In this week's Org Chart, we have news of several new department chairs, plus an associate dean. Read on to find out the details.

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.

College of Biological Sciences associate dean

Philipp Zerbe, a professor of plant biology whose research explores how plants use chemistry to communicate with and adapt to their environment, has been named associate dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Biological Sciences. He will begin serving in the role on Sept. 1.

“Our college is a conduit for world-class, interdisciplinary research and graduate training across the biological sciences,” said Zerbe, who holds the Paul K. and Ruth R. Stumpf Professorship in Plant Biochemistry. “My goal is to position CBS to meet future opportunities and challenges, and to expand our national and global impact. It’s an honor to step into this role.”

As associate dean, Zerbe will help guide the college's research enterprise while supporting graduate education across its five academic departments, eight graduate groups and three major interdisciplinary research centers. Working closely with faculty, department chairs, graduate group leaders, core directors and campus partners, he will help strengthen collaborative research, support grant development and shared research facilities, and advocate for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The position also plays a key role in fostering interdisciplinary research across UC Davis, helping faculty pursue large collaborative grants, expand research partnerships and create new opportunities for scientific discovery. 

—  Evan White

Animal Science chair

Frank Mitloehner, an air quality specialist, professor and director of the CLEAR Center, will be the new chair of the Department of Animal Science, which has the highest undergraduate enrollment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. 

Dean Ashley M. Stokes called Mitloehner a distinguished member of the faculty who has had a significant impact in animal agriculture, environmental sustainability and public engagement. 

“Frank brings tremendous experience and a strong commitment to the department’s teaching, research, extension and outreach missions,” she said in an email announcing his appointment, which took effect June 1. 

—  CA&ES Staff

Plant Pathology chair; Land, Air and Water Resources chair

Professors Johan Leveau and Jorge Mazza Rodrigues will take over as chairs of the Department of Plant Pathology and Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, respectively, Dean Ashley M. Stokes from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences announced. 

The appointments took effect July 1.

Plant Pathology

Leveau, who is a microbial ecologist and professor, has served as interim chair since January, replacing Dave Rizzo. 

“I’m quite honored to be in this position,” Leveau said. “It’s really a role of service in support of faculty development, especially junior faculty, and to promote the success of our postdocs and our students.”

Land, Air and Water Resources 

The Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, or LAWR, is home to faculty, students and researchers working to advance sustainable solutions in atmospheric science, soil, water, agriculture and environmental science.

Mazza Rodrigues, who joined the faculty in 2014, specializes in soil microbiology. Originally from Brazil, Mazza Rodrigues earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of São Paulo and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

—  CA&ES Staff

Microbiology and Molecular Genetics chair

Satoshi Namekawa, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics whose research has advanced our understanding of fertility, epigenetics and genome organization, has been named chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, or MMG. He began serving in the role on July 1.

“MMG is an outstanding department with exceptional faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral scholars,” said Namekawa. “I look forward to working closely with everyone to continue strengthening our research and teaching missions, supporting our community, and building on the department’s many successes.”

Namekawa joined the UC Davis faculty in 2020 in a Target of Excellence recruitment and has built an internationally recognized research program focused on one of biology’s most fundamental questions: how genetic information is organized, regulated and transmitted across generations.

—  Evan White

Molecular and Cellular Biology chair

Sean Burgess, a professor of molecular and cellular biology whose research has advanced understanding of chromosome inheritance, reproductive biology and human developmental disorders, has been named chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, or MCB. She will begin serving in the role on Sept. 1.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve MCB, a department that has shaped much of my scientific career,” said Burgess. “I am grateful to Dean Winey for his confidence, to Fred Chédin for his excellent leadership as chair, and to the MCB faculty, staff and students who make this such a vibrant and collegial community.”

From the earliest stages of development, every new generation depends on cells accurately passing genetic information from parent to offspring. Burgess has spent her career studying how that process unfolds — and what happens when it goes wrong.

Since joining UC Davis in 1999, Burgess has built an internationally recognized research program investigating chromosome behavior during meiosis, the specialized cell division that produces sperm and egg cells. Her laboratory combines genetics, live-cell imaging and advanced microscopy to observe chromosomes in motion, providing new insights into how they pair, exchange DNA and ensure the accurate inheritance of genetic information.

— Evan White