The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine achieved record totals in research and philanthropic funding for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, with $89 million received for research and $61.7 million received from philanthropic sources. In addition, the school’s scholarship endowment surpassed $100 million – a notable milestone for support of veterinary medical education.

“Reaching these new heights of external investment is a testament to the entire veterinary school community: those who work tirelessly to improve animal, human and environmental health – and the research funders and donors who put their trust in them,” said Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the school.

Research Support

Research funding ranged from support for basic science investigation to clinical innovation to grants focused on human health. The school receives the most research funding of any veterinary school in the nation and produces more than 700 published papers annually. Examples of major grants include:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded a new 5-year, $10 million grant to the school-led Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, or PacVec, program. The school collaborates with six other research universities in research, training, and outreach on vectors, which are organisms that transmit diseases from an animal to a human or another animal. Read more
• The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes has awarded a five-year, $13.7 million grant for a new UC Davis CounterACT Center of Excellence. The center will focus on novel treatments and strategies to prevent long-term consequences after chemical nerve agent exposure. Read more
• The National Science Foundation awarded $2.4 million to the school’s Epicenter for Disease Dynamics to investigate whether landscape and biodiversity change drive viruses towards greater host plasticity and therefore heightened pandemic risk.  Read more

Philanthropic Support

Philanthropic support to the school was directed to many purposes, including:

• UC Davis alumna Gina Bornino Miller donated Templeton Farms, a sport horse training, sales, and breeding facility near Paso Robles, California. The facility, which is now managed by the school’s Center for Equine Health, provides new opportunities to bring veterinary students, residents, researchers, and veterinarians together to tackle important problems affecting horse health. Read more
• An estate gift from Carolyn Jensen totaling $1,445,000 established the Jensen Family School of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship. This scholarship was directed to support students in the DVM/Ph.D. dual-degree Veterinary Scientist Training Program.
• Hospital client DeeDee Roth donated $250,000 to the Veterinary Medical Center campaign, among other gifts. She named an imaging room in the All Species Imaging Center—which is currently under construction—in memory of her beloved Yorkshire terriers, Toby and Teddy, and in recognition of the excellent care they received at the school. Roth also donated $100,000 to create two memorial funds in Toby and Teddy’s names to support the purchase of new hospital equipment and cover the cost of veterinary care for pets in need. Roth supports the school in many other ways, from staff thank-you gifts for the hospital team, to strollers for the hospital to transport patients.

Student Support

In addition, the scholarship endowment surpassed $100 million, which generated approximately $4 million in philanthropic student scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year. The school and its donors work to address one of the most pressing issues in the veterinary industry today – reducing student debt.

Along with scholarships created by donors, the school also allocates approximately $4 million in aid annually, meaning that in total the school has granted approximately $8 million in student aid for the 2021-22 academic year.

Students at the school have seen an overall year-over-year decrease in relative tuition for the last three years, while according to exit survey information, the school’s graduates have seen significant increases in starting salaries.

This commitment to aid and keeping fees stable means that UC Davis veterinary graduates have one of the lowest student-debt loads in the country, along with one of the most optimal debt-to-income ratios.

Philanthropic support has been transformative for the school in many ways, from funding the construction of Gladys Valley Hall, which is the instructional heart of the school, to contributing to numerous medical innovations and breakthroughs through the Center for Companion Animal Health.

UC Davis is currently in the “Expect Greater: From UC Davis, for the World,” comprehensive fundraising campaign. The school’s participation includes its Veterinary Medical Center campaign, which is transforming the current veterinary hospital into a comprehensive center for veterinary medicine unlike any in the world.

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