Congresswoman visits College

Congresswoman Betty McCollum visits College
Rep. Betty McCollum visited the College on April 1 to take part in a roundtable discussion about the College's work in the areas of global food security; the concept of one health; public health, including emerging and zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and veterinary public health training; comparative medicine and animal models of disease; and population systems projects such as RESPOND and Ecosystem Health.

Participating in the discussion were Dean Trevor Ames; Al Beitz, chair of the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department; Jeff Bender, director of the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety; Peter Davies, professor, Veterinary Population Medicine Department; Morgan Hennessey, assistant director, National Center for Food Protection and Defense; Lindsey Hornickel, SCAVMA senior delegate; Will Hueston, professor and executive director, Global Initiative for Food Systems Leadership; Tom Molitor, chair of the Veterinary Population Medicine Department; Srirama Rao, associate dean for research; Randy Singer, associate professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department; and Robert Washabau, chair, Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department. Also part of the meeting was Dan Gilchrist of University Relations.

Rep. McCollum commented that the University of Minnesota was one of only three universities in the United States that "puts all the pieces together," offering a College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Public Health, and Medical School.

"You serve a critical role and are a unique resource for me," the congresswoman told the group. "We're always looking for more opportunities, and my goal is that Minnesota and the College get a fair share."