Several centers around UC Davis have announced new directors, and the Graduate School of Management has a new associate dean and new endowed chairs. Read on to find out more.

Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of appointments of various kinds for faculty and staff, for publication in Org Chart (formerly titled Transitions). Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

Center for Educational Effectiveness executive director

Beth Broome, who served as senior advisor to the Provost for STEM Strategies at UC Davis and led the program through its completion in June, became executive director for teaching and learning and STEM initiatives for UC Davis Undergraduate Education, effective June 16.

In this role, she also leads the Center for Educational Effectiveness, which promotes and supports effective learning for UC Davis students. 

Broome spent the last decade designing and leading cross-campus initiatives to connect students, faculty and programs in meaningful ways. She led the UC Davis STEM Strategies, launched the STEM Portal, created the Avenue model and contributed to the Sacramento K-16 Collaborative grant. 

Prior to joining UC Davis, she led statewide education and workforce efforts in Arizona as manager of STEM Initiatives at the Science Foundation Arizona, where she built the Arizona STEM Network and secured $7.5 million in funding. Her earlier work as an independent consultant included strategic planning, program design and advising nonprofits and local governments, ranging from boosting voter engagement to helping organizations through major transitions. She also helped lead a comprehensive antipoverty initiative early in her career, focused on housing stability and employment.

— Jenny Carrick

Center for Neuroscience director

Vision neuroscientist Marie E. Burns has been appointed the sixth director of the Center for Neuroscience, or CNS, effective July 1, after serving as interim director for the past year.

A professor with joint appointments in the departments of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, and Cell Biology and Human Anatomy in the School of Medicine, Burns brings more than 20 years’ leadership experience to the role.

Burns served as the Vice Chair for Research in Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences from 2004-2007 and the inaugural director of the UC Davis Center for Vision Science from 2007-2012. She has directed the NIH T32 Vision Science Training Program since 2017.

“Marie radiates enthusiasm and passion that inspires others to learn and explore research in brain science,” said Mary Croughan, provost and executive vice chancellor. “Her decades of knowledge and experience at UC Davis are such an asset in this leadership role, and the Center for Neuroscience will certainly benefit from her sincere dedication to the success of its faculty, trainees and staff.” 

—  Kimberly Cummings

Associate dean, Graduate School of Management

Graduate School of Management Professor Greta Hsu has been named associate dean of the undergraduate business major for a term effective through June 30, 2028.

The school's dean, H. Rao Unnava, praised Hsu as “a scholar whose research offers critical insights into how market categories are shaped and evolve. Her work spans a diverse array of industries and is widely published in top-tier academic journals. ... Beyond her research accomplishments, Greta has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to service at UC Davis. She has taken on numerous leadership positions, including Vice Chair of the UC Davis Graduate Council and Chair of the GSM Faculty Executive Committee. Her contributions to undergraduate education have been equally significant, through her active involvement in shaping the undergraduate business major – most notably as member of the GSM Undergraduate Committee as well as the GSM Undergraduate Business Major Proposal Committee.”

Glock Chairs in Management

Two internationally renowned senior faculty members at the Graduate School of Management — Professors Prasad Naik and Greta Hsu — have been appointed to two prestigious endowed faculty chairs, effective July 1.

In 2001, Miriam Glock established the Robert W. Glock Chair in Management in memory of her husband, honoring his distinguished career in business and finance in the U.S. Army and at UC Davis. Later, through her estate, Miriam funded a second faculty chair, the Robert W. and Miriam R. Glock Chair in Management.

Naik has been named the Robert W. Glock Chair in Management, and Hsu has been named the Robert W. & Miriam R. Glock Chair in Management.

— Tim Akin

California Lighting Technology Center director

Jae Yong Suk, an associate professor of design, has been appointed as the new director of the California Lighting Technology Center, or CLTC, a research center housed in the College of Letters and Science.

“We’re thrilled about this new chapter at the CLTC,” said Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science. “The center has a strong track record for developing energy-efficient lighting and emerging energy technologies while partnering with industry to bring those innovations to market. I’m excited to see where they head next under Jae Yong’s leadership.”

Founded in 2003 with support from the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the CLTC is housed in a 14,000+ square foot facility that functions as a living laboratory for its lighting, building controls and energy management projects.

—  Greg Watry

Assistant dean, School of Law

Lindsay Chuang has been named assistant dean of admission and financial aid at the School of Law.

Chuang joined UC Davis in 2022, and had served as interim assistant dean since June. Before that, she was senior director of admission and associate director of admission. In these capacities, she has been instrumental in shaping the past three classes of exceptionally talented first-year students.

During her time at King Hall, Chuang has launched innovative recruitment programs and events, developed strategic enrollment plans, and strengthened collaborations with other UC Davis departments and with undergraduate campuses across the country.

Aggie Square operations and events manager

Bailey Day has been named the new operations and events manager at Aggie Square for Wexford Science & Technology. Day’s interest in building community and sharing stories around scientific discovery has led her into roles in marketing and communications at biotech startups and events and programming in the life sciences non-profit space. She worked at Seek Labs, a molecular diagnostics company, and at BioHive, Utah’s life sciences industry collective, where she supported community engagement and storytelling initiatives. She graduated from the University of Utah with an HBS in physics and philosophy, and said she is excited to bring her analytic and creative background to Aggie Square.