It’s a special “Back to School” edition of Groundbreakers Q&A as we sit down with Gary May, Chancellor of UC Davis, and talk with him about his vision and goals for UC Davis and the Sacramento region, and his take on the state of higher-education today — the college admission scandals, massive student loan debt, improving diversity levels and graduation rates, boosting students’ STEM skills and career opportunities while trying to find them affordable housing and food.
We’ll also ask him about his inspirations, whether his love of "Star Trek" helped UC Davis score $15 million from NASA to research spacecraft and deep-space exploration, and why he sees comic books as a great educational tool.
PODCAST PLAY BY PLAY
* O to 5:45 min - Why we picked Gary May for this "Groundbreakers Q&A"
* 5:45 min - May explains what a Chancellor does, shares his Top 3 "Star Trek" episodes, and reveals his favorite character from the original series
* 12:25 min - How his mother's experience with higher education influenced his own experience
* 16:15 min - Why comic books are a great learning tool -- and his favorite comic-book characters
* 19:45 min - How May's experience as a Georgia Tech student helped him as a Dean there to attract underprivileged students to the school -- and make them feel at home
* 23:35 min - What brought May to UC Davis, what he learned in his first year, and what he has started putting into place
* 30:25 min - Getting students into STEM careers -- and particularly keeping women in them for the long run
* 33:35 min - Getting more diversity in higher-education faculty and staff
* 35 min - After the "Varsity Blues" college-admissions scandal earlier this year, what should be changed about the application and admissions process?
* 37:15 min - A high school senior asks for advice about applying to college and getting accepted into the one you want
* 39:50 min - The idea behind the Aggie Square development being built in Sacramento -- and how to grow the tech community here in town
* 44:45 min - Do we really need four years of college to earn a degree?
* 47:10 min - A UC Davis freshman asks how he can afford the $45,000 per year needed to attend the school
* 50:35 min - With less financial help coming from the state, where is UC Davis going to find the money to keep the lights on?
* 52:55 min - How to make UC Davis stand out, and apart, from other California schools
* 55:40 min - Top research coming out of UC Davis, and the "deep space exploration" project for NASA
* 59 min - Getting along with the state legislature and the federal government
* 1 hr, 2:50 min - Students' safety and activism in this era of uncertainty
* 1 hr, 6:30 min - Before they "beam him up," what May wants to leave behind at UC Davis
