College establishes Osborne/Hill's Chair

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Contact: Jan Williams, College of Veterinary Medicine, 612-624-6228

College of Veterinary Medicine establishes Osborne/Hill's Chair in Nephrology and Urology

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (June 18, 2007) - The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine has established the Osborne/Hill’s Chair in Nephrology and Urology in honor of Dr. Carl Osborne, a leading authority in veterinary urology and longtime professor at the College. Dr. Jeffrey S. Klausner, dean, announced that the endowed chair was fully funded at the College’s annual alumni reunion on June 2. “Seldom in a lifetime does one work with a scientist who is as well-respected internationally as he is locally,” Dean Klausner said. “Thanks to the financial support of Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. and more than 450 donors, the college has raised $2 million, the amount needed to endow a permanent legacy in Dr. Osborne’s honor.” Dr. Osborne joined the College of Veterinary Medicine as an instructor shortly after receiving his D.V.M. from Purdue University in 1964. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1970 and became a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1972.

Dr. Carl Osborne

In 1981, he founded the Minnesota Urolith Center, which investigates the causes, treatment, and prevention of urolithiasis, a condition in which crystals in the urine combine to form stones. Since its inception, the Urolith Center has analyzed more than 280,000 urinary stones from more than 70 species of companion, farm, and wild animals. Hill’s Pet Nutrition has been a partner in this work for over two decades, supporting more than 100 research projects and providing graduate student salary support in addition to contributing to the establishment of the Osborne/Hill’s Chair.

Dr. Osborne’s research and teaching on the causes and treatment of urinary tract diseases have earned him more than 45 national and international awards, including the Mark L. Morris, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award, Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award, World Small Animal Veterinary Association International Prize for Scientific Achievement, University of Minnesota Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education, and the Robert R. Shomer Award for Outstanding Achievement in Veterinary Medical Ethics. One of the world’s most highly regarded veterinary educators, Dr. Osbone has published more than 1,000 scientific articles and book chapters, conducted nearly 600 continuing education presentations, and mentored more than 20 graduate students and clinical residents from 8 countries.

“Dr. Osborne was my most influential mentor during my own graduate education and early years at the University of Minnesota,” said Shirley Johnston, D.V.M., Ph.D., dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif. “He continues to serve as a moral compass in my life despite our separation by time and distance.” 

Funded by private donations, endowed chairs support university faculty in academic disciplines, permanently providing the resources necessary to continue the faculty member’s contribution to teaching, research, and public service. The college’s other endowed chairs are the Leman Chair in Swine and Productivity, held by Dr. Peter Davies, the Pomeroy Chair in Avian Health, held by Dr. Jagdev Sharma, and the Perlman Chair in Animal Oncology, which will be filled this year. The college plans to fill the Osborne/Hill’s Chair in Nephrology and Urology in the next year.

For more information about the Osborne/Hill’s Chair in Nephrology and Urology, contact Stephanie Pommier at 612-625-8480 or spommier@umn.edu.

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