Giving in Action

Scholarships invest in future veterinary leaders who will lead the way in caring for animals, people and the environment.

“There are almost limitless options in veterinary medicine. Scholarships allowed me to explore and fall in love with careers I had never heard of before such as aquatic, regulatory, and wildlife medicine.”

-Derek Blahut / Class of 2020

Clinical Advances

UC Davis leads the way in advancing clinical care as one of the largest and most comprehensive veterinary hospitals in the world.

School Notes Faculty, Staff, & Student Awards

Chris Barker, Ph.D., was named to the 20th anniversary class of Chancellor’s Fellows for his research in vectorborne disease modeling and efforts to understand the biology of mosquitoes—the primary vectors for Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. He was instrumental in developing the California Vectorborne Disease Surveillance Gateway, which is also being modeled and implemented in other states and internationally.

Discoveries Mountain Gorilla Populations on the Rise

Mountain gorillas are the only great ape in the wild whose numbers are increasing, thanks in large part to the efforts of Gorilla Doctors, a partnership between the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, Inc., and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis. The organization is credited for half of the annual population growth rate of human-habituated mountain gorillas (those accustomed to the close proximity of people to facilitate research and tourism). Census surveys place their current world population at 1,063.

Just Another Typical Day - Rachel Ferris, 2017 Watching Dr. Rachel Ferris ’17 examine Padmae, the 10-year-old aardvark, you get the impression that she’s worked on many of these nocturnal animals from Africa. It’s not until Ferris takes a lunch break following the morning’s procedure that she lets on that she had never examined an aardvark before.

News Bites UC Davis Tops World Rankings

UC Davis reclaimed the #1 spot in veterinary sciences in the latest QS World University Rankings released in March. QS, or Quacquarelli Symonds, is considered one of the most influential international university rankings providers.

Inaugural Presidential Endowed Chairs Enhance Clinical Innovation and Patient Care

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the school established its first presidential endowed chairs—one of the most prestigious honors a faculty member can receive. Chancellor Gary May appointed Dr. Monica Aleman as the Dr. Terry Holliday Equine and Comparative Neurology Presidential Chair and Dr. Joanne Paul-Murphy as the Messmer Family Presidential Chair in Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service.

Leading the Way in Livestock Health As the top-ranked veterinary school in the world, UC Davis sets the bar for innovation – even when it comes to breeding sheep from embryos half way around the globe. When Snazzy Duckworth wanted to incorporate the hardy Awassi breed into her existing herd to better withstand the arid California climate, she turned to Dr. Bret McNabb and the Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction Service.

“Awassi are indigenous to southwest Asia deserts and were introduced to other parts of the world nearly 30 years ago, but not to the Western United States.”

Preparing Global Leaders

The One Health approach recognizes that we live in a global society and need leaders who promote comprehensive and interdisciplinary collaborations to address health threats. In the summer of 2019, twelve UC Davis veterinary students ventured abroad to participate in One Health research projects, conservation efforts and educational experiences.

Why is my Pet Acting Like This?

There are hundreds of animal trainers who claim to have the solution to all your pets’ problems. But do their “quick fixes” or “training tips” really work? A resounding “No!” say veterinary behaviorists Drs. Melissa Bain and Liz Stelow. As leaders of the Behavior Service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, they are quick to point out that no training in the world can repair an animal’s emotional issues.