Gary May, Chancellor of the University of California, Davis, shares insights on the future of higher education in lecture

This Fall, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost welcomed Gary May, the Chancellor of the University of California, Davis, to kick off the Fall 2025 Provost Seminar Series. In his lecture, “A Retrospective and Prospective Look at the Value of Higher Education,” May detailed his personal experiences as a student, faculty member, and leader, and discussed  four challenges to mobilize higher education into the future. 

May began by reflecting on the formative role higher education played in his personal, academic, and professional development. He credits his parents for sharing the value of education with him. "My own higher education story started in my family's home, where my parents nurtured the skills that became the foundation for my love of the vision of education. They passed on to me the importance of education from a very early age,” he said.  

Their push for unadulterated imagination and unbound growth led him to pursue engineering as a career, allowing him to pursue an undergraduate degree from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He later returned to Georgia Tech to work as the head of the department of engineering before joining UC Davis, part of the  American Association of Universities (AAU), as chancellor.  

His career has garnered much acclaim and attention through the years. A decade ago, May received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Innovation from President Obama. He was also recognized with a lifetime award for the American Association for Advancement Science. He attributes these honors to the transformative power and opportunity afforded by American higher education. 

While his remarks began from a retrospective viewpoint, May firmly emphasized that in order to face the future of education, four challenges need to be addressed: first - explaining the value of higher education, second - better connecting our institutions to career opportunities, third -  strengthening our partnerships, and lastly, remaining true to our principles. To May, each step towards this prospective vision of higher education is a step towards excellence. Within these four challenges, he noted that an attention to diversity is critical. “The power of higher education must be inclusive, it must remain, be opportunity for students from every background. You must redouble our commitment to the idea that diversity does not compromise excellence. Excellence, in fact, depends on diversity,” said May.  

Closing his lecture, May beckoned his audience to reinforce the necessity of higher education. “Education is not just about what you learn. It's about what you do with that knowledge,” May said. He prioritized the championing of students and the furthering of academic momentum, all of which are fundamental to fully committing to the future of education. He elaborated his beliefs in a moderated discussion with Marshall Shepherd, Franklin’s Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Partnerships.