[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 124 (Monday, July 21, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING HELENE R. DILLARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 21, 2025

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Helene R. Dillard, an academic leader and member of our Davis 
community, on the occasion of her retirement as Dean of the College of 
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. After more than 11 
years of service in this role, and a career spanning four decades, Dean 
Dillard leaves behind a legacy of excellence in education, research, 
and public service.
  A native of San Francisco, Dean Dillard earned her Bachelor of 
Science in Biology of Natural Resources from UC Berkeley in 1977, 
followed by a Master's in Soil Science in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Plant 
Pathology from UC Davis in 1984. She went on to spend three decades at 
Cornell University, where she served in several leadership roles, 
including Chair of the Department of Plant Pathology, Director of 
Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Associate Dean in both the College 
of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Human Ecology.
  Dean Dillard returned to UC Davis in 2014 to lead the College of 
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, widely recognized as the top-
ranked agricultural school in the Nation and second in the world. As 
dean, she served as the college's chief academic and administrative 
officer, overseeing 14 departments, 29 centers and institutes, and a 
community of more than 7,600 students, 320 faculty, and 585 staff.
  Under her leadership, the college advanced major research and 
infrastructure initiatives. These included six new greenhouses, among 
them a 14,400-square-foot facility designed to protect critical 
grapevine collections, upgrades to the Center for Aquatic Biology and 
Aquaculture, improvements in water and irrigation systems, and the 
development of a new indoor vertical farm and goat dairy. During the 
COVID-19 pandemic, Dean Dillard guided the college through budget 
reductions and campus closures, overseeing the transition to online 
learning and the implementation of safety measures across research and 
teaching spaces.
  Beyond her administrative leadership, Dean Dillard has also led 
efforts to make education more inclusive and accessible. She has been a 
strong advocate for experiential learning, supporting opportunities 
that take students beyond the classroom and into the field. Her 
commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has included co-leading 
the college DEI committee, piloting faculty diversity statement 
requirements, and supporting the launch of Aggie Jumpstart, a program 
serving first-generation and underserved students.
  Dean Dillard's contributions have been widely recognized by her peers 
and beyond. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the American Phytopathological 
Society, and recipient of the Excellence in Extension Award, the New 
York Farmers Medal, and the Walter A. Robinson Community Champion 
Award, among others. Over the past decade, she has helped secure more 
than $442 million in philanthropic support for the college, including 
50 million for the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural 
Innovation, the largest individual gift in UC Davis history.
  Dean Dillard is known throughout the campus community not only for 
her leadership but also for her open-door approach, mentorship, and 
deep commitment to students, faculty, and staff. Dean Dillard is a 
proud Aggie, a supporter of women's basketball, and enjoys pickleball, 
fishing, and world travel. She and her husband, Victor, have been 
married for 44 years and are the proud parents of Jamar Dillard.
  Mr. Speaker, Dean Helene Dillard has had a distinguished career in 
education, research, and public service. Her leadership at UC Davis has 
made a lasting impact on the university and on the lives of students 
and colleagues across our region. It is fitting and proper that we 
recognize her here today and thank her for her many contributions to 
our Davis community and beyond.

                          ____________________