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Before he moved out here, Gary May was dean of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech, which awards more engineering degrees to women and underrepresented minorities than any other school in the U.S.

President Obama gave him the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors in the field. He has authored more than 200 technical publications, contributed to 15 books, and holds a patent in semiconductor manufacturing.

Now, May has just started his third year as Chancellor of UC Davis, the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system, with 37,000 students and nearly $800 million annually in research funding.

He’s also a big fan of comic books. And a major Trekkie.

It’s a special “Back to School” edition of Groundbreakers Q&A as we sit down with Chancellor May and talk with him about his vision and goals for UC Davis and the Sacramento region, and his take on the state of higher-education today — the college admission scandals, massive student loan debt, improving diversity levels and graduation rates, boosting students’ STEM skills and career opportunities while trying to find them affordable housing and food. We’ll also ask him about his inspirations (his mom and wife among them); whether his Trekkie credentials helped UC Davis score $15 million from NASA to research spacecraft and deep-space exploration; and why he sees comic books as a great educational tool.