The Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Coalition (DISC) at the University of California, Davis supports the retention and success of marginalized students in STEM at UC Davis and fosters community between diversity-focused organizations in STEM by collaboratively hosting professional development events. DISC is a collaboration between ten UC Davis student organizations that prioritize supporting marginalized communities in STEM.

A student run organization, the Science Olympiad Aggie Invitational is held annually.  Science Olympiad is a national high school competition where students compete in a variety of science fields including circuits, anatomy, astronomy, engineering, biology, and argribio.  Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation hosting events in all 50 states. The Aggie Invitational is undergraduate student designed and led.

The Future of Work Series at UC Davis brings together experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss new and emerging fields of research and employment. The goal of this speaker series is to assist students in thinking more critically about the science and technology-driven problem spaces that will demand extra attention in the coming years, and to encourage students to explore how these problem spaces can be turned into opportunities that will ultimately lead to a fulfilling career path.

BIG is an on-campus, undergraduate-run research group created with the goal of helping motivated students develop technical lab skills and leadership abilities by applying themselves to projects with real-world impacts.

BIG researchers are well-equipped to pursue research, dive into industry, or start a company after graduation. Through hands-on research, collaborative projects, and leadership opportunities, BIG members are prepared for employment and research after graduation. BIG researchers have earned internships at Genentech, BioMarin, NASA, and other companies in industry.

This course was designed to guide students through the career exploration process, using the components of Design Thinking. Participants explore aspects of their identity using a variety of assessment tools, and use this knowledge to research possible career paths and choices. Students enrolled in this course will develop the tools that they need to intentionally choose their direction and search for opportunities to build the skills they need to be successful.

The 21st-century workplace demands adaptive leaders with interdisciplinary strengths and collaborative instincts. With college costs rising faster than incomes and an ongoing student-loan debt crisis, UC Davis must succeed in preparing Aggies to launch their careers as soon as they graduate. 

Aggie Launch is a bold initiative, and a Big Idea, to redefine what undergraduate student success means for every member of the UC Davis community: students, staff, and faculty. Higher education scholars and administrators define student success in myriad ways, most frequently, as timely attainment of the undergraduate degree. Evidence shows, however, that timely degree attainment is not the only end goal for students, rather, most students also enter college specifically to find gainful employment, even if they plan to attend graduate or professional school prior to entering the workforce. 

Aggie Launch will serve as the campus change agent to implement a new, distinctly Aggie definition of student success: 

Every UC Davis undergraduate student will earn their degree in a timely manner with a robust post-graduate career launch plan (e.g. career/graduate school/professional school/etc.). 

The distinctly Aggie approach to student success builds on our campus strengths and aligns with campus strategic initiatives (and external research) regarding: 

1. The value of a college degree [as] a vehicle for social mobility; and 

2. The importance of fostering equitable opportunities so that all graduates – including individuals who identify as persons of color, first generation college students, women and/or LGBTQIA – experience meaningful, timely and gainful employment following graduation.

This Symposium, held annually since 2018, is designed to provide information and assistance to primarily undergraduate students who wish to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. Through access to resources, mentors, business fundamentals, and community stakeholders, participants are able to connect with the entrepreneurial community on campus and in the greater Sacramento region.