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Dean Mark Stetter and his wife Kelly Stetter, LVT, speak with Drs. Steven Epstein and Lane Johnson while visiting the Covelo Clinic, a free clinic for pet owners run by UC Davis students, faculty, and staff, and community members in rural Northern California. (Trina Wood/UC Davis)

A Magical Year

As we near the end of 2022 and I pass my one-year mark at UC Davis, I want to provide an update. My explorations this year have taken me from California to Africa and connected me to thousands of people associated with the school. I have welcomed new students, seen everyone from field veterinarians to lab researchers in action, and received guidance from everyone who cares about and is associated with this exceptional school. What an amazing year it has been. I came to UC Davis to be part of a team that is doing so much to advance the health of animals, humans and the planet through veterinary medicine, and yet I’ve discovered that there is more happening at the school than I ever could have guessed.

Media Highlights

60 Minutes featured the school’s pandemic prevention activities and Gorilla Doctors program

A NY Times article on prolonged pollution exposure highlights Dr. Pam Lein's research.

Dr. Lisa Tell is featured in the SF Chronicle on climate dangers to hummingbirds.

Research Accomplishments

If you received one of our email alerts or the most recent issue of Synergy magazine, you already know that the school had its best year ever for both research and philanthropic funding. The numbers are important, but the real impact lies in how those dollars are used. 

The cover story of the latest Synergy highlights how our research and clinical breakthroughs start at the department level. From basic science research that helps us understand how biological processes relate to diseases, to multidisciplinary collaborations that help us tackle complex problems like feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a deadly disease for young cats, it all starts with our six academic departments. 

A sampling of research accomplishments and clinical breakthroughs from the year include:

• Using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify a technique to predict leptospirosis in dogs.
• Determining that pathogens can spread to the ocean through microplastics. 
• Creating network-based models to prioritize novel and known viruses for their risk of zoonotic transmission.
• Launching new FIP clinical trials.
• Identifying a genetic mutation at the time of its origin.
• Developing a strategy to create new cartilage from cells derived from the patient’s injured tissue.
• Identifying that predictors of diabetes are different for black and white women and that their gut biomes are significantly different.
• Determining that mange has decimated the population of wild vicuñas and guanacos in an Argentinian national park that was created to conserve them.
• Producing antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in hen eggs.
• Determining cats who suffer burns and smoke inhalation are at risk of forming deadly blood clots.
• Identifying how environmental pollution disproportionately affects people with chronic health conditions, who are low-income or live in communities of color.

Our research is generally supported by funding from the State, federal agencies, service fees, foundations, and other sources. However, I also want to point out something unique to the school that has really helped keep us at the forefront of veterinary medicine: seed grant funding from the Center for Companion Animal Health (CCAH) and the Center for Equine Health (CEH).

These donor-supported centers provide funding to support early research, which if successful, can lead to major breakthroughs. This research often has no other funding source and these centers are helping drive new discoveries every year. For examples, please see the CCAH list of accomplishments and their annual report. CEH is producing its own report which will be out soon.  

One of the major advantages of our school at Davis is that it is part of one of the most academically comprehensive universities in the nation, which provides a multitude of opportunities for collaboration. We encourage that in many ways, including with an all-day Research Day collaborative event with the School of Medicine that is scheduled to occur on January 11.

New Central California Equine Facility

Templeton Farms, donated by Gina Bornino Miller, expands UC Davis’ presence to the central coast area. (Don Preisler / UC Davis)

School Priorities

One action I took this year with the school's Academic Council was to determine key priorities for us to push forward immediately. We identified four priorities:

• Research. Determine ways to enhance our research portfolio, break down bureaucratic obstacles and incentivize new trans/multi-disciplinary collaborations.
• Diversity, Outreach, and Inclusion. Establish outreach programs that will support a greater presence and inclusion of underrepresented groups in our faculty, staff, and student ranks while developing deeper connections with other DEI efforts on campus and across the profession.
• People First. Build a culture and climate at the school that will increase employee satisfaction and employee engagement. 
• Facility Master Planning. Update our facility master plan for both short-term and long-term needs.

We have created four task forces to address these priorities and I have charged them to provide me with recommendations by this summer.

Socially Popular

Our most popular post on social media this year involved Officer Groot, a K9 officer of the Vallejo Police Department who had his spleen removed and underwent a surgical procedure to prevent bloat at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. The treatments were paid for by a donor fund. Groot was popular on multiple social media channels, but on Facebook, he reached 351,447 people and received 42k engagements, 32k reactions, 1k comments, and 518 shares.

Additional Highlights

There have been so many accomplishments and developments at the school in the past year. These are just a few:

• The faculty voted to drop the GRE in our DVM admissions requirements, which follows the trend across veterinary schools. The change is predicted to increase our applications, including from students from diverse backgrounds.
• In an effort led by nephrology pioneer Dr. Larry Cowgill, the AVMA has provisionally recognized a new nephrology/urology specialty college. 
• The hospital added a feline stomatitis clinic and increased its equine reproduction services. The construction of a new All Species Imaging Center is underway, as well as an expanded small animal ER/ICU.
• The hospital is also updating several individual service facilities, recently completing a new cardiology suite and new treatment space in the equine barns
• The school established a new CounterACT center with Dr. Pam Lein as director. The center is developing ways to prevent long-term brain damage in humans when poisoned by organophosphate chemical nerve agents or pesticides. 
• We’ve been at the forefront of monitoring and protecting from transmittable diseases like avian influenza. 
• Koret Shelter Medicine launched a $50M Program for Shelter Animals.
• The Continuing Education program returned to in-person events.

In addition, our faculty, students, alumni, and staff earned many prestigious awards or took important leadership positions, including Dr. Keith Rode, Class of 2006, who became president of the California Veterinary Medical Association.

I also want to thank our donors, who have helped to make so much of what we do possible. Our students speak to the importance of your generosity in this video.

This barely scratches the surface of what has been accomplished. You can see much more from our news site and our publications.

75 Years

Mark Your Calendar

Beginning in April, the school will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Mark your calendar for a kickoff celebration on the weekend of April 28-30. Look for more information on this in the coming months.

If you’ve stayed with me all the way to the end of this letter, I want to thank you because I know you share the same passion and pride for the school that I do. To learn more about anything you read about here, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I’ll connect you with the appropriate person. In the meantime, please accept my gratitude for everything you do for the school and for the creatures we love. Have a happy and safe remainder of 2022 and I wish you all the best for the New Year.

Mark Stetter, DVM, ACZM

Dean

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