School Advancement Team Earns Three International Awards
The UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine’s Advancement team has earned three 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), receiving international recognition for the integrated fundraising and communications campaign behind the public launch of the school's Limitless Campaign to expand the Veterinary Medical Complex. The honors include a Silver Award for Marketing: Fundraising Micro-sites and Bronze Awards for Fundraising and Stewardship: Short Video and Special Events: In-Person Single-Day Events.
The CASE Circle of Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievement in advancement, fundraising, communications and marketing at educational institutions around the world. Receiving three awards for a single campaign highlights the success of a coordinated strategy that combined compelling storytelling, donor engagement, and memorable experiences to inspire philanthropic support. This year, 628 institutions in 33 countries submitted 4,185 entries for consideration across 93 award categories.
Lee Ann Jansen, the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine's Assistant Dean of Advancement, noted that these awards were highly competitive, expressing her gratitude for the team's efforts. "Many thanks to the entire team for bringing this vision to life," she said. "These awards are a reflection of the imagination, innovation, and impact that this campaign seeks to have in transforming our world."
The Veterinary Medical Complex expansion is increasing the school's capacity for clinical care, veterinary education, and research that benefits animals, people, and the environment. The campaign launched with “Limitless” themed events on September 18 that hosted more than 250 people.
For the launch, the advancement team led by Executive Director of Development Sasha Wirth and Associate Director of Development Communications Amanda Price created a comprehensive campaign that included messaging, donor communications, marketing materials, videos, a dedicated Limitless microsite, and a day of celebratory events. The launch exceeded expectations, inspiring several donors to increase previously planned gifts and generating more than $20 million in additional philanthropic commitments.
The campaign's Silver Award recognized the Limitless fundraising microsite, which serves as the digital hub for the public campaign. CASE judges praised its "strong use of dynamic photography and video to create a compelling storytelling experience," noting that the multimedia elements worked together to create an engaging and emotionally resonant connection with audiences.
The Bronze Award for Fundraising and Stewardship: Short Video honored a campaign video created by Senior Producer Vu Dao that illustrated how the expanded Veterinary Medical Complex will enable UC Davis to educate more veterinarians, expand access to advanced clinical care, and accelerate research that improves the health of animals and people.
Judges commended the video for its "meaningful storytelling and clear connection to institutional mission and impact," adding that it effectively demonstrated how the school continues to serve its community despite current facility limitations while presenting "an inspiring vision for future growth and opportunity."
The campaign's third honor, a Bronze Award for Special Events: In-Person Single-Day Events, recognized the public launch celebration held in the UC Davis Arboretum, managed by Samantha Campbell. Planned in just 12 weeks, the event (one of three) welcomed 162 guests, including donors, alumni, faculty, university leadership, elected officials, and members of the Dean's Leadership Council. The celebration also marked the opening of the new All-Species Imaging Center, an early milestone in the Veterinary Medical Complex expansion.
The outdoor event featured architectural renderings of the future complex, a 16-foot LED video wall, and the premiere of a campaign video narrated by actor and grateful client Renée Zellweger. CASE judges described the event as "well thought-through" with "a clear focus on storytelling, place, and future impact," praising how the venue, visuals, and program brought the school's vision to life.
The winning entries can be seen on the CASE 2026 Circle of Excellence Award site.