‘Aggie through and through’: UC Davis dean to retire after decade in leading agricultural role
Helene Dillard, the dean of UC Davis’ College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, announced this week her planned retirement from a position that oversees the university’s nationally renowned programs.
Dillard will retire next year after her successor is chosen from a nationwide search, UC Davis said Tuesday in a news release. For 10 years, she has overseen a college with 14 departments, 29 centers and institutes, more than 7,600 undergraduate students, 320 faculty members and 585 staff members.
The university frequently lands at or near the top of national rankings for university agricultural programs.
UC Davis staff members and California agricultural leaders praised Dillard for her research and leadership skills.
“Dean Dillard is an Aggie through and through, and she exemplifies all that is best about our campus,” said Mary Croughan, provost and executive vice chancellor, in the news release. “She is a two-time alumna, a brilliant researcher, an internationally recognized leader in her field, and as kind and compassionate a person as you could ever hope to meet.”
A San Francisco native, Dillard got her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. She received her master’s degree in soil science and doctorate in plant pathology from UC Davis, according to Cornell University, where Dillard taught for more than a decade.
The Ivy League school noted Dillard joined Cornell in 1984 and eventually ascended to become an associate dean in the College of Human Ecology and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research focused on the biology, ecology and management of many different types of fungal diseases in beans, tomatoes, corn and other vegetables.
Under Dillard’s direction, UC Davis had renovations and expansions, which included adding six new greenhouses, a goat dairy and creamery. She also helped to navigate the school’s budget cuts as federal funding plunged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the news release said.
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences received more than $442 million in private philanthropy throughout her decadelong tenure, including a $50 million gift considered the largest individual donation ever given to UC Davis.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said in the news release that Dillard embraced a vision for research and education that left UC Davis in a better position to serve California. Even in the most difficult circumstances, Dillard remained engaged and thoughtful with the work, she said.
“She has distinguished herself and honored California’s agricultural community with her service,” Ross wrote.
Dillard said in the news release she looks forward to spending time with her family and enjoying the outdoors in her retirement.
“It has been an incredible honor to lead such an amazing college — I am so proud of the faculty, staff and students who remain dedicated to our mission, working to serve California, the nation and the world,” Dillard said in a news release.
