2022 Fall Faculty Awards and Reception

2022 Zoetis Research Excellence Award
Dr. Boaz Arzi

2022 Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award
Dr. Barbara Byrne

2022 Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award
Dr. Stuart Meyers

2022 Clinical Excellence Award
Dr. Mathieu Spriet

2022 Boehringer-Ingelheim Research Mentoring Award
Dr. Sara Thomasy

2022 Distinguished Service Award
Lin Zucconi

Dean Mark Stetter welcomed new members of the school’s community during the annual Fall Faculty Reception on October 26 and acknowledged those in outgoing and incoming leadership roles. The school also honored faculty members with awards for excellence in teaching and research, along with others honored for their service.

2022 Zoetis Research Excellence Award

Dr. Boaz Arzi, a professor of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, was honored with the Zoetis Research Excellence Award. Since joining UC Davis 12 years ago, Arzi has been among the most visible specialists within the discipline of veterinary dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and particularly within the veterinary regenerative medicine field. 

Arzi has published more than 120 manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals over his career and 34 articles since 2019, most of which as a senior author. More recently, Arzi’s research and innovations were recognized as he was announced as Expertscape “World Expert” in Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ) and placed in the top 0.076% of 14,428 published authors worldwide on TMJ from 2011-2021, encompassing the spectrum of human and veterinary medical research.

As part of his TMJ-focused research, Arzi is developing novel surgical approaches of bio-engineered tissue transplantation to facilitate cartilage regeneration. Arzi’s other major research focuses on the use of stem cells, growth factors, and 3D printing technology to promote tissue regeneration in craniofacial disease and injuries. Specifically, Arzi pioneered a new surgical approach in dogs to enable mandibular reconstruction for dogs with critical-sized jawbone defects. Finally, Arzi’s research in the feline chronic gingivostomatitis field has been instrumental in our understanding of the pathogenesis of this important feline disease, and more importantly, Arzi’s research had opened new stem cell-based treatment options for cats that have failed all traditional treatment modalities. 

 

2022 Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award

Dr. Barbara Byrne was recognized with the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award for sustained excellence in teaching microbiology in the classroom and clinic, and exceptional dedication to the student experience in veterinary medical education.

A Professor of Clinical Microbiology in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Byrne received her DVM (1987) at Colorado State University and PhD (1998) from Washington State University.  She completed a residency at The Ohio State University, and is board certified in both LA Internal Medicine and Veterinary Microbiology. Byrne joined our faculty in 2003 and is a Fellow of the West Region Consortium of Colleges of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Academy since (2015).

Serving as a Block Leader for the Infectious Disease and Immunology Course in the second year, Byrne’s contributions are appreciated by students and faculty colleagues alike. Her instructor evaluations by students are uniformly excellent, filled with superlatives and consistently reference her care for both their learning and their well-being.  One student commented, “Thank you so much for always caring about our well-being! It feels like you genuinely care and it is extremely motivating.”

Another student noted, “She was not only an amazing lecturer but also was extremely helpful in raising the students' morale and understood that after all the information that was given, how difficult it was for students to keep up with material. She has a knack for explaining concepts easily, always emphasizes the important take-home points, and is an extremely enthusiastic lecturer. Even though I do not enjoy material for large animal, I would always look forward to her lectures as they were informative and well put.”

Faculty who teach with Byrne attest to her active engagement in the development of teaching methods, time spent assisting colleagues with instructional materials, feedback on student evaluations and the continuous improvement of our curriculum.  Many colleagues comment that she sits in on their lectures to ensure that her integration of material in that class or block is seamless and consistent. This level of selfless devotion to the curriculum and to her faculty colleagues, is deeply appreciated.

2022 Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award

Dr. Stuart Meyers was recognized with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award for his sustained excellence in teaching in the DVM curriculum, graduate training and mentorship, and undergraduate instruction; innovation and leadership in teaching; purposeful integration of diversity, equity and inclusion principles; and absolute dedication to students, faculty peers and the teaching and learning experience.

A Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, Meyers teaches Reproductive Biology and Theriogenology in professional, graduate clinical and graduate research programs as well as undergraduate anatomy. He received his DVM (1985) from Michigan State University, and his PhD (1995) from UC Davis.  Meyers joined our faculty in 1999 and is a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

Meyers has a substantial teaching load, in part because he is always willing to step up and do the job.  This is appreciated in his instruction for the Musculoskeletal course in year 1, where he teaches gross anatomy.  He is a knowledgeable and patient instructor, the perfect combination for first year students learning to navigate scalpels and complex anatomical structures for the first time. He lends his important expertise in reproductive physiology to the Endocrine/Reproduction block. Student evaluations of his teaching are universally laudatory and they note that Meyers is passionate about his subject, is approachable and always willing to help, values understanding and has a strong appreciation for clinical relevance. He handles delivery of his sensitive material with care for his entire audience along with a good dose of entertainment.

One student commented, “Dr. Meyer's enthusiasm for the course material is obvious and infectious. I can tell he really cares about presenting the information and aiding our learning. He is a very genuine educator and we are lucky to have him,” and another, “This can be a really awkward topic for some people, but Dr. Meyers was so great and I felt completely comfortable asking him all the little details that might have been uncomfortable to ask anyone else.”

Meyers is equally appreciated by his faculty colleagues as an instructor to collaborate with, an advisor for improvement, or a leader of a block.  He is described as an exemplary Block Leader for his planning and organization of the block and his clear communication and strong support of block faculty. One faculty member noted “he not only works with other block leaders and faculty to plan the course, he generally attends all course sessions.” 

