We're Excited to Meet You!
The faculty and students of the Plant Biology Graduate Group (PBGG) are looking forward to your visit! During your visit, you will have an opportunity to learn more about us—the people, the interdisciplinary research, the extensive research facilities, and the collaborative academic environment that make UC Davis a great place to undertake graduate studies. We hope this event will help you ascertain whether study at UC Davis is a good fit for you, and vice versa.
This page contains a lot of information. Please read fully and carefully to ensure you are prepared for your visit!
Summary of Events
February 6th
Please arrive to Davis and check into your hotel by 2PM. Student host reception in Green Hall. Facility tours and Designated Emphasis presentations. Informal dinner with current students.
February 7th
Program orientation. Research presentations. Interviews with faculty. Walking tour of campus. Lunch and dinner with current students and faculty.
February 8th
Walking tour of Farmers Market (optional). Depart from Davis or stay extra day at own expense.
Travel Information
It is your responsibility to arrange all travel between your home to/from UC Davis. Depending on your current physical address, the program may be able to reimburse your lodging and travel expenses. Please check your email for specific reimbursement limits.
If you are booking travel, it is recommend you select tickets with some flexibility. UC Davis is unable to reimburse incomplete travel (i.e. cannot reimburse flight if student cannot attend event due to illness).
Please submit your travel information prior to January 30th here: Travel Information Submission
Hotel
Students travelling from beyond Sacramento, Solano, or Yolo County will be provided a hotel room at the Aggie Inn for the nights of February 6th and 7th. Hotel rooms will be shared with another visiting PBGG student of the same stated gender.
Getting to Campus
UC Davis policy requires students to select the most cost-effective method to getting to campus. You will find some travel options below:
- Ground transportation (driving, train, bus): This is usually the most cost-effective option for students travelling from the Bay Area, Northern California, or Reno, NV. The current mileage reimbursement rate is $0.67 per mile* for people driving a personal vehicle to campus. Amtrak is another popular option, with a station conveniently located in Downtown Davis.
- Non-reimbursable: gas receipts (if driving); train points/redeemed miles/gift cards; business and first-class train tickets
- Reimbursable (with receipts)*: tolls, parking, and mileage (if driving); train/bus tickets paid for with credit/debit card
- Flying: This is usually the most cost-effective option for students travelling from Southern California or other states. SMF is the closest airport. Ride share services and taxis are available between SMF and Davis. All events for this trip are within walking distance from your hotel, so rental cars are not recommended and will not be reimbursed, if purchased.
- Non-reimbursable: airline points/redeemed miles/gift cards; business and first-class airlines tickets; flight upgrades (priority boarding, additional leg room, etc.)
- Reimbursable (with receipts)*: flights paid for with credit/debit card; baggage fees; airport parking
Travel Reimbursements*
All reimbursements are up to the limit stated in your personal invitation email. Costs beyond the stated reimbursement limit are non-reimbursable. Receipts are required for all reimbursable expenses EXCEPT gas.
When uploading your receipts, please save the file as YOURLASTNAME_PBGGRECRUITMENT_RECEIPTPURPOSE (ex. TURNER_PBGGRECRUITMENT_PARKING)
After your travel has concluded, please uploaded all receipts below:
Reimbursement checks will be mailed to the address you provided in your original RSVP. Checks may take up to 6 weeks to arrive after the recruitment event. Please let your graduate program coordinator know as soon as possible if this is a significant financial burden to you.
Other Details
Dress
This event is business casual. There will be considerable walking, so bring comfortable shoes.
Weather
In early February, rain is always a possibility, so bring an umbrella or rain jacket. Day-time temperatures are usually in the mid-50s to low-60s.
Faculty Interviews
You will have approximately three scheduled interviews with PBGG faculty. You will receive your interview schedule ~3 days before your visit. These interviews are designed to gauge your preparation for graduate education and, specifically, for the PBGG program. Therefore, you can expect questions related to your interests in the program and your previous research/academic experience. We recommend you briefly learn about the faculty you are interviewing with via their Faculty Profiles. However, you are not expected to have a deep understanding of the faculty's research.
We do our best to pair students and faculty with similar research interests. However, this may not always be possible due to scheduling conflicts; we hope you will still be able to connect with your preferred faculty during other program events. PBGG is a rotation-based program, so students will have amble opportunities to meet and work with their preferred faculty before committing to a laboratory.
FAQ
- I will be travelling to Davis from City A but travelling from Davis to City B. What do I do?
- This is a common situation when students are travelling from one recruitment to another. The same reimbursement guidelines and limits are in place; you must select the most cost-effective travel to/from each location and all reimbursements require receipts.
- I want to extend my stay in Davis. Can I do that?
- You may stay extra days in Davis at your own expense. Lodging, food, parking, etc. for dates beyond the recruitment event will NOT be reimbursed. Your return travel is still reimbursable; make sure to follow the guidelines and limits listed above.
- I don't have any interviews scheduled with my preferred faculty. Can you schedule additional interviews for me?
- The program does not have the administrative capacity to schedule additional interviews. However, students are highly encouraged to reach out to their preferred faculty for informational interviews. Most faculty are happy to discuss their research with applicants. Admitted students will have additional opportunities to connect with faculty prior to committing to a laboratory during Fall and Winter Quarter rotations.
- My partner and/or family would like to join this event. Is that allowable?
- This program is for invited applicants only. If partners/families join your visit, they must book and pay for their own travel accommodations and may NOT join any graduate group events.