Grand Challenges’ Wicked Problems: Reimagining the Land-grant University
Grand Challenges at UC Davis is making significant progress in its fight against the world’s “wicked problems,” including an expansion of its leadership team and funding for new research centers.
In all the Grand Challenges areas, significant advancements have been made in building strategic partnerships, internally at UC Davis and externally across the region, state, and country.
Wicked Problems, Meet Your Match.
“UC Davis is unique in both the diversity of its active collaborative networks and the amazing breadth of disciplines represented across our 11 schools and colleges,” said Vice Provost Jonna Mazet. “Arguably, there is no other university in the world capable of bringing as many experts to the table for positive impact on the world’s most wicked problems. We are now seeing the proof of our potential through the powerful partnerships addressing the Grand Challenges.”
Reimagining the Land-grant University
Among the Grand Challenges is the Reimagining the Land-grant University challenge area. RLGU represents the effort of UC Davis to reckon with our history as a land-grant university, recognize and center Indigenous peoples and the Indigenous homelands the university occupies, foster relationship-building with Indigenous peoples, and continue to build meaningful relationships with the diverse publics that the university aims to serve. Action in the challenge area is guided by:
- Megon Noble, senior strategic advisor to the provost and repatriation coordinator for UC Davis;
- Michelle Villegas-Frazier, director of Strategic Native American Retention Initiatives at UC Davis; and
Beth Rose Middleton-Manning, professor of Native American studies at UC Davis.
Reimagining the land-grand university: working group
Noble, Villegas-Frazier, and Middleton-Manning are working to develop and expand trusting and meaningful relationships with local Native Nations. The team has been building the campus infrastructure to better position UC Davis to support Native relations, which includes facilitating the engaged campus community, organizing Native American Coordination meetings with UC Davis leadership, educating the campus community on the history of the “land-grab” and land-grant university, expanding awareness of Patwin homeland history, and advocating for increased staff focus on Native American affairs.
Grand Challenges has launched a working group for Reimagining the Land-grant University to create a space for the UC Davis community to explore topics related to land-grant history, impacts and solutions.
“Reimagining the Land-grant University aims to acknowledge the harm created by the establishment of the UC and other land-grant universities and to collaborate closely with Native Nations and communities to develop meaningful programs and partnerships addressing critical issues within these communities,” Noble said. “RLGU is working to solidify institutional commitments that extend far beyond land acknowledgment statements.”