AvenueB to Conclude After Four Years of Transformative Support for Transfer Students

The AvenueB program at UC Davis, which launched in 2020 with a generous $2.5 million founding gift from the Genentech Foundation, has provided four years of crucial support to transfer students in the biological sciences. The program engaged students throughout California's community college network and supported nearly 100 AvenueB scholars across four cohorts. AvenueB has played a vital role in retaining STEM students and creating pathways to graduate programs, professional schools, and industry careers.

The Genentech Foundation’s initial gift sustained AvenueB and its community college partnerships through June of 2024. As of October, the difficult decision was made for the AvenueB program to conclude given that additional funding was not identified. Outreach efforts have ended, and no new cohort was accepted for fall 2024. Current scholars will continue to receive support throughout the 2024-25 academic year, although staffing and services will be adjusted to reflect available resources.

AvenueB has made a lasting impact by advancing equity and expanding opportunities for historically underserved students. All those who have participated in the program are deeply grateful to the Genentech Foundation, and the many on- and off-campus partners who supported this initiative. 

Over the past four years, AvenueB’s work has helped the college explore innovative approaches to improving student success. As the program winds down, the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences remains committed to enrolling, supporting, and graduating transfer students, and is dedicated to implementing best practices that will benefit the larger community of CBS transfer students.

For additional information regarding the transition, please contact Helen Frasier, Assistant Dean for Student Success Initiatives, at hsfrasier@ucdavis.edu.