‘A brilliant medical innovator and a generous servant leader’
The Cal Aggie Alumni Association honors Sandra Reed (M.D., ‘85), a tireless UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis supporter, with its Lifetime Achievement Award
In March the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) announced the recipients of its 2024 Alumni Awards, an annual program that recognizes remarkable impacts made by alumni and friends of the university. The association, which serves more than 314,000 UC Davis graduates, has honored Sandra Reed, M.D., ’85, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s winners are leaders in technology, health care, civil advocacy and higher education. All have dedicated their time and resources to create life-changing opportunities for students at UC Davis and around the world.
Friends and colleagues describe Reed as a brilliant innovator in the medical field and one of the most generous servant leaders to UC Davis and beyond, the CAAA noted in its announcement. Reed retired as a Navy medical doctor, and had previously served as an officer in the Marine Corps — a rarity for the branch of the military where even four decades later, women would make up just 10% of officers.
Between those two stints in the military, she earned her M.D. at UC Davis in 1985. She then completed a residency in internal medicine at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield and later began a fellowship at the VA in Martinez. She left the fellowship to serve in the Navy, where she completed her training in pulmonary and critical care medicine. During her career as a Navy physician, she worked at military bases and medical centers throughout North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Helping students achieve their dreams has always been a priority for Reed, which is why she has supported the UC Davis School of Medicine with the Sandra L. Reed, M.D. Award, which provides scholarships to veterans who are at the top of their class. She is also a passionate supporter of the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, and gives regularly to the School of Veterinary Medicine “in gratitude for the four-legged companions who have enriched my life.”
Today Reed resides in Michigan, but still finds time to serve in volunteer leadership roles across the university. She chairs the UC Davis Health Campaign Board and is a member of the university’s Global Campaign Leadership Council. Reed also devotes her time as a trustee for the UC Davis Foundation. She previously served on the board of directors for the UC Davis School of Medicine Alumni Association.
The 51st Alumni Awards gala was scheduled for Thursday, May 2.
“This year’s honorees are shining examples of how people can find their greatest fulfillment when they pursue their passions,” said Dana Allen, assistant vice chancellor and executive director of CAAA. “Their collective impacts have greatly served our campus, state, country and the world. We are excited to honor them and thank them for their roles in growing our abundant Aggie Pride.”
