UC Davis Receives $120 Million Gift, Largest Ever to Veterinary Medicine
Date: January 30, 2026
Source: UC Davis News
The University of California, Davis has announced the largest gift ever made to veterinary medicine worldwide: $120 million from philanthropists Joan and Sanford I. Weill through the Weill Family Foundation.
In recognition of the gift, the university has renamed the school the UC Davis Joan and Sanford I. Weill School of Veterinary Medicine.
How the Funds Will Be Used
$80 million will support construction of a new small animal teaching hospital, part of the school’s $750 million Veterinary Medical Complex expansion. The current facility cares for approximately 50,000 patients annually.
The new facility will enable:
- Care for up to 20,000 additional animals across specialties
- Expanded research and clinical trials
- Integration of artificial intelligence and precision medicine in diagnostics and treatment
$40 million will fund fundamental and clinical research, supporting early-stage discovery projects and team science initiatives.
Addressing the Veterinarian Shortage
The gift will help UC Davis expand facilities and infrastructure to train more veterinary students and specialists in high-demand fields including:
- Emergency and critical care
- Oncology
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Primary care
Comparative Medicine Focus
The funds will strengthen UC Davis’ leadership in comparative medicine—the study of health and disease across species—and advance translational research for diseases affecting both animals and humans, including cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions.
UC Davis cited examples of this cross-species research approach:
- Stem cell techniques developed in bulldog puppies with spina bifida helped enable surgeons at UC Davis Health to treat the condition in humans before birth
- A UCSF and UC Davis partnership developed a clinical trial for cats with squamous cell carcinoma, opening potential treatment paths for humans
Personal Connection
The couple’s support for veterinary medicine began when their dog Angel received care at UC Davis after being diagnosed with lymphoma in 2018. That experience inspired their early support for clinical trials and the Joan Weill Translational Research Endowment.
“Angel’s care at UC Davis left a lasting impression on our family,” said Joan Weill. “The faculty clinician scientists are among the leading experts in the world at what they do, and supporting this extraordinary community is both meaningful and an honor.”
About the Weills
Joan and Sandy Weill have contributed more than $1.5 billion to educational, medical, and cultural institutions. Their gift to UC Davis brings their giving to the UC system to more than $500 million.
Sandy Weill served as chair and CEO of Citigroup and has been a member of the UC Davis Chancellor’s Board of Advisors since 2014. Joan Weill is chair emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Source
UC Davis Receives $120M Gift, Largest Ever to Veterinary Medicine — UC Davis News, January 30, 2026