A smiling older couple stands closely together in front of a bookshelf. — Joan and Sanford I. Weill. The Weill Family Foundation has given $120 million to UC Davis, the largest gift ever made to a veterinary school. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

UC Davis Receives $120M Gift, Largest Ever to Veterinary Medicine

Commitment from the Weill Family Foundation, led by Joan and Sanford I. Weill, will modernize facilities, advance animal and human health

by Courtney Tompkins
January 28, 2026

DAVIS, Calif. — The University of California, Davis, today announced the largest gift ever made to veterinary medicine worldwide: $120 million from philanthropists Joan and Sanford I. Weill through the Weill Family Foundation to support its top-ranked veterinary school.

In recognition of this commitment, the university has renamed the school the University of California, Davis, Joan and Sanford I. Weill School of Veterinary Medicine — or simply the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine.

“UC Davis is home to one of the world’s most outstanding veterinary schools and many of the brightest minds in animal and human medicine,” said Sanford “Sandy” I. Weill, a long-serving member of the UC Davis Chancellor’s Board of Advisors. “We are proud to support an institution where groundbreaking research and compassionate care are prioritized together, and where discovery benefits both animal and human health.”

The gift is one of the largest in university history.

The gift is one of the largest in university history. It will strengthen UC Davis’ leadership in comparative medicine — the study of health and disease across species — and advance translational research initiatives for diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and cardiovascular conditions that affect both animals and humans. The funds will also support a reimagined, leading-edge renewal of the veterinary campus including construction of a small animal teaching hospital and expand the school’s capacity to train the next generation of veterinarians.

“By naming our veterinary school in Joan and Sandy’s honor, we celebrate their transformative generosity and lasting commitment to improve the health of all species,” said Chancellor Gary S. May. “UC Davis is world-renowned for excellence in veterinary medicine, research and service. We are deeply grateful for Joan and Sandy’s vision and partnership to help us accelerate the great work taking place here.”

A group of seven people stands together in front of a veterinary medicine building. — From left to right: UC President James B. Milliken, his wife Nana Smith, Sanford I. Weill, Joan Weill, LeShelle May, UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May and UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark Stetter. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

Transformative impact

Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, said the Weills’ support will revolutionize what is possible in veterinary medicine.

“Joan and Sandy Weill’s extraordinary generosity will allow UC Davis to move faster, think bigger and rise to meet the most urgent challenges facing our world,” Stetter said. “This gift empowers us to drive discoveries, expand access to world-class education and develop new insights at the intersection of veterinary and human health. It launches an exciting new era in veterinary medicine and provides the catalyst needed to advance the construction of our new hospital. With continued support from our philanthropic community, we can bring this vision to completion.”

Joan and Sandy Weill’s extraordinary generosity will allow UC Davis to move faster, think bigger and rise to meet the most urgent challenges facing our world. This gift empowers us to drive discoveries, expand access to world-class education and develop new insights at the intersection of veterinary and human health.”
—Dean Mark Stetter

Eighty million dollars of the gift will help build a new small animal teaching hospital, part of the school’s $750 million Veterinary Medical Complex expansion initiative to build the premier veterinary campus in the world. The current facility, which is already one of the busiest veterinary hospitals in the world, cares for approximately 50,000 patients annually.

Designed to meet the growing demand of clients, educate more students and expand the school’s impact, the state-of-the-art facility will enable:

Care for up to 20,000 additional animals across an array of specialties;
More cutting-edge research and clinical trials, advancing treatments that benefit both animals and humans; and
Integration of artificial intelligence and precision medicine, unlocking new possibilities in diagnostics, treatment planning and patient outcomes.

The Weills’ support will help UC Davis address the shortage of veterinarians by expanding the facilities and infrastructure needed to recruit and train more veterinary students and specialists in high-demand fields such as emergency and critical care, oncology, neurology, cardiology and primary care.

The remaining $40 million will be dedicated to fundamental and clinical research. The enhanced research funding will accelerate team science, support early-stage discovery projects and enable faculty to pursue high-impact ideas that often fall outside traditional funding sources.