John P. Hughes Endowed Chair
The John P. Hughes Endowed was established by gifts from members of the Industry Advisory Board of The Equine Research Laboratory (now the Center for Equine Health); the Oak Tree Racing Association; the School of Veterinary Medicine; individual faculty, staff, and community members of UC Davis; and other leading horse enthusiasts from across the state and nation. The Chair is expected to be a leader in equine reproduction in scholarly activities, teaching, and service.
Prof. John P. Hughes
Dr. John Hughes was born in Madera County, California, earned his veterinary degree (DVM) from Kansas State University in 1949, and returned to Madera County to work in mixed large‑animal practice around the time the School of Veterinary Medicine was founded at UC Davis. He joined the UC Davis faculty in 1956 and subsequently served as Chief of the Ambulatory Clinic (1965–1971), Chair of the Department of Reproduction (1978–1984), Chief of Equine Reproduction (1979–1991), and Director of the Equine Research Laboratory (known as the Center for Equine Health ;1980–1995), the Genetics and Serology Laboratory (1981–1992), and the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (1992–1997). An academic leader whose influence extended well beyond Davis, Dr. Hughes was a founding member of the International Equine Reproduction Symposia (ISER) Committee and a founding Trustee of the International Equine Reproduction Trust, organizations that established the quadrennial symposia now regarded as the premier international forum for equine reproductive science. A charter member of the American College of Theriogenologists (ACT), he helped frame the training of generations of reproductive specialists. Collaborating with eminent endocrinologists Ira Geschwind, Bob Loy, and his long‑time colleague George Stabenfeldt, he mapped the endocrinology of the mare’s ovarian cycle and pregnancy, delineated stallion endocrine physiology, and characterized reproductive pathologies that cause infertility—work that still underpins diagnostic and therapeutic practice in equine theriogenology. His legacy endures through the many trainees who now serve the equine industry worldwide and through the John P. Hughes Endowed Chair in Equine Reproduction, established in the mid‑1990s as the first endowed chair in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to continue advancing equine reproductive research.
In 2025, Dr. Pouya Dini has been appointed by Chancellor May as the John P. Hughes Endowed Chair in Equine Reproduction.
Previous Recipients
Barry Ball, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT
John P. Hughes Endowed Chair, 1996-2010
Alan Conley, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACT
John P. Hughes Endowed Chair, 2016-2024