About the UC Davis Medal 
The UC Davis Medal is the highest honor the University presents to individuals in recognition of extraordinary contributions that embody the campus’s Vision of Excellence. Medalists inspire and support the success and engagement of our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and foster a bold and innovative spirit in teaching, research and public service.
History and Description
The UC Davis Medal recognizes individuals of rare accomplishment, “to be heralded today and in perpetuity,” as extraordinarily special members of the UC Davis community.
The design of the UC Davis Medal represents, both figuratively and literally, the legacy of contributions UC Davis has made to the world in research and scholarly endeavors.
Depicted on the medal are the campus name and its motto, “Let There Be Light.” In the upper left quadrant are the life-giving rays of the sun. Below them, leaves of the bay laurel symbolize our proud history of achievement. Lines in the lower right quadrant may be seen as energy radiating from a source, roads leading to the future, or rows of crops in fertile California fields.
The spare, relatively unadorned design, which employs an official campus typeface, Futura, is timeless and distinctive. Jan Conroy, Class of 1977, designed the medal during his long career in university graphics, publications and communications. Jan retired in 2012.
Honorees
2026
Robert D. and A. Kathleen Grey
The 30th recipients of the UC Davis Medal, Robert D. and A. Kathleen Grey have been described as rare among members of the UC Davis community, for their impactful contributions spanning academia, administration and philanthropy over four decades, not only at Davis but elsewhere within the University of California.
Robert Grey joined the faculty of UC Davis in 1967, and led novel research in cell biology with a focus on fertilization in both mammalian and non-mammalian species. Over his 37-year career, Dr. Grey also held several leadership positions at Davis and in the UC system. As the first dean (1985-93) of what was the Division of Biological Sciences, he was highly instrumental in the eventual establishment of the College of Biological Sciences. His legacy in his many contributions is the elevation of scientific inquiry at Davis, transforming research here from more singular in focus to collaborative across many areas of the academy. He led the establishment of the world-class, interdisciplinary research Center for Neuroscience (1992), a hub at the heart of the university’s identity. Other integral laboratories at Davis were inspired by Dr. Grey’s groundbreaking CNS and used similar blueprints, including the Center for Population Biology, Center for Mind and Brain, the Genome Center and others.
After the conclusion of his term as interim provost, Dr. Grey was appointed to lead the expansion of the academic identity of the UC Davis School of Medicine and Health System. He retired from UC Davis in 2001, served as acting chancellor of UC Riverside (2007-2008), and as interim systemwide provost for the University of California (2008).
A. Kathleen Grey, an early childhood development specialist and program director of the Early Childhood Laboratory at UC Davis (1988-1999), helped lay the foundation for the Baby Signs sign language program for pre-verbal children, and led research in the care of families navigating the lives of young children. Her leadership with the laboratory helped land UC Davis at the center of developmental science, leaving a legacy of best practice education that continues to inform professionals, caregivers, and families alike. In 1994, the Committee for Early Childhood Needs, a Yolo County, California Community group, honored her with the committee's annual award for contributions to children and families in Yolo County.