Can the holiday season really be just around the corner? It seems like yesterday that it was mid-September, when our city was filled with convoys of moving trucks as students arrived for 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis鈥 new academic year.
It鈥檒l be a little quieter around town when many of these students head home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. In the meantime, I鈥檝e been reflecting as the year starts to wind down.
With images of turkey feasts and families sitting around the holiday table, I鈥檇 like to share some gratitude as Thanksgiving approaches. Here are five things I鈥檓 most thankful for right now:
1. I鈥檓 thankful that my family is thriving.
The May family is a tight unit, no matter how many miles separate us at times. I鈥檓 grateful that my daughters, Simone and Jordan, are finding their own paths in life but still make time to connect with family.
I鈥檓 thankful for , and the indispensable wisdom and love she shares continually. And of course, I鈥檓 thankful to LeShelle for being by my side through the many long days, the even longer flights on our travels, and for being the best partner anyone could wish for.
2. I鈥檓 thankful for all the productive community dialogue.
The town hall this past month with 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, Yolo County and the city of Davis marked another important step in our improving partnership. It鈥檚 clear that we鈥檙e not stuck in the politics of the past, that we鈥檙e willing to work together to address issues of housing, transportation and other areas of mutual interest.
We鈥檝e made a lot of progress, such as reaching agreements on student housing projects, but we certainly have more work to do. I鈥檓 thankful the dialogue is there, as is the willingness to keep these lines of communication open. In the end, I believe we have the possibility of strengthening our community and partnership significantly.
3. I鈥檓 thankful that LeVar Burton is coming to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.
I couldn鈥檛 be luckier that my career in higher education sometimes intersects with my Star Trek fandom. Interviewing William Shatner from the Mondavi Center stage in May was perhaps my ultimate moment as a 鈥淭rekker.鈥
And 鈥 also known as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation 鈥 comes to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis for the next edition of my Chancellor鈥檚 Colloquium series. He鈥檒l talk about 鈥淭he Power of Storytelling,鈥 and then we鈥檒l have a Q&A session where questions will be fielded through Twitter.
Whether you鈥檙e a fan of Alex Haley鈥檚 Roots, Reading Rainbow or Star Trek, you won鈥檛 want to miss it.
4. I鈥檓 thankful that 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis is thriving.
The season of university rankings just wrapped up and I鈥檓 proud to see that 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis continues to rise to the top.
Among the highlights: Money Magazine ranked 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis No. 4 among public universities in the country, a nice jump from No. 8 last year. The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranked us No. 5 for the second year in a row.
Social mobility remains the ultimate goal for our students. On that end, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis is shining brightly, with U.S. News & World Report ranking 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis ninth for social mobility. Also this year, Washington Monthly placed 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis second among 鈥淎ffordable Elite Colleges.鈥 The list uses a combination of metrics 鈥 including net price and students鈥 future earnings 鈥 to track how well colleges promote income equality and upward social mobility.
Altogether, we鈥檙e showing the world how 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis is a top choice for students of all backgrounds to pursue an affordable education and make a difference in the world.
5. I鈥檓 thankful to call Davis home.
I got a taste of California living when I was a graduate student at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Berkeley starting in the late-1980s. But I truly appreciate the Golden State even more after settling in Davis, with its close proximity to good food and wine, its dedication to helping others, and spirit of innovation.
As I鈥檝e said before, Davis is a place which mixes a world-class education and cutting-edge research with small-town charm. The people here are friendly. They are smart. And they care about community. You can never go wrong in a place like that.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and many days full of gratitude!
Chancellor Gary S. May鈥檚 monthly column appears first in and then in Dateline 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.