UC Davis Receives $75M Gift for Veterinary School

The University of California, Davis, has received $75 million for its Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, officials announced Friday. The gift comes from Bay Area philanthropists Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao, longtime supporters of academic hospitals, health sciences and animal welfare.

It’s the second-largest individual gift ever made to the UC Davis veterinary school, after the $120 million donated in January by Joan and Sanford Weill.

The funds will go toward a new small animal hospital—to be named after Chiao and Hao—which will expand the school’s capacity to care for veterinary patients from 50,000 to 75,000 each year.

The gift will also help support advances in translational medicine, programs for clients who can’t afford veterinary care and student scholarships; the school plans to increase the size of each class of veterinary students from 600 to 800 over the next few years.

“This is a pivotal time to expand support for UC Davis and its extraordinary veterinarians—true everyday heroes,” said Chiao and Hao in a statement. “We deeply value the advancement of healthcare for every type of animal. We also believe research in veterinary medicine and human life sciences will be increasingly interconnected and mutually reinforcing.”

Mark Stetter, dean of the veterinary school, praised the gift’s far-reaching impact.

“Every day, we see how veterinary care matters,” Stetter said. “Our school’s mission is to improve health for animals, people and our planet. Support such as this incredible gift from Kathy Chiao and Ken Hao goes a long way in helping the future of all species.”