Chancellor May's Leadership Job Shadow Program

A Day Spent with UC Davis Campus Leader, Ken Burtis!

This quarter, I was given the opportunity to participate in Chancellor May’s Leadership Job Shadow Program! As someone that has worked in multiple departments around Davis— Dining Services, Student Affairs and Assessment, and Occupational Health and Safety Services, I wanted one last look at how the Leadership of UC Davis coordinate all of these departments efficiently. I shadowed Ken Burtis, Faculty Advisor to the Chancellor and Provost. I also spent time during my shadow with Ralph Hexter, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. I spent the afternoon getting a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the Teaching and Learning Complex, which will soon facilitate more classroom spaces, in addition to an innovative active learning space. I was also present for a meeting regarding the developing opportunities for students at the Internship and Career Center — a great resource for current students and alumni. As someone that has utilized both the Career Discovery Group classes and the annual Career Fairs, I was excited to hear that these opportunities will be more well-known and accessible to all students, and that I could give my input on how beneficial these resources have been for me during my time here.

I also got to know Ken— also an Aggie alum from class of 1972. I asked him as a biochemistry and biophysics major, if he would have ever expected to be working in a Leadership position at his Alma mater. He replied he never would have imagined it early on, but his career led him back to Davis for a reason. I learned from him that I should pursue whatever excites me, even if it is unfamiliar and requires learning a new skill set. Thank you to Chancellor May and Ken Burtis for giving me this opportunity to explore Davis from another perspective!