Professor Donald Bers gets a hug from Claire Pomeroy, vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, at the Endowed Chairs and Professorships Dinner in Freeborn Hall on April 1. Bers, whose research focuses on the factors involved in cardiac muscle contraction, is the new holder of the Dean’s Chair in Cardiovascular Research in Honor of Joseph Silva. UC Davis has 113 chairs and professorships. Donor funding provides continuing support for research, teaching and public service.