Staff Spotlight

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

Throughout his academic career, Raffi Miranda was always a non-traditional student, studying part-time while in community college and completing an Animal Science degree at UC Davis. So, it’s not out of the ordinary for him to be on a non-traditional path to veterinary school.

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

As early as he can remember, Gabe Gil has been around horses and had a passion for them. As a small child in Mexico, he would help his family working with equines as field and transport animals. At 15, Gil worked at a horse racing farm—breeding, training, and even racing the horses. That is when his passion for them truly began. However, obligations with his education and family would delay Gil’s ability to make the animals his career.

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

Growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, John Kirby was always around animals, be it his dogs, the wildlife surrounding him, or at the nearby horse ranch where he worked. One of his father’s close friends was the late Dr. Gerald Heagerty, DVM ’64, who showed Kirby behind-the-scenes activities at his clinic. This was where his first thoughts about a career in veterinary medicine began.

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

“The average career length of a veterinary technician is about six years,” said Jody Nugent-Deal, a long-time registered veterinary technician (RVT) at UC Davis. “It’s a shame to see so many talented technicians leave the profession. I want them to realize that there are many avenues they can pursue to improve and lengthen their careers, especially at a place as large as our hospital with so many positions available.”

Jonna Mazet arrived at UC Davis as an undergraduate curious about veterinary medicine in 1986, and is retiring four decades of groundbreaking campus initiatives later, having built a legacy of cross-discipline innovation on global health problem-solving, particularly regarding emerging infectious diseases and conservation challenges.

"I am always motivated by the excellence, innovation and the collaborative spirit at UC Davis," she said.

In recent decades, the global landscape of health has shifted dramatically. Pandemics, climate change, food insecurity and emerging zoonotic diseases have highlighted intricate connections between animals, humans and the environment, underscoring the fact that veterinary medicine is not just about the care of animals — it is essential to the health of people and the planet.