Awards

Dr. Camilo Jaramillo Morales, a recent graduate of the UC Davis Pharmacology/Toxicology graduate group (PhD) and member of the lab of Dr. Heather Knych, was awarded the 2026 Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal Open Award for the paper, "Vonoprazan pharmacokinetics and effects on gastric pH following administration to fed and fasted horses". The report was co-authored by Benjamin W. Sykes, Daniel S. McKemie, Philip H. Kass and Heather K.

The American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) annual convention was held recently in Indianapolis, and Dr. Fauna Smith was recognized with the inaugural Innovation in ADGA Leadership Award.

The new award celebrates vision, dedication, and innovation. It recognizes ADGA members ages 25–49 who demonstrate leadership early in their dairy goat careers through service to the ADGA, participation in its programs, and meaningful contributions to education, outreach, or mentorship.

The Veterinary Genetics Lab, led by Professor Rebecca Bellone, is this year’s Lab Safety Award winner in the Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Each year, more than 980 UC Davis laboratories participate in the lab safety review program, run by EH&S, which feeds into the Lab Safety Awards.

The Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service recently attended the Veterinary Dental Forum (VDF), the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

Dr. David Guzman, chief of the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital’s (VMTH) Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service, was recently named the T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year. Dr.

Dr. Rachel Hanford, a third-year resident in medical oncology received the Edward L. Gillette Memorial Award for Outstanding Research Poster Presentation, presented recently at the annual Veterinary Cancer Society Conference. 

Dr. Heather Knych and her team at the Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory were recently awarded the 2025 Dechra Analgesia Prize from the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. The team was recognized for their publication, “The impact of transdermal application site on pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamics of buprenorphine in horses” in the journal Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (VAA). 

The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) recently acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its staff members with the annual VMTH Staff Excellence Awards. Chief Veterinary Medical Officer Dr. Michael Mison presented the awards.

The VMTH Staff Excellence Awards are divided into these categories:

UC Davis veterinary orthopedic surgeon Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little has been named the recipient of the 2026 Alan Ruggles Educator Award given by AO North America (AO NA). Presented recently at the annual OneAO event in Tampa, the award was one of several Educator Awards, honoring outstanding educators for their extraordinary contributions to medical education.

Dr. Adriana Garzon, a third-year resident in the Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction Service, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 American Association of Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC) Resident Award. The recognition is given annually to a resident in their final year of training who has achieved a high degree of excellence in their chosen specialty.