Commitment to Diversity

“We are immensely grateful to Dr. Graham for her commitment to fostering diversity. Broadening diversity of our future veterinary leaders is integral to our mission as a world-class veterinary school.”

—Dean Mark Stetter

s one of the first African American women to earn her veterinary degree at UC Davis, Dr. Sylvia Graham ’79 is dedicated to fostering diversity in the next generation of veterinary leaders. 

Over a career spanning more than 40 years in small animal emergency medicine, Graham has given numerous presentations to elementary and high school students and mentored many preveterinary college students, especially those from underrepresented communities. She has also provided valuable job opportunities to pre-veterinary students, bolstering their skills and experience in small animal medicine, and involved veterinarians in specialty fields to offer mentorship in their respective areas. 

In 1997, Graham received the American Association of Veterinary Medical College’s distinguished Dr. Iverson Bell Award—recognizing individuals who embody his spirit of selfless commitment and who have contributed significantly to the promotion of diversity and the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in veterinary medicine

Graham’s first exposure to veterinary medicine occurred at age 7, when she and her mother brought their dog Cindy to a clinic with an injured paw. Graham remembers being surprised to learn that animals have their own doctors. “I was so impressed with the veterinarian and told him that one day I wanted to become one too,” Graham said. 
 

I was so impressed with the veterinarian and told him that one day I wanted to become one too.”

—Dr. Sylvia Graham (at age 7)

As a senior at Berkeley High School, Graham received valuable mentorship from her counselor Palmer Whittet, who recognized her as a bright student with great potential. He gave Graham a long list of careers in alphabetical order to consider. 

“As I came near the end of the list, I saw veterinarian, which reinforced my earlier interest,” Graham said. “I said, ‘That's it — I want to be a veterinarian.’" 

Whittet arranged for Graham to work as a technician at the Berkeley Humane Society. That experience solidified Graham’s decision, and she then set her sights on earning her degree at UC Davis.

After obtaining her DVM, Graham worked as a general practitioner for two years, served in emergency medicine for two decades, and eventually ran her own practice for 20 years. She still finds emergency medicine exciting and provides relief services to practices in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Graham founded the Association of Multicultural Veterinarians in 1998, which later became the Multicultural Veterinary Foundation.

Graham founded the Association of Multicultural Veterinarians in 1998, which later became the Multicultural Veterinary Foundation, whose mission is to promote veterinary medicine to underrepresented communities and to provide scholarships for veterinary students who serve those communities. The foundation has awarded scholarships to UC Davis veterinary students annually since 2004.
 

A scholarship recipient herself, Graham recognizes the impact these awards have in empowering students to fulfill their dreams.

A scholarship recipient herself, Graham recognizes the impact these awards have in empowering students to fulfill their dreams. In 2019, she established the Multicultural Veterinary Award at the school—a scholarship awarded to DVM students, with preference given to students who have an interest in promoting diversity in veterinary medicine and/or who are committed to promoting diversity in the communities they will serve in the future. 
 

“We are immensely grateful to Dr. Graham for her commitment to fostering diversity,” Dean Mark Stetter said. “Broadening diversity of our future veterinary leaders is integral to our mission as a world-class veterinary school.”