Philanthropy at Work
Paying it Forward
Deep friendships developed among veterinary students tend to be long-lasting. These bonds are created through grueling study hours, the excitement of seeing their first patients in clinic, and the shared grief when the time comes to say goodbye to a beloved patient or pet.
Those close relationships inspired the Class of 1992 to leave a lasting legacy at UC Davis through their class gift. They are leading the future of veterinary medicine as the first class to support the construction of the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC).
Their class gift will support the Hot Lab, located in the future All Species Imaging Center (ASIC) of the VMC. The Hot Lab will be adjacent to the PET/CT imaging suite and be used for secure storage and administration of radiopharmaceuticals to small animal patients, as well as anesthetic induction and recovery.
Classmates chose this giving opportunity to celebrate how the school has helped them achieve their dreams and goals. Spearheading this fundraising effort are classmates Drs. Cathy Beausang, Jon Klingborg, and Julie Smith.
“As veterinarians, our approach to life (and death) is shaped by our education and our experiences in veterinary school and throughout our careers,” Klingborg said. “We are blessed that our profession is the best introduction we could ask for in any social situation. We simply let folks know that we are veterinarians and then sit back and listen to all of the wonderful stories about people and their beloved animals.”
The ASIC will serve as a state-of-the-art facility for veterinary patients requiring advanced cross-sectional imaging procedures. Pivotal to all hospital clinical specialties and providing the most advanced imaging technology in veterinary medicine, the ASIC will be centrally located to serve patients large and small. The strategic placement of imaging technology and expertise will expedite diagnosis and patient care, reduce stress and wait time for patients, and optimize operational efficiencies. Staffed by the largest veterinary diagnostic imaging team in the world, the center will be at the cutting edge of detecting, diagnosing and treating disease and trauma.
“It was critically important to us that our class gift would help advance the education of every single veterinary student,” Beausang said. “I was more equine-focused, whereas Julie went on to become board-certified in surgery. Jon has been a general practitioner throughout his career. Each one of us has had a different ‘practice experience,’ but we all came from the same place.”
The ASIC buildout will occur in two phases. The first phase includes CT, MRI, and PET/CT imaging suites, as well as an additional suite to accommodate future imaging technology. The Hot Lab will also be used as a holding room to house “hot” patients until they can be safely moved back to the patient wards. Because radiopharmaceuticals used for PET imaging have very short half-lives (sometimes as short as a few minutes), close proximity of the Hot Lab to the PET/CT imaging suite is crucial.
“The Hot Lab is essential for safe handling and administration of radiopharmaceuticals to our veterinary patients and for efficient anesthetic induction and recovery of radioactive animals,” said Dr. Erik Wisner, professor emeritus in the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, who is instrumental in the planning of the ASIC.
“It was critically important to us that our class gift would help advance the education of every single veterinary student.”
– Dr. Cathy Beausang
Beausang, Klingborg, and Smith expressed that their class gift symbolizes how the school has guided, shaped, and enhanced not just their careers but their lives. In recognition, the Hot Lab will be named to recognize the Class of 1992.
“Though it has been nearly 30 years since we graduated, our class still maintains a strong bond,” Smith said. “We were fortunate to go through our journey with such a great group of classmates and some truly excellent professors and clinicians.”
Dean Michael Lairmore emphasized that the legacy of our alumni has helped make the school what it is today.
“We wish to give special thanks to the Class of 1992 for their visionary gift,” he said. “We greatly appreciate the support of our alumni to help us educate the next generation, bring new treatments to our animal patients, and expand our research capabilities.”
If you are interested in contributing to the Class of 1992 gift, please visit give.ucdavis.edu/GO/DVM1992. For information about establishing a class gift, or to make a gift of any kind, please contact the Office of Advancement at svmadvancement@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-7024.