, through all of the challenges and the unknowns, we鈥檙e showing what Davis is made of. We鈥檙e full of heart, we鈥檙e resilient and we strive to help others.
Let鈥檚 continue to show the country 鈥 and the world 鈥 how we do things in Davis.
Chancellor Gary S. May鈥檚 monthly column appears and then in Dateline 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.