In talking with UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May, one buckles in, sits back and listens to the captain as he takes his campus into territory never before charted by Aggie Nation. In academics and athletics, May is moving at warp speed.

Today we conclude our conversation with the former Georgia Tech College of Engineering dean.

From first impressions to the UC Davis reputation and on to Mrak Hall weighing in with financial and moral support for athletics, May addressed all things Aggie athletics...

Q. Shortly after your arrival, Chancellor May, you said you were drawn to UC Davis from afar. But once you got here you said "things were even better than I thought." Upon arrival what was your initial impression about Aggie athletics? And what is it now?
May: "First, I was extremely impressed with Director of Athletics Kevin Blue. He's smart, he's dedicated, he's well-respected among not just the athletic administration and coaches, but faculty and general administration across the campus,  as well as our alums.

"I'm so very impressed with the entire athletic operation and its commitment to our students. There is quality in many (sports) programs across the entire spectrum.

"I came in right after the 2017 NCAA (men's basketball) tournament here, so I was kind of excited to be joining right after that. I didn't realize we have not only good student-athletes, good teams and good coaches, but we have a real commitment to, first, the academic mission of the university among the student-athlete population. … (We also) have a competitive spirit in wanting to be better at representing the university."

Q. Do you agree that Kevin Blue's arrival changed the game at UC Davis?
May: "Yes."

Q. How do you assure there is long-term stability within the Athletic Department?
May: "First, I want to say that Kevin has been great in a number of ways. I already mentioned his personal characteristics, but (with Kevin) coming from a place like Stanford — which I would view as an aspirational peer for us in terms of athletics, in terms of where the academic is unquestioned, but also tremendously successful across the board in their athletic program — that really brought some legitimacy to UC Davis athletics.

"In the future, we have to make sure that people like (Blue), the administration and the coaching staff and everyone feel like their contributions are valued, they're appreciated and they are compensated appropriately.

"But it's not always just dollars, I don't think. A lot of it is the culture and the atmosphere. When we have something good happen, the chancellor will send a text to a coach saying 'congratulations' or 'good job.' I think those kind of things are appreciated, too.

"They're reciprocated. I just want them to know they're part of the family. It's just as important for me to recognize them as it is for me to recognize our very talented faculty."

Q. Please weigh in on the evolution of the Athletic Department…
May: "I think we're on a good path.

"The transition to Division I … was a major change in culture on the campus and I think we're past that now. People have accepted that that's where we are, and where we want to be.

"We want to make sure that the athletic program has all the resources it needs to be successful. That includes facilities, good coaches and resources for the students themselves to be able to be the best in the classroom and on the fields and courts.

"I think we're headed in that direction, if not already substantially there."

Q. Is it the chicken or the egg with nationally noted athletics: Do successes or do facilities come first?
May: "You know that's hard question. I think both are really important. You could argue that if you have some success, it helps you generate some resources to the facilities. But facilities are important in recruiting and in the overall experience the fan, as well as the student, has.

"I'm not sure, really, which comes first, but both are really important."

Q. Previous fundraising efforts seemed to have forced UCD athletics to be on its own in bringing in money for sports programs. Seemingly, there has been little or no assistance from Mrak Hall in the recent past. Is that going to change?
May: "It already has. I work with Kevin and the development of staff to cultivate athletics donors and academic donors — and many of those are the same people.

"I should point out, that our most important donors for athletics are our students, right? Student fees are important for much of what happens in athletics, so you can't forget what's important to the student body when you think about fundraising.

"Like I said, if I think athletics is a priority for the university — and it is — then I have to be involved in making sure it is properly resourced. That includes fundraising."

(May alluded to the recent announcement that UC Davis Health and the Athletic Department are partnering on a $40 million student-athlete performance center. It's a program that will include renaming Aggie Stadium as UC Davis Health Stadium, constructing a 38,000-square-foot building — with training facilities, a sports-medicine center, academic-support and EVO space and athletic offices — and a multipurpose, natural-grass practice field.)

"This collaboration ... is a strong example of how we work together for the benefit of our students. I'm proud of the university's commitment to investing in health-care services and sports medicine in Davis.")

Q. As it relates to the division level and the conferences, is this the right place for UC Davis to be?
May: "At this time, yes. We're in the Big West Conference for most sports and we're in the Big Sky for football. Both of those conferences have treated us well and we've competed well and felt really comfortable where we are.

"Things may evolve. Who knows? There's a lot of realignment and movement in college sports. I don't want to predict the future, but I am comfortable where we are now."

Q. Within UCD athletics, there must be an area that surprises you ...
May: "I have to say, this year it's got to be football, right? We expected coach (Dan) Hawkins to be good for the program and for us to get better — but not so quickly.

"No one expected us to be this good, this fast.

"Beyond that individual sport, there is quality across the board. Excellent years in water polo, men's soccer … the fact that we're competitive generally in every sport we compete in."

Q. Any athletic area that should be better than it is?
May: "I say we still have some ways to go on our facilities. Not just the venues where we play the sports, but our workout facilities and the practice facilities.

"To the extent that we can define facilities that would benefit the student body at large as well as the student-athletes, yes. I think that makes sense if we can find those win-win situations (like the UC Davis Health partnership).

"I would never divert funds from the core mission of the university to athletics unless I thought it benefited all the students."

Q. Specifically relating to athletics, why is world-renowned UC Davis not more regionally embraced?
May: "I wish I had the answer to that question because I would try to solve that problem.

"But it is correct. We have world-class programs in areas like agriculture and veterinary medicine — and many others.

"An analogy one of our faculty uses, you go to a farm in Ethiopia, they're likely to know who UC Davis is, but maybe not on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., or here in the region.

"I think part of it is our fault. We have to do a better job of reaching out to our neighbors and making them aware of who we are.

"Some of the things we're doing across the Causeway with initiatives like Aggie Square I've been pushing … we're very excited about that. We want the region to recognize UC Davis as their UC — and to be excited about athletics and to come to see the games and support us in other ways.

"We have to reach out as well as to try to draw people in, and I think we're making some progress."

Q. Knowing your "To Boldly Go…" strategic plan has an extraterrestrial hint, it has to be asked — who is your favorite "Star Trek" character?
May: "Spock. Not even close.

"Spock is not only my favorite in 'Star Trek,' I think he's one of the greatest fictional characters ever created.

"He's half-human, half-alien and even though on paper is superior to all the others around him — physically, intellectually — he still identifies with those people (who surround him), still tries to fit in and be a positive force.

"Being not emotional, data-driven and very logical … all those things are similar to my approach. He's just a fascinating character."

— Former Davis Enterprise sports editor Bruce Gallaudet writes "Inside Aggie Nation" each week. You can also read his "Aggie Corner" column every Friday or Sunday in The Enterprise (davisenterprise.com). Reach Gallaudet at 530-320-4456 or bgallaudet41@gmail.com
Note: Also available is the first of this two-part series: "Boldly Progressing One Day at a Time" at ucdavisaggies.com/news/2018/11/14/general-boldly-progressing-one-day-at-a-time.aspx?path=general