Dean, Ashley will share her perspective on recent developments at the College, and the opportunities for new discovery in agriculture.

About Our Speaker: Ashley Stokes

Ashley Stokes joined UC Davis as dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in July 2025. She previously served dean at the University of Tennessee Extension from 2021 to 2024, where she oversaw a $100 million budget and a team of more than 1,000 faculty and staff. Her leadership and partnerships also contributed to securing $46 million in state funding to develop new hands-on STEM and outdoor education centers. In addition, she helped secure $16.5 million to endow a new 4-H center—the largest endowment of any 4-H & Youth Development Center in Tennessee’s history.

About UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) is internationally recognized as a leader in agricultural, environmental, and human sciences. Consistently ranked among the top programs in the world, CA&ES drives innovation in sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship and human health. Its faculty and students are frequently honored for groundbreaking research, community impact, and academic excellence — reflecting UC Davis’s standing as the No. 1 university in the U.S. for agriculture and forestry (QS World University Rankings).

About The Series: Learn From a Local

Learn from a Local is an on-going speaker series hosted by AgStart, a non-profit organization supporting entrepreneurs advancing innovation in agriculture and food technology (AgriFoodTech). Typically on the 1st Thursday evening of every month, AgStart hosts a local speaker from the AgriFoodTech sector to speak on a topic relevant to our entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our goal is to offer a space to connect with local individuals and learn from leaders in our local AgriFoodTech sector on topics relevant to our AgStart community. Events take place in our AgStart Event Center: 1100 Main St., Suite 170, Woodland, CA 95695. An approximate event agenda is detailed above.

Learn more at www.agstart.org

Learn From A Local is Sponsored by CITY OF WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA