03-19-07

CVM This Week
March 19, 2007

CVM This Week is a weekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Please submit news and calendar items for next week's issue to Sue Kirchoff, editor, at kirch004@umn.edu before noon Thursday. To view CVM This Week as a Web page and access back issues, go to         http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/publications/cvmthisweek/home.html.

In this issue

• College news

• • Hayloft opens today

  • Points of Pride Research Days are Tuesday and Wednesday

  • Conference on family violence and animal abuse planned for March 29

  • Donor to match gifts to The Raptor Center

  • Veterinary Student Supply to offer discount, sponsor book fairs

  • The College is cleaning up!

  • Support the U Day is March 28

• Calendar

• Media news

• Faculty and staff news

• Student news

• Morris Animal Foundation awards grants to Frantz and Tauer

• AASV awards scholarships to five students

• Research news

• • Learn how to write a winning grant proposal

  • AHC offers scientific writing classes

  • Clinical studies currently enrolling in the VMC

• Links

College news (top)

Hayloft opens today
The Hayloft, the new cafeteria in the Ben Pomeroy Student-Alumni Learning Center, is scheduled to open today. University Dining Services will have soups, salads, sandwiches, and a variety of hot and cold beverages for sale. Initial serving hours will be 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, but the hours may be adjusted depending on demand.

Points of Pride Research Days are Tuesday and Wednesday
Several years ago the College created the annual Points of Pride Research Days event to celebrate the collegiate research program. This event draws attention to and honors the individuals who spend so much of their time performing research within the College and the research partners who make much of this work possible. The 2007 Points of Pride Research Days will be held March 20 and 21.

Tuesday's program is devoted to a poster competition in the lobby of the Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine building. This event allows students, post-doctorals, and residents to showcase and present their research. Judging will take place from 3:30-5 p.m.

On Wednesday, the 2007 Distinguished Research Alumnus, Dr. Thomas Besser, will present the  seminar “Pre-harvest Food Safety and E. Coli 0157:H7: New Answers Raise New Questions” at 3 p.m. in 125 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine. Pfizer Animal Health will be named the 2007 Distinguished Research Partner, Dr. Scott Dee will receive the 2007 Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, and Best Poster awards will be presented. A reception follows in the lobby of the Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine Building.

Conference on family violence and animal abuse planned for March 29
Building a Bridge of Hope: Interdisciplinary Conference on Family Violence and Animal Abuse is scheduled for March 29 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center. This conference, co-sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Partners for Violence Prevention, and American Humane Association, grew out of conversations between Social Work Services staff and community services practitioners about the need to educate public health professionals about the connections between animal cruelty and other forms of family violence. This is the first conference of its kind in the country, featuring experts from veterinary medicine, mental health, law, and animal welfare. For more information about the conference, visit www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/bridge.html. Six CE credits are available for veterinary professionals, and the conference is only $40 for CVM/VMC faculty and staff and $20 for CVM students.

Donor to match gifts to The Raptor Center
Great news: All 2007 gifts of $1 to $999 to The Raptor Center will be matched by the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the St. Paul Foundation.

"With the help of our supporters and this generous matching grant, The Raptor Center can double its impact on many pressing health concerns facing raptors, such as lead poisoning of bald eagles and other wildlife," says Dr. Julia Ponder, director. To make a gift online, go to https://www.foundation.umn.edu/pls/dmsn/online_giving.frames_broker?owner=rrc

Veterinary Student Supply to offer discount, sponsor book fairs
On Tuesday, March 27, and Wednesday, March 28, Veterinary Student Supply (VSS) will be offering a 10 percent discount on Blackwell (formerly Iowa State Press and Lippincott) titles. A table with a sampling of Blackwell titles will be set up outside VSS. Catalogs will be distributed this week; VSS will order any Blackwell title you wish to review. VSS will be also be sponsoring two book fairs  this spring. Elsevier (Saunders and Mosby) will be in the Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine lobby April 3 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

The College is cleaning up!
In preparation for the American Veterinary Medical Association accreditation team visit on April 15-19, the CVM Health and Safety Committee is offering two cleanup opportunities:

Tuesday, March 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Chemical Cleanup Day
Unneeded and outdated chemicals may be brought to E 210 Diagnostic Laboratory for proper disposal. Please note: These items must be properly packaged and manifested according to U of M policy. If you missed the March 6 waste disposal seminar or who need a refresher, go to www.dehs.umn.edu/hwd/guidebook/guidebook4.html.

April 2-6: Equipment and furniture clean-out week
Obsolete, broken, no-longer-needed furnishings and equipment will be removed from CVM premises and taken to the U of M Recycling Center or Como Yard. (This does not include chemicals, biologicals, and other hazardous materials.) Start planning now to take advantage of this opportunity. Department offices will be provided with a supply of identifying tags to place on items they would like to dispose of. Items so identified will be removed during the week of April 2. More details will follow by the end of the month.

