Pomeroy yesterday announced her departure from Davis as vice chancellor for human health services and
dean of the medical school. In a telephone interview, she told the
California Stem Cell Report that she is examining a “few select
opportunities” to work at a national level on health reform and
health policy issues.

Pomeroy, 57, will be spending time in
Washington, D.C., working on health issues on behalf of the
University of California during the transition period before she
leaves her position in California.

Pomeroy came to UC Davis 10 years ago,
shortly before the Golden State's stem cell agency was created in
2004. At that time, UC Davis had what she called a “fledgling”
stem cell research effort. Today the school has chalked up $128 million in
grants from the stem cell agency, ranking fifth among institutions
funded by the agency.

She said that creation of the stem cell
agency “catalyzed development of our program,” which she said has
risen to “national prominence.”

Pomeroy's service on the stem cell
agency board was also instrumental in attracting a $100 million grant
from the Moore Foundation to start a new school of nursing at UC
Davis in 2009. Through her service on the board, she met Ed Penhoet,
who also served on the board and was one of the co-founders of Chiron
and then president of the Moore Foundation. Subsequently, Penhoet
called her for lunch to discuss her thoughts on nursing education,
and developments moved on from there.

The $100 million commitment was the
nation's largest grant for nursing education, according to the Moore Foundation.