Seventy Years of Service at UC Davis

(See photo gallery)

"Welcome to the 2026 ENT/NEM Retirement Event. Today We Honor Dr. Becky Westerdahl and Dr. Steve Nadler." 

That was the slide presentation that greeted guests as they entered the UC Davis Student Community Center multipurpose room for a retirement program and luncheon honoring the two noted nematologists. 

 UC Davis Distinguished Professor Steve Nadler and Professor/Extension Becky Brown Westerdahl chalked up a total of 70 years of service to UC Davis: Westerdahl, 40, and Nadler, 30.

Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology emceed the event and led the tributes. Among those speaking were nematologists Shahid Siddique, associate professor; UC Davis doctoral alumna (2010) Amanda Hodson, assistant professor; and UC Davis doctoral alumnus (2024) Christopher Pagan. They chronicled the retirees' love of nematology, their massive accomplishments, and their dedication to their students.

The honorees began their careers at UC Davis as members of the faculty of the Department of Nematology, which officially meshed into the Department of Entomology and Nematology, on May 28, 2013.

The slide presentation showed them working in their labs, in their fields, and with their students. Images showed Nadler fishing and hiking, two of his favorite pastimes, and Westerdahl on her worldwide travels. Another image, taken in 1978, depicted Westerdahl with the late Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (1944-2022) and UC Davis Professor Emeritus  Norm Gary, all co-founders of the Western Apicultural Society.

Steve Nadler, Chair Emeritus

Nadler, formerly an associate professor with the Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, joined the UC Davis Department of Nematology as an associate professor in 1996. He advanced to professor in 2011. During his career at UC Davis, he chaired both the Department of Nematology (May 2005 to June 2011) and the Department of Entomology and Nematology (January 2016 to June 2023.)

Nadler holds a bachelor's degree in biology, cum laude, from Missouri State University (1980), and two degrees in parasitology from the Louisiana State University, Medical Center: a master's degree (1982) and doctorate (1985).

Highlights of his career:

Research Side. "On the research side, I was able to collaborate with UC colleagues on National Science Foundation-funded research to investigate the systematics and phylogenetics of free-living soil nematodes, which was an entirely new area for me. This was really exciting because it has provided me with a more comprehensive understanding of nematodes beyond the vertebrate parasites that I was familiar with."

Administrative Side. "On the administrative side, my 14-year service as a department chair (first for Nematology, then Entomology and Nematology) was particularly rewarding when our persistent department-wide efforts succeeded in recruiting several highly regarded new faculty. Similarly, our efforts over many years for approval to renovate our teaching spaces finally succeeded in 2025." 

Teaching Side. "With respect to teaching, it has been great to educate so many undergraduates in upper division courses on nematodes (NEM 110) and parasites (ENT 156)!"

Becky Brown Westerdahl, Professor/Extension Nematologist

Westerdahl, specializing in the interactive management of plant parasitic nematodes,  joined the UC Davis Department of Nematology as an assistant professor/Extension nematologist in 1986 and advanced to associate professor/Extension nematologist in 1995, and as professor/Extension nematologist in 2002. 

She received her bachelor's degree in biology, cum laude, in 1972 from Chapman University, Orange, Calif., and her doctorate in biology and nematology in 1978 from UC Riverside.

Highlights of Her Career

• "Developing sustainable management scenarios for nematodes through working with 102 Farm Advisors from 41 counties on 99 crops."
• "Developing and teaching Nem204 Management of Plant Parasitic-Nematodes and the online course Nem10V General Biology."
• "Mentoring several post docs and graduate students who have succeeded in strategic private and public positions in agriculture. Examples: Umesh Kodira and John Chitambar, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Kristi Sanchez at TriCal; and Jack Qiu with the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

Both told the crowd that they will miss their daily activities at UC Davis but promised they will "still be around but not as much." 

Among the retired UC Davis nematologists attending were:

•  UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Harry Kaya, who joined the UC Davis faculty in 1976 and retired in 2010. He chaired the Department of Nematology from 1994 to 2001. 
• UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Howard Ferris, who transitioned to emeritus in 2014. He developed and continues to maintain Nemaplex and Nemabase, known as “two of the most important online nematology resources available."
• UC Davis Professor Emerita Valerie Williamson of Department of Plant Pathology, who joined the UC Davis faculty in 1987 and retired in 2021.

The slide presentation concluded with "Thank you, Steve and Becky!"