The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

“We are so proud to receive this award,” said Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the school. “UC Davis is known as one of the top veterinary programs in the world. To obtain and maintain that recognition, we lead with progressive, innovative, and impactful initiatives that bring the best students from all backgrounds to the school.”

California is a diverse state, but the veterinary profession generally does not reflect the state’s demographics. Insight Into Diversity magazine selected UC Davis because of its programs designed to introduce students from low-income and rural areas to the veterinary profession, and to create a welcoming, supportive environment.

The school’s efforts have been paying off. The school welcomed 150 students of the Class of 2028 in the annual White Coat Ceremony on Friday, August 16. A record high 58% of the incoming class are first generation college students with a 29% increase in Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) students (Hispanic/ Latino, African American, and American Indian/Alaska Native) over last year, making this the school’s most diverse class to date. Approximately 89% of the class are students from California.

In addition to encouraging students from all backgrounds to apply and become members of the veterinary profession, UC Davis lowers the barrier to entry by being one of the schools in the nation graduating students with the lowest debt. A combination of return-to-aid of tuition and fees and a donor-funded endowment of $120 million keeps the school affordable to all applicants.

“The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”

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For more information about the 2024 Health Professions HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

For more information about the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, visit VetMed.UCDavis.edu.

Media Contact: 
Monae Roberts
Chief Diversity Officer, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
dmroberts@ucdavis.edu

About the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has more than 700 students pursuing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and other professional and graduate degrees, and offers the nation's largest veterinarian residency program with more than 40 specialties. More than $89 million in annual research funding is applied to benefit animal, human and planetary health. The school has around 50 clinical trials available at any given time to clients looking for cutting-edge care choices for their animals. The school's hospital treats more than 50,000 patients each year, and the school's programs extend across California and globally. The school is ranked #1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

About Insight Into Diversity
Insight Into Diversity magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in higher education. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top DEI programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance DEI initiatives at their institutions. To further our mission, we created the Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2012. The HEED Award — including the more targeted Insight Into Diversity Health Professions, Law School, and Community College HEED Awards — is the only national honor to recognize institutions of higher education for their outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Current, archived, and digital issues of Insight Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.