Jay Mechling

Biography
Professor of American Studies

M.A., (1968), Ph.D. (1971) in American Civilization, University of Pennsylvania

Recipient of the UCD Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award in 1993, the Mary Turpie Award from the American Studies Association in 1998, for outstanding achievements in teaching and curricular development at the local, regional, and national levels, and the Davis Prize (2006) for distinguished achievement in teaching and research.

I was an undergraduate at a small, private liberal arts college (Stetson University in Florida) that was smaller than my high school, so from the moment I decided that I wanted to be a University professor, I had in mind that small college setting. I’ve taught all my life at a large pubic university, but I see my teaching in both the Integrated Studies Honors Program and the Davis Honors Challenge as my chance to help create a small college experience for students while they also have all the benefits of a large, great university. I love teaching first year students and then watching them flourish through their four (sometimes five!) years at Davis. I stay in touch with those students even after they graduate, and I am extremely proud of their achievements.