Support the U Day is March 28
Students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff are invited to attend a "Support the U" rally at the State Capitol on March 28. Free lunch and transportation will be available for all participants. The schedule of events:

Noon: Rally at Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
12:45 p.m.: Free lunch in the Great Hall, Minnesota State Capitol
1:00 p.m.: Meetings with legislators (optional)

Shuttle bus schedule:
Depart Coffman: 11:00, 11:40, 12:10
Depart St. Paul Student Center: 11:40
Depart Capitol for Coffman: 1:00, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15
Depart Capitol for St. Paul Student Center: 1:00, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15

Register online at www.supporttheU.umn.edu. If you have questions, contact Emily Johnston at 612-625-8739 or john5091@umn.edu.

Calendar (top)

Monday, March 19

The Hay Loft, the new cafeteria in the Ben Pomeroy Student-Alumni Learning Center, is scheduled to open today. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 

New Employee Orientation
8:30 a.m.-noon
458 Veterinary Medical Center

Tuesday, March 20

CVM Chemical Cleanup Day
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Unneeded and outdated chemicals may be brought to E 210 Diagnostic Laboratory for proper disposal.
Please note: These items must be properly packaged and manifested according to U of M policy. If you missed the March 6 waste disposal seminar or who need a refresher, go to www.dehs.umn.edu/hwd/guidebook/guidebook4.html.

Graduate Seminar in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences
Transcriptional Role of Iron-Dependent Regulator Protein (IdeR) of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis 
Presented by Dr. Harish Janagama
Advisor: Dr. Srinand Sreevatsan
Noon-1 p.m.
215 Veterinary Science
Contact: Dr. Mark Rutherford, ruthe003@umn.edu or 612-625-4281

Equine Club/International Veterinary Student Association Seminar
Fast Horses in the Land of the Blue Sky: Veterinary Medicine in the Mongolian Countryside
Presented by Jen Selvig
Noon-1 p.m.
135 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine
Snacks provided

Points of Pride Research Days Poster Judging
3:30-5:00 p.m.
Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine

Wednesday March 21

Points of Pride Research Days Distinguished Alumni Seminar
Pre-Harvest Food Safety and E. coli O157:H7: New Answers Raise New Questions
Presented by Dr. Thomas Besser, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Hosted by Richard Isaacson
3 p.m.
125 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine
The seminar will be followed by an announcement of the winners of the Distinguished Research Partner Award, Pfizer Award for Research Excellence, and Research Days poster competition.

Points of Pride Research Days Reception
To follow seminar and awards presentation
Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine Lobby

Thursday, March 22

Veterinary Clinical Sciences Grand Rounds

• Half-Body Irradiation, presented by Dr. Brian Husbands

• Microsatellite Instability, presented by Dr. Andrea Sotirakopoulous

8 a.m.
125 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine

Friday, March 23

Large Animal Grand Rounds
Presented by Zahn, Scott
8 a.m.
215 Veterinary Science

College-wide Personal and Professional Development Time
Noon-1 p.m.

CVM Teaching Seminar
Notes from the Front Lines: Active Lecturing Versus Traditional Format in Introductory Biology
Presented by Dr. Sehoya Cotner, assistant professor of teaching in the Biology Program
The seminar will include:

• What is active learning?

• Why don't most instructors use active lecturing?

• What are the supposed advantages of active lecturing?

• Exciting new results from a quasi-experimental test involving Biology 1001 (Fall 2006), 2 instructors, 550 students, and lots of ZipLocs

• Take-home messages and future plans

Noon-1 p.m.
280 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Coffee and cookies will be served.

International Programs Lunchtime Seminar
Veterinary Medicine in South Africa: Three Perspectives
Presented by Emmy Hartman, Tricia Munroe, and Krista Osmundson
Noon-1 p.m.
135 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine
Snacks provided

What's ahead

Senior Send-off: March 27, noon-1:30 p.m., McNamara Alumni Center. Members of the Classes of 2007 – undergraduate and graduate – are invited to celebrate their upcoming graduation at this free event. Students can register online at www.alumni.umn.edu/sendoff and receive a complimentary one-year alumni association membership. For more information, contact Susan Zarambo at 612-625-9180 or zaram006@umn.edu.

Support the U Day at the State Capitol: March 28. Rally at noon, free lunch at 12:45 p.m., optional meetings with legislators at 1 p.m. Shuttle departs St. Paul Student Center at 11:40 a.m. Register online at www.supporttheU.umn.edu.
Questions, call Emily Johnston at 612-625-8739 or john5091@umn.edu.

Building a Bridge of Hope: Interdiscipinary Conference on Family Violence and Animal Abuse: March 29, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Continuing Education and Conference Center. For more information, go to www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/bridge.html.

Upper Mississippi Veterinary Pathology Conference: March 30-31, 280 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. For more information, go to  www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/umvpc.html.

CVM Open House: April 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/events/home.html.

Elseview (Saunders and Mosby) Book Fair: April 3, 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine lobby. Sponsored by Veterinary Student Supply.

Write Winning Grants workshop: April 5, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Metrodome. For details and to register, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/ocr/writewinninggrants/home.html. 

