https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/stewardship-awards-faculty-staff

Faculty Award

Selina Wang, Cooperative Extension specialist and Olive Center research director

Selina Wang’s commitment to the UC Davis Olive Center and its donors has been a key factor in the center’s success. Largely thanks to her stewardship efforts, the Olive Center has been fully self-supporting since it was born in 2008. Wang’s dedication to building relationships with corporate partners and within the olive and olive oil industries have also helped maintain the center’s reputation for excellence.

Notably, Wang helped established a relationship with prominent donor and alumnus Firmin Berta, whose family’s giving has now exceeded $1 million to UC Davis. In 2019 the Berta family was recognized for their gifts with the naming of Wang’s research laboratory as the Berta Family Laboratory.

Wang’s expertise in donor stewardship also extends to corporate and industry donations, which have been critical in allowing the Olive Center and Wang Lab to achieve their goal of supporting California food and agriculture.

A special part of Wang’s stewardship is her inclusive relationship-building style — she personally updates donors on research activities and students’ achievements, and encourages students from her lab to send handwritten thank-you cards and letters to donors, allowing them to truly be part of the success of the Olive Center and Wang Lab.