Chancellor May

Day 2️⃣ of celebrating the Class of 2026! 🎓

Watch both of the Commencement Ceremony livestreams at 9:00 AM and 2:30 PM: https://ucdav.is/4v5T1Yx

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Image Description: A graduate in blue regalia and a gold UC Davis stole holding a paper and waves to the crowd. Behind them is the UC Davis seal, blue and gold banners and faculty.

This weekend, 12,000 students will join the ranks of Aggie alumni — exactly 100 years after our first class of four-year graduates walked the stage in 1926.

They join a proud tradition of Aggie innovators. Over our history, UC Davis research has transformed agriculture to help feed the world, driven scientific discoveries that opened new paths for medicine and shaped the policies that make our planet more sustainable.

From cleaning the air we breathe to bringing in the tomato harvest, from delivering medical treatments to patients nationwide to helping California wine set the global standard, UC Davis innovators lead.

Congratulations to every one of our graduates! I can’t wait to see what you achieve next.

https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/news/checking-chancellor-may-10-ways-uc-davis-changing-world

Image description: Members of the Class of 1926 — the first four-year class in Davis — as seen in the 1925 Rodeo yearbook. (Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library)

Today, I celebrate the birth of the woman who gave me life. She was the best to ever do it. 🕊️

Image description: A photo shows Gloria May, Chancellor May’s mother who passed, wearing an off-white outfit in front of a wooden front door.

32 years of married love. Happy anniversary, LeShelle! 💍❤️

Image description: Chancellor May and LeShelle smile and pose for a photo in front of balloons and barrels.

Hey, Aggies. With it being commencement season, I know many of you who are graduating are worried about the friendships you made at UC Davis. So, I have something to encourage you. 👇🏾

45 years. I met these guys 45 years ago. We were all 17-18 year olds with big dreams starting college and the beginning of our professional lives. We didn’t know what we didn’t know.

We celebrated 40 years of brotherhood in 2021, and that’s when we took this photo. We have so many memories and I love these brothers. ❤️

So, take heart and be encouraged. The close friends you made during your studies at UC Davis, with effort and intention, will last a lifetime. Take it from us.

Image description: Chancellor May smiles and poses for a photo with his close college friends of 45 years.

We are so proud of our new educators! 🎓

Watch the UC Davis School of Education Commencement Ceremony beginning at 4:00 PM: https://ucdav.is/3PJ21DR

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Image Description: A graduate in a blue gown with a yellow stole and dress smiles on stage as a professor stands behind her during a commencement ceremony.

2026 marks our 100th class of four-year graduates.

In less than a week, I’ll have the privilege of shaking thousands of students’ hands as they cross the stage to graduate. We’ve nearly reached the peak of commencement season with about 12,000 students earning their diplomas from UC Davis this spring. This is a celebration of dreams fulfilled and bright futures for our newest alumni.

Our graduates will face a different world than that of 1926. One thing that has not changed, however, is our commitment to sustaining and improving a cutting-edge Davis campus that serves the needs of our community, the state and the world.

We’re confident that, because UC Davis is leaning forward, our students will be ready to make a positive difference in others' lives.

https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/column/chancell-ing-marking-100-years-undergraduate-graduation

Image description: UC Davis graduates attend the commencement ceremony at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Streamers and confetti are released at the end of the ceremony, and graduates are seen smiling and excited.

I was serenaded by the fantastic UC Davis Mariachi for my birthday. 🎻

Spoiler alert, LeShelle didn’t send them. 😆

Image description: Chancellor May poses for a photo with the UC Davis Mariachi Band in the lobby of Mrak Hall.