 

2022 Clinical Excellence Award

Dr. Mathieu Spriet is recognized for clinical excellence in diagnostic imaging. A professor in the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciencies, Spriet received his DVM from Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Lyon in Lyon France and Master’s degree from the University of Montreal. He completed his residency in diagnostic imaging through the University of Pennsylvania and has been on faculty at UC Davis since 2007. Spriet currently serves as the Co-Service Chief and Director of Diagnostic Imaging Services in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. As a member of the leadership team, Spriet is focused on innovation and clinical excellence in diagnostic imaging, bringing novel therapies and recognition to our institution.

Spriet embodies the principles of clinical academic medicine and has contributed to the advancement of clinical care, teaching and science in the VMTH. Spriet is a founding Diplomate of the new Equine Diagnostic Imaging specialty in the American College of Veterinary Radiology. Throughout his time at UC Davis, Spriet has been immersed in the clinic providing superior patient care and teaching. Spriet has long been recognized as a top equine radiologist in both the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI). He speaks frequently in international venues as the founder of equine PET imaging.

Spriet has expanded the field of equine diagnostic imaging by developing and implementing Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in both anesthetized and standing horses. This leap in ability to pinpoint areas of injury and inflammation has not been seen since the development of CT and MRI in the late 1990’s. His creativity and perseverance in equipping the VMTH with PET and partnership with Santa Anita Racetrack will help to halt the cycle of catastrophic racetrack injuries by detecting them earlier and monitoring their healing.

Spriet is committed to advancing the field of equine diagnostic imaging and training clinicians in this area. He designed a new residency program in equine diagnostic imaging that began in August of 2020 and is one of the first of its kind. He has a relentless spirit for teaching that seeks to distribute knowledge and make it widely accessible.

A colleague writes, “Dr. Spriet has inspired our residents to be curious, investigative, and accurate in their imaging diagnoses while always focusing on the welfare of the patient. He has mentored even small animal radiology residents on award winning equine projects, proving that inspiration and mentorship are not species dependent.”

 

2022 Boehringer-Ingelheim Research Mentoring Award

Dr. Sara Thomasy was recognized with the Boehringer-Ingelheim Research Mentoring Award. As a professor in Surgical and Radiological Sciences, Thomasy is acknowledged for her passion to train, inspire, mentor, and grow the next generation of veterinary scientists.

As an early-mid career faculty member, Thomasy’s commitment to mentoring is evident by the number of trainees listed on her CV. She has mentored 35 undergraduates, 3 graduate students, 9 postdoctoral fellows, 15 residents, 3 interns, and 21 DVM students—15 of whom participated in the Students Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program.

Her nomination letter describes her dedication: On a daily basis, Thomasy uses her strong scientific training and emotional intelligence to make an impact on the lives of all of her mentees. She is an equity minded leader who tailors her mentoring to each individual. She remembers and reflects on what it was like at distinct points in her training, she shares openly her successes and failures with her trainees, and she makes sure that each individual knows they are valued and part of a bigger team. She cultivates relationships by making time to learn more about her students and advisees and their identities, backgrounds, motivations, challenges, and career goals. It is this human connection and her sustained inquiry that makes Thomasy an invaluable and inspiring mentor.

Thomasy has challenged the status quo and built a community, not only among Integrative Pathobiology Graduate Group students, but among the Veterinary Scientist Training Program (VSTP) DVM-Ph.D. students, and the Comparative Medicine T32 trainees.

Recently, she empowered our Graduate Group in Integrative Pathobiology students to form a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. In doing so she gave students from our group, who are from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups, opportunities and a safe space to speak their truths, educate others, and enhance and affirm their identity alignment by providing affirmation, care, support, and encouragement. Thomasy has been instrumental in retaining a vital funding source (Comparative Medicine Training Program T32) for VSTP students.

Thomasy’s super power is to empower undergraduates, graduates, residents, postdocs, and staff to work hard and achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Her advising and mentoring approaches are holistic, as she looks beyond just a student’s academic achievements and learns about all the things that may be affecting her mentees (food insecurity, financial insecurity, imposter syndrome, racism, lack of a support network, etc.) and tailors her approach. She genuinely cares about each individual and their successes. Her mentorship fosters the next generation of leaders in the field of veterinary sciences and creates an inclusive and uplifting community.

 

2022 Distinguished Service Award

Lin Zucconi, a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council (DLC), was honored with the school’s 2022 Distinguished Service Award. Zucconi has been a tremendous asset to the school and serves as a liaison on our marketing committee as a part of her role on the DLC. In that capacity, she has worked with the Advancement team in helping to steward some of our top donors, attending events, doing peer screenings and sharing ideas and ways we can become more engaged with other donors based on what has worked well for her. In addition, Zucconi will be working with us on our 75th Anniversary Committee and providing insight and support for our activities and events for the campaign.

Zucconi is an alumnus from UC Davis, obtaining a BA in 1972 from the College of Letters and Science, along with a BS in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science. In addition, she holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from Rice University, an M.S. in Applied Science/Engineering from UC Davis and a Bachelor's degree with Honors in Mathematics from UC Berkeley.

In addition to her service, Zucconi has made significant gifts to both the College of Engineering and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Her greatest gifts have been to the veterinary school with both feline and student support. Zucconi is known for her “can-do” attitude and outstanding work ethic. She has a passion for volunteering and served the North Lake Tahoe Boys and Girls Club where she led a STEM program for elementary school age children.

She has also volunteered with the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and with the Society of Women Engineers student chapter at the University of Nevada in Reno. She has volunteered with the Emergency Warming Shelter in Truckee, which serves the homeless population and stranded motorists in Truckee/North Tahoe during extreme weather conditions. Zucconi recently moved to Davis and is an advocate for feline health and medicine which she supports at UC Davis Veterinary Medicine and through various cat rescue organizations in California and nationally.