William and Nongkarn Chancellor Fellowship Fund, with Matching Support from the Graduate Student Fellowship Matching Initiative

Professor Chancellor had a deep regard for and commitment to his students as a mentor and friend. This fellowship fund was established by the Chancellor family to support graduate students in Biological and Agricultural Engineering in perpetuity. We welcome your contribution to the William and Nongkarn Chancellor Fellowship, with Matching Support from the Graduate Student Fellowship Matching Initiative, to honor his legacy and help UC Davis provide graduate opportunities for students regardless of financial need.

Professor William J. Chancellor started his career with UC Davis in 1957 and originated courses in soil mechanics, soil-machine relations, agricultural technology for developing nations, and energy in agricultural production. His research spanned these areas as well as forage and grain production and optimization of farm equipment use. He was a global authority on smallholder farm mechanization and held patents on automatic traction control, singulated seed planting, and conduction heat drying. He foresaw the information technology revolution in production agriculture and used his encyclopedic knowledge in authoring a pioneering searchable information database. His students, whose needs and welfare were of foremost concern, have continued his work and influence around the world. He earned a Bachelor’s in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and MS and PhD degrees from Cornell University. In 2017 he was named a recipient of the UC Davis Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the campus, in recognition of his distinguished career and contributions to the ideals of higher education. He shared 56 years of marriage with Nong Chancellor who joins with other members of his family in establishing this fellowship in Professor Chancellor’s honor.