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UC Davis podcast Unfold wins two Signal Awards for its valley fever episode
Unfold, the UC Davis podcast, won two Signal Awards for Just One Spore, its episode profiling two valley fever patients. The episode took Silver in Science and Education and Bronze in Health and Wellness, the university announced on October 30, 2026.
By UC Davis Health · Published · Announcement date
UC Davis Health announced on October 30, 2026 that Unfold, the university's podcast, has won two Signal Awards for its episode Just One Spore.
The episode profiles Kyleigh Cooyar and Rex Dangerfield, two people living with valley fever, an infection caused by a fungus that grows in soil in California and the American Southwest. Just One Spore won a Silver award in the Signal Awards Science and Education category and a Bronze in Health and Wellness.
Amy Quinton reported and produced the episode, and Marianne Russ Sharp edited it. The two co-host Unfold, and both came to the show from public radio. Care in the episode comes from Dr. George Thompson, co-director of the UC Davis Center for Valley Fever. The Signal Awards judging panel of more than 160 creators and executives included people from NPR, Netflix, TED, iHeart Media, PRX and Podcasts at YouTube.
WHY IT MATTERS
Unfold is a university podcast with a small team, and it won in two national categories with one reported story. The win is a useful proof for institutional podcasts. A focused episode built around two patients and the specialist who treats them can travel further than a general series about a university.
Announcement date: October 30, 2026.
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