Global Disease Biology

Hello everyone! My name is Megan Terry and I am a second-year Global Disease Biology major.

Growing up, I always had a deep interest and curiosity about the visible and invisible components about the world around me. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit my school during my freshman year of high school, my interest in science narrowed in on infectious disease. I wanted to understand the interworkings of infectious disease, the process of pandemics, and how we as a society can use this experience to improve our preparedness and response in the future. 

Hi, everyone! My name is Andra Soria (she/ her/ella) and I am your new Integrated Academic Advisor! I have been an Academic Advisor in the CA&ES Dean’s Office for almost a year now, and I am so excited to now expand my role and support the Global Disease Biology major as well!

Thank you to all the UCD Faculty who have served as Practicum Mentors for our GDB students. See below the UCD faculty who were Practicum Mentors from Fall 2022 through Summer 2023

The GDB office wants to highlight and congratulate Anita Akef on her publication in Prized Writing. Prized Writing is a curated journal of student works from across all disciplines. Prized Writing receives over 400 submissions annually, with only 20 or so being chosen for publication. We are so proud of Anita and her accomplishments. Learn more about Anita and her work below, and make sure to check out her publication linked below.

It's such a bittersweet feeling to write this goodbye... I started out in GDB as a student, just like you. I transferred from Modesto Junior College (woop woop, central valley!) back in 2017. I became a GDB Peer Advisor in May of 2018 and loved every second of the job, getting to build up a lot of the programs and initiatives we still carry out today in the advising team! I graduated in 2020 and started a staff position in the GDB advising team, took a little break and came back as full-time staff in May 2021.

PhD Student in Plant Biology

I feel lucky to be part of a university that, through the efforts of LGBTQ students, has the social infrastructure for transformative academic and peer mentorship. Whether mentoring undergraduate students in the Sundaresan Lab, as a teaching assistant or through the oSTEM student club, I relish in supporting students in their pursuit of academic goals and authentic living. ‘Beneath our superficial differences we are, all of us, walking communities of bacteria.’ - L. Margulis

GDB has a new Advisor! Meet Grace below: 

Hi Everyone! My name is Grace Landon Gomez (she/her/hers) and I am the new Global Disease Biology Major Advisor! A little about me: I grew up in Davis, have two corgis, love munching on every type of potato snack, and completed both my undergraduate and graduate academic careers at UC Davis.

“It has been an honor to study Global Disease Biology beside such motivated and passionate peers. Congratulations to all the graduates and thank you to everyone who helped me get here.”