Jane Sykes, interim director of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for the last year, has been appointed to a five-year term in the same position, only with a new title: chief veterinary medical officer.

Sykes succeeded David Wilson as the hospital leader when he became the director of facilities planning in conjunction with the School of Veterinary Medicine’s envisioning of a state-of-the-art Veterinary Medical Center.

As the chief veterinary medical officer, Sykes has administrative responsibility for the management and fiscal integrity of the hospital, ensuring the academic quality of the clinical learning environment for veterinary students and house officers, and the provision of clinical care and operational efficiency of all academic and clinical service activities. She is also responsible for ensuring the ethical and professional conduct of the nearly 500 hospital faculty and staff members, compliance with the California Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, and creating a culture of inclusion in support of diversity that embraces the UC Davis Principles of Community. She reports directly to Michael Lairmore, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

“I am so thrilled to support our team of talented and caring clinicians, staff and students to bring cutting-edge veterinary care to animal owners throughout California and beyond,” Sykes said. “As our new Veterinary Medical Center becomes a reality, I have no doubt that we will be able to accelerate the rate we make medical breakthroughs and dramatically improve the health and well-being of animals.”

Sykes is a board-certified veterinarian (internal medicine) with a research focus in infectious diseases of small animals. She has been a faculty member at UC Davis since 2002, and has previously served the hospital as chief of the Internal Medicine Service, infectious disease control officer and director of the Small Animal Clinic.

Read the complete news release.

New Bike Program Coordinator Named

Transportation Services Director Cliff Contreras announced this week the appointment of Tim Bustos as the new coordinator of the campus’s Bicycle Program. Bustos is no stranger to Davis, having served in a similar capacity for the city for 12 years.

"I feel like I’m closing the loop to come back to see how everything has worked out," Bustos said. "I look forward to that opportunity to ride around the campus see what’s changed and see what’s working really well."

“Tim has extensive experience in sustainable transportation planning and management, including work as a private consultant, working with transportation engineering firms, and most recently as executive director of the Florida Bicycle Association, the Sunshine State’s cycling advocacy organization,” Contreras said.

Bustos served as bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the city of Davis from 1994 to 2006, and during his tenure the city was the first in the nation to be certified as a platinum Bicycle-Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

The Bicycle Program coordinator is responsible for all things cycling-related, like how bicycles get around campus, where and how they park, and more. 

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