Gary S. May, chancellor of the University of California, Davis, has received the 2021 Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest scientific organization. The award honors researchers who have positively impacted a department or institution over the course of 25 years through mentoring students who are underrepresented in STEM fields, such as women, African American, Native American and Hispanic men, and people with disabilities.
“In every role, Chancellor May has played in higher education, he has sought to support the entry and success of students from underrepresented minority populations and first-generation college students,” said Shirley Malcom, director of SEA Change, an AAAS initiative that helps universities build more inclusive campuses. “Leadership matters a lot in diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM, and we are pleased he has been recognized for a lifetime of such leadership.”
“It’s truly an honor to receive the AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award,” Dr. May said. “Mentors have been a powerful force in my life. Because of their support, I’ve made it a priority to uplift others on their own roads to success. Each of us can make a difference and help someone else on their path to personal or professional achievements.”
Dr. May was appointed chancellor of the University of California, Davis in 2017. Previously, he was dean of the College of Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he joined the faculty in 1991.
A native of St. Louis, Dr. May is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he majored in electrical engineering. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.
