Smiling man in glasses hugging a happy yellow Labrador against a pale background

Director’s Letter - Spring 2026

by Michael S Kent
April 23, 2026

I am very grateful to the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine for many reasons, both professional and personal. Professionally, I completed veterinary school, residencies and a master’s in clinical research at UC Davis. This training provided me with the skills and tools to build my career in what I consider the greatest profession in the world.

On a more personal note, over the years my animals have received the highest level of care here. Along the way, I formed great friendships and bonds with many animals and people I have met as patients, their caregivers, colleagues, students, trainees and friends of the school who love it as much as I do.

As we enter a new era for the school with our new name of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, thanks to their transformative gift of $120 million that was announced in January, I am even more inspired. The investment they have made in our school and in veterinary medicine is huge. And while I am truly grateful to them for their generosity, it is also a call to action.

To quote Mr. Weill: “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.”

They have made a down payment on our future—not only for the veterinary school but for society as whole, because when animals thrive, so do we and the planet. Recognizing this, their gift is, in a sense, seed money for us to expand our research infrastructure and build our new small animal hospital. It also inspires others to help us impact animal and human health. Whether it is increasing our class size to meet the need for more veterinarians in the state and country, building out the rest of the expanded hospital, or developing new ways to treat cancer, we have a lot of work to do. All of this will help us build the future I am excited to see.

Their gift inspires me to continue to give financially and focus my efforts to train our next generation of clinicians and researchers, protect and improve animal health, end animal disease through research, and provide the most compassionate care possible. Please continue to join me in these efforts. Together we can accomplish great things.

My best,