Mather Lecture - Management of Toxicosis Requiring Hospitalization: a Case-Based Presentation, presented by Dr. Kelly Hall: April 5, 7:00-8:30 p.m., 135 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine. For more information about the Mather Lecture Series, go to www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/mather.html.

Pet First Aid: April 10, 6-10 a.m. For more information, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/events/home.html.

Scientific Writing Development Series-Tackling the Writing Process: April 13, 1-450G Moos Tower. Registration is required at    https://intranet.ahc.umn.edu/ocr/writing/registration.html.

• Go to the Academic Health Center's calendar of events.

• Go to the University of Minnesota campus events calendar.

Media news (top)

Dr. Mike Conzemius was quoted on the topic of knee replacement surgery for dogs in the March 11 issue of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The article is online at www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/business/16872085.htm

Faculty and staff news (top)

In recognition of his dedicated service and duty to the poultry industry, Dr. K.V. Nagaraja of the Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Department was presented with the Meritorious Service Award at the North Central Avian Disease Conference in St. Paul on March 11. Congratulations, Dr. Nagaraja!

Greg Hansen, a certified veterinary technician at The Raptor Center, presented “Recent Trends in Raptor Rehabilitation” at the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association annual symposium in Chicago, Illinois, March 18.

Student news (top)

Morris Animal Foundation awards grants to Frantz and Tauer
The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has approved Veterinary Student Scholar proposals in the amount of $4,000 to Aric Frantz for the project "Characterization of Dog and Swine Multi-Potent Adult Progenitor Cells" and Aubrey Tauer for "Antibiotic Resistance in Water Sources Common to Humans, Domestic Animals, and Mountain Gorillas." All recipients of MAF Veterinary Student Scholar awards are invited to present their posters at the foundation's annual meeting in Boulder, Colorado, in June 2008 -- with travel expenses paid by MAF. Congratulations, Aric and Aubrey!

AASV awards scholarships to five students
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students during the AASV annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, March 3-6. Additional scholarships totaling $20,000 were provided by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation on behalf of Elanco Animal Health. The recipients included five CVM students --

• Jenny Cho-MacSwain, who received a $2,500 scholarship
• Carissa Schloesser, who received a $1,500 scholarship
• Matt Allerson, Laura Bruner, and Nathan Schaefer, who received $500 scholarships

Twenty-five students representing 10 universities submitted abstracts for consideration. From those submissions, 15 students were selected to present during the annual meeting. Judges representing private practice, higher education, and industry selected the recipients on the basis of communications skills in the writing of the abstract and the presentation of the case report, and on applicability of the research to swine medicine.

Research news (top)

Don't miss Points of Pride Research Days March 20-21!

Learn how to write a winning grant proposal
Designed for faculty and research staff involved in clinical and translational research, the day-long workshop "Write Winning Grants" offers detailed guidance on all aspects of grant proposal writing, focusing on the National Institutes of Health. The workshop will be Thursday, April 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Metrodome (West Bank campus). The registration fee is $35. For details and to register, go to www.ahc.umn.edu/ocr/writewinninggrants/home.html.  Registration is limited to 100 participants and is expected to fill quickly.

AHC offers scientific writing classes
The AHC Office of Clinical Research is sponsoring a free Scientific Writing Development Series consisting of four one-hour sessions on consecutive Fridays from April 13 through May 4, from noon to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided.  Organizers include editors and writers from the Departments of Surgery and Family Medicine, the Office of Clinical Research, the College of Veterinary Medicine (Karin Matchett), and the Department of Rhetoric.

Topics will be:

• Tackling the writing process (April 13)
• Anatomy of a manuscript (April 20)
• Writing effective introductions and abstracts (April 27)
• Responding to reviewer comments (May 4)

Clinical studies underway in the VMC
For a list of clinical studies currently enrolling in the Veterinary Medical Center, visit the Clinical Investigation Center Web site at http://www.cvm.umn.edu/cic/current.

Links (top)

CVM This Week
Back issues of CVM This Week, from June 2004 to today's issue, are at              http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/publications/cvmthisweek/home.html.

Hills pet food distribution program
For more information about the Hill's Pet Food Distribution program, contact Melissa Caid at caid0002@umn.edu or Jaime Nett at nett0049@umn.edu.

Housing
For information about student and off-campus housing, including a housing and roommate search service, go to http://www.housing.umn.edu/.

Job openings
For information about positions available at the College, visit  www.cvm.umn.edu/About/HumanResources/Employment  /. For detailed information about current job openings, how to apply, and application materials, go to the University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources at http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/index.html.

The VMC Pulse
Issues are available online by logging in at  http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vmc/staffresources/Pulse.html.

Veterinary conferences
Dates, places, and links for national and international veterinary conferences are on the College Web site at              http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/conferences/home.html.

Veterinary Medical Library
For information about the Veterinary Medical Library, including new acquisitions, visit http://www.vetmed.lib.umn.edu/news.

Veterinary Practice News
Did you know that you can get a free subscription? Subscribe (or renew) online at www.vetpracticenews.com.

CVM This Week is a weekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Please submit news and calendar items for next week's issue to Sue Kirchoff, editor, at kirch004@umn.edu before noon Thursday.

The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer.