In this Laurels column, find news of recent recognition for individual faculty members, a lab and Student Housing and Dining Services.

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

NSF CAREER Award

The National Science Foundation has selected Julian Panetta, an assistant professor of computer science, to receive a Faculty Early Career Development Program, or NSF CAREER, Award.

The prestigious award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

"Receiving this award is an incredible honor, and I am grateful to the NSF for its recognition and support of my group's research agenda," Panetta said. "This award will empower us to push the boundaries of computational design and digital fabrication over the next five years and will directly support the recruitment, training and development of students who will become future leaders in computer science and engineering."

Panetta's research largely focuses on developing algorithms and computational methods for automating the design of physical objects that meet specific goals and performance metrics and can be sent directly to a 3D printer for fabrication. 

International Food and Agribusiness Management Association World Best Case

The Louis Lab, a multidisciplinary and multi-state group in the School of Veterinary Medicine, was awarded World Best Case by the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, or IFAMA, in its Global Conference last month in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. The lab was represented at the conference by Luis Peña-Lévano, assistant professor of cooperative extension in dairy cattle production, health and management economics at UC Davis, and Shaheer Burney, associate professor at University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

The case study, “Automated Milking Systems: A Challenge and Opportunity for U.S. Midwest Dairy Farmers”, examines the decision at a “fictionalized but data-informed dairy operation” in the U.S. Midwest: whether or not to adopt automated milking systems for its herd.

National Association of College and University Food Services awards

Student Housing and Dining Services has won two awards from the National Association of College and University Food Services: 

• Catering Program of the Year (Silver) to Olive & Vine Catering
• Retail Sales: Marketplace of the Year (Silver) to The Gunrock

"I know that dining with us is more than just eating. It's a huge part of your collegiate life,” said Kraig Brady, executive director of Dining. “As we do our best to make dining the least stressful and most enjoyable part of your day, I know there is always room for improvement. To better accomplish this, I'm looking for feedback on how I can better serve you.”

American Ceramic Society distinguished life member

Subhash Risbud, Distinguished Professor emeritus of materials science and engineering, has been selected by the American Ceramic Society, or ACerS, to receive the honor of Distinguished Life Member.

The Distinguished Life Member Award is the society's highest honor accorded to members of the scientific and technical organization and recognizes eminent contributions to the ceramic and glass profession.

"I am humbled to have received this Distinguished Life Member honor, particularly after my colleague, [Distinguished Professor Emeritus] Zuhair Munir, received the same award last year," Risbud said.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers award

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, has announced Biswanath Mukherjee, Distinguished Professor emeritus of computer science, as the recipient of the 2026 Eric E. Sumner Award for his pioneering contributions to optical networks and systems. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

The Eric E. Sumner Award, sponsored by Nokia Bell Labs, is bestowed annually by the IEEE Awards Board to an individual or team for their outstanding contributions to communications technology. The award is named for Sumner, who led the development of the first commercial pulse-code modulation system, which signaled the start of the digital era.

“I am very honored, flattered and humbled,” said Mukherjee. “There are so many excellent people who are deserving of this recognition. This award is truly a reflection of the collective efforts of the many people I have worked with.”