Dr. Woutrina Smith is honored with the 2026 Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award for her leadership in global health.
Smith received her doctorate in veterinary medicine, masters in preventive veterinary medicine and doctoral degrees at UC Davis (2000).
Smith leads the Rx One Health Field Institute as a two-week experiential learning field course that brings together 30 young professionals from around the world to collaborate on One Health solutions (Beckwourth, CA).
It all started with the frogs. During a Pomona College study away trip her junior year, Dr. Woutrina Smith ’96 remembers sitting on the veranda of a house in Yungaburra, Australia, eating dinner with friends from other colleges around the world and listening to amphibian songs.
Across a wide-ranging, global career integrating animal, human and environmental health, Smith says that experience continues to stand out.
“Pomona was a very safe, interesting place to try new ideas and to explore new possibilities — whether that was in the classroom or studying abroad,” Smith says. “My semester in Australia really kindled my passion for veterinary medicine and ecology.”
Today, Smith is associate dean of global programs and a professor of infectious disease epidemiology for the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also a prominent champion of One Health, an approach that recognizes the growing connections among the health of animals, people, plants and the environment. The concept encourages transdisciplinary problem solving to address complex challenges related to populations and planetary health.
Smith is being honored with the Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 2009, which recognizes individuals for their high achievement in their professions or community service.
“Coming back to Pomona to receive this award is a great honor,” Smith says. “It’s a chance to pay tribute to the friends and faculty who sparked my curiosity for how the world works —and how we can make it a better place, each in our own way.”
“Making friends from around the world, taking classes that exposed me to new amazing ideas, respecting diverse perspectives and traveling to see the beauty of nature and the magical world we live in…Pomona gave me the confidence to try new things, to be resilient and to commit to excellence in everything I do,” Smith says.
Smith, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, has been recognized internationally for her globally impactful research spanning One Health, molecular epidemiology and infectious diseases. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Defense and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Smith was recently appointed executive director of the UC Davis One Health Institute. Previously, she served as director of the USAID One Health Workforce-Next Generation Project and concurrently as co-director of the Planetary Health Center of Expertise for the UC Global Health Institute. She received her doctorate in veterinary medicine, masters in preventive veterinary medicine and doctoral degrees at UC Davis.
“The programs she leads range from infectious disease research — her area of expertise — to disaster response efforts such as animal evacuation and care during California wildfires, to international conservation and global health initiatives, including work in East Africa and Southeast Asia,” says former classmate Kristina Lott ’96, who nominated Smith for the Blaisdell award.
In preparing her nomination, Lott interviewed one of Smith’s current colleagues at UC Davis. They shared that Smith is ‘a true leader of really smart and talented people,’ with an exceptional ability to bring individuals together around a shared vision and turning it into meaningful, lasting programs. Former students and mentees often speak of Smith’s generosity, compassion and commitment to their growth.
In many ways, that same spirit echoes her time at Pomona where her fondest memories are the ones she made with friends. From crowding into a Harwood residence hall room to hang out with friends during the first week of classes, to piling into college-sanctioned vans for long road trips with her Pomona-Pitzer tennis and soccer teammates — Smith was a team captain for both — her undergraduate days were especially meaningful.
“The deep friendships that you kindle can help you float across the ups and downs of life in a more resilient way,” she says.
Visit our website to read about the 2026 Pomona College alumni award honorees.