CLEAR Conversations: Lisa Nash Holmes Reflects on Decades of Service to UC Davis Agriculture

For more than three decades, Lisa Nash Holmes has been a familiar face in the UC Davis Department of Animal Science. She has worked with animals, managed teaching facilities, supported faculty and students, supervised advising staff and helped generations of students gain the hands-on experience that can turn a classroom lesson into a career.

Now, Holmes is getting a little time in the spotlight herself. Holmes will be honored with the game ball during UC Davis’ annual Salute to Ag Game, recognizing her decades of service to agriculture, UC Davis and the students she has helped along the way.

“I just couldn't believe it,” Holmes said the CLEAR Conversations, where she spoke with host Tracy Sellers about her career, her agricultural roots and the people who have made her work so rewarding.

The Salute to Ag Game, now in its third year, celebrates agriculture and the many people and organizations that support California’s agricultural community. The event brings agriculture to the football stadium through displays, equipment, animals and activities, culminating in the presentation of a game ball to an individual who has made a lasting contribution to agriculture.

For Holmes, being selected was an unexpected honor.

“I just still can't believe it's me,” she said. “There are so many good people there.”

An agricultural connection that started early

Holmes’ connection to agriculture began long before she arrived at UC Davis.

Her family is originally from England, and her mother passed along stories of the family’s agricultural history. Holmes also grew up around horses in San Diego, where she developed an early interest in livestock. Her mother encouraged that interest and eventually told her she should attend UC Davis.

“I just knew this is where I wanted to be before I even got here,” Holmes said.

From her first day in the Animal Science program, she was hooked.

Her career at UC Davis has since evolved into a collection of roles that put her at the center of teaching and student support. Holmes serves as a teaching coordinator and facility manager for animal science teaching facilities and also supervises staff within the student advising center. Her days can vary dramatically. She may be preparing an animal science laboratory one moment, helping with facility operations the next and then responding to a question from a teaching assistant or student.

“It can get a bit hectic,” she said. “But I like it. I do like it.”

What she enjoys most is the variety — particularly the opportunity to work with different animals and with students at different stages of their education.

Learn by doing

For Holmes, one of the most important parts of an animal science education happens outside the textbook. Students can learn concepts in lectures, she said, but putting those concepts into practice makes the lessons stick.

“You can read about it and see it, but doing it — that's where you really need that experience,” she said.

That hands-on learning can take many forms, from working with animals to conducting laboratory procedures and learning how to safely use equipment. Holmes also encourages students to understand not only how to perform a procedure, but why they are doing it — connecting the biology, chemistry and animal science behind the work. She believes those experiences help students see how individual pieces of their education fit together. And she knows firsthand how memorable those first experiences can be.

One of Holmes’ earliest memories as a UC Davis student was learning how to handle and flip a sheep during her first laboratory experience. She was so excited about what she had learned that she went home and immediately called her parents to tell them about it.

Building connections beyond the classroom

Holmes also encourages students to take advantage of opportunities outside their regular coursework, including internships, research projects, student organizations and industry events. Those experiences can help students build professional relationships that may become valuable long after graduation.

“Just make sure you get out there and talk to people,” she said.

That advice reflects much of Holmes’ own career: building relationships, helping people find answers and being willing to step into whatever role is needed. Her commitment to students has also inspired her to establish the Lisa Nash Holmes Award, which supports animal science students and reflects her desire to give back while she is still part of the department.

“I thought, gosh, that would be good to promote agriculture,” she said.

As she prepares to step onto the field for the Salute to Ag Game, Holmes said she is still processing the idea that her own name will be on the game ball. For someone who has spent much of her career helping others learn, grow and find their place in agriculture, the recognition offers a rare opportunity to celebrate her own contribution.

And she plans to enjoy every minute of it — even if she has to learn a little more about football first.

“I’m so excited,” Holmes said. “It’s like, wow.”