Veterinary School’s 75th Anniversary Campaign Takes Prestigious National Award
View the campaign overview PDF.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s 75th anniversary communications campaign received “Grand Gold”—the highest honor—in the 2025 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sets the standard of excellence in everything it does, and this award reflects that.”
—Dean Mark Stetter
“The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sets the standard of excellence in everything it does, and this award reflects that,” said Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the school. “It was very rewarding to see our entire community coming together in celebration of our 75th anniversary. The excellent materials created by our communication team really helped broadcast our strong history and exciting future.”
Of the 640 institutions that entered the competition, 18 received the highest award, with 21 total Grand Gold awards handed out of 477 total awards. Grand Gold is an optional award level that the judges have the discretion to honor an entry they believe is “game changing.” Only 21 “Grand Gold” awards were given out of 4,460 nominations.
“The campaign combined storytelling, historical milestones, and community engagement,” the judges noted, “to highlight the school’s global impact and leadership in animal health.”
The communications campaign was built with the guidance of a launch committee composed of friends, faculty, students, staff, and Dean Emeritus Dr. Bennie Osburn, with backing from Dean Stetter. The campaign launched in May 2023 with a strategy to focus on the accomplishments of the past, then through the year’s celebrations, until finally turning to focus on the future. The two issues of Synergy magazine published during the anniversary reflected that, with themes of Honoring our Past and Envisioning the Future.
The whole attention of the school was focused on the anniversary, most obviously through giant building wraps that greeted visitors as they arrived on campus and entered the teaching hospital, but also through smaller items such as 75th anniversary pins and lanyards given away and worn by many throughout the school.
The effectiveness of the campaign was measured through before-and-after constituent surveys and the overall engagement with the social media, videos, and events.
A PDF that showcases the campaign is available on the 75th website. The CASE announcement can be found on its site.
The school’s communications team collaborated with individuals in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, SVM-IT Academic and Technology Services, UC Davis Library Archives and Special Collections, Repro Graphics and Strategic Communications to bring their vision to life.
In total, three UC Davis projects were awarded the highest honor of Grand Gold, more than any other institution. Learn more about the additional CASE award winners from UC Davis here.