Joseph Silva, Jr. has led the UC Davis School of Medicine as its dean for more than seven years and, before that, oversaw the school's largest department, Internal Medicine, for 15 years. The legacy he leaves when he steps down Feb. 1, 2005, is far-reaching and lasting. Under his leadership, the school saw 116 percent increase in total annualized grant and contract support. He positioned the school among the top 50 medical research schools in the nation, as ranked by U.S.News & World Report, while maintaining its long-held ranking as one of the nation's top 20 primary care medical schools. He achieved the ambitious goal of earning NCI designation for the UC Davis Cancer Center and initiated the master's of public health program.

He provided strong leadership in achieving diversity among School of Medicine faculty, staff and trainees resulting in significant ethnic and gender diversity. The list goes on, but for many of our alumni, Dean Silva is best known as a popular teacher who has trained a whole generation of physicians for the region and the nation. Dean Silva will continue to work on behalf of the school in raising critically needed funds for the school's new education building and other projects. Thank you, Dean Silva, for all your past contributions and the ones yet to come.