Our Team

Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education
The CVPE is committed to “lifelong learning” programs.

General CE Inquiry: [email protected]
Located at:
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education
944 Garrod Dr
Davis, CA  95616

• DIRECTOR
  Jane Sykes, BVSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, MPH, DACVIM (SAIM), FACVIM (Founding)
  [email protected] | Faculty page

• Dr. Sykes is the director of the Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education. She received her veterinary degree (1993) and a PhD (1998) in veterinary microbiology from the University of Melbourne (Australia). She completed her residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Minnesota and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Sykes stayed on at Minnesota as a clinical faculty member before coming to UC Davis in 2002. Her leadership roles at UC Davis have included chief of the Internal Medicine Service, biosecurity officer of the Small Animal Clinic, director of the Small Animal Clinic, and chief veterinary medical officer of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Dr. Sykes holds a MBA (2020) from the University of Georgia Terry School of Business and a Graduate Certificate in Public Health (2022) from Kansas State University. She specializes in infectious diseases of dogs and cats, and in diseases that result from abnormalities in the immune system. 

• PROGRAM MANAGER
  Melissa Bartholomew MS, RVT
  [email protected]
  Office: (530) 752-9461

• Melissa Bartholomew is the Program Manager for the Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Her primary role is to develop, manage and oversee educational programs. Melissa is also the central point of contact and can guide programmatic, research, and philanthropic collaborations. Prior to this role, she has been in the Veterinary Medical profession for over 20 years and most recently was the Manager of Small Animal Internal Medicine and Community Practice Services at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Melissa is a Registered Veterinary Technician and holds a MS in Education Technology from DeVry University, as well as a BS in Animal Science from UC Davis.

• PROGRAM COORDINATOR
  Sarah Her
  [email protected]
  Office: (530) 752-3905

• Sarah Her is the Program Coordinator for the Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Her primary role is to organize the educational programs and is an essential contact to those who have questions about the current and upcoming programs. Prior to this role, she worked with students with developmental disabilities in Southern California. Sarah holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. You can find Sarah and her cat Artemis on various hiking adventures.

• STUDENT ASSISTANT
  Chiara Villanueva

• Chiara Villanueva is a Student Assistant for the Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, where she helps support the team with a variety of projects and tasks. Prior to this role, she interned at an animal hospital in Southern California, where she gained experience in animal restraint and learned more about the collaborative work that goes into providing veterinary care. Chiara is currently pursuing a B.S. in Animal Science at UC Davis. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing volleyball, and watching movies.

• STUDENT ASSISTANT
  Jayne Norris

• Jayne Norris is a student assistant for the Center for Veterinary Postgraduate Education at UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. She is currently pursuing a BS in Animal Science and Management at UC Davis.