awards-for-excellence

Drew Cingel, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on the intersection of human development and media effects, with emphases on social media use and adolescent mental health, as well as children's media use and moral development. Through his research, teaching, and applied collaborations with media companies and policymakers, Dr. Cingel's research contributes to a deeper understanding of how media can be designed and used to positively impact children, families, and communities.

Katren Tyler, M.D., is a board-certified emergency physician and Clinical Professor at UC Davis School of Medicine. Her professional interests span emergency airway management, clinician well-being, and geriatric emergency care. Since 2020, Dr. Tyler has acted as Faculty Director of the UC Davis Mini Medical School. She also leads UC Davis’s accredited Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and was the founding director of the UC Davis Geriatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship. Additionally, she is Vice Chair for Geriatric Emergency Medicine and Wellness and Medical Director for Physician Wellness at UC Davis Health.

Susy Zepeda, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Zepeda’s scholarship is transdisciplinary and grounded in community-centered, decolonial, and feminist approaches. Her research and teaching focus is on Xicana Indígena studies, decolonization, feminist of color methodologies, oral and visual storytelling, and intergenerational healing. She has developed courses such as “Decolonizing Spirit” and “Food Justice,” which engage students in critical and culturally grounded frameworks. Through her research, teaching, and community engagement, Dr. Zepeda advances scholarships that center cultural knowledge, identity, and healing practices.

Under the leadership of current Director Professor Jae Yong Suk, Ph.D., and former Director Professor Michael Siminovitch, Ph.D., the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at the University of California, Davis has demonstrated leadership in advancing energy efficiency, lighting innovation, and human-centered design. Increasingly, CLTC’s work focuses on the connection between the built environment and human health and well-being. These efforts are advancing our understanding of how lighting and the built environment can support both physiological and psychological well-being.