An e-mail newsletter for friends and alumni of the
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
May 2007
It is with mixed emotions that I am leaving the College of Veterinary Medicine. I have accepted a position as president and chief executive officer with the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Founded in 1910, the Animal Medical Center is a non-profit veterinary hospital that offers state-of-the-art medical, surgical, and emergency services.
Dr. Trevor Ames has been appointed interim dean by Dr. Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences, effective June 18. During his tenure as interim dean, Dr. Ames will serve with all the rights, privileges, responsibilities, and authority of the permanent dean. He will serve in this position for nine to twelve months until a permanent dean has been appointed and will be eligible to be considered for the permanent dean position. Plans for a national search for a permanent dean are underway.
My 33 years at this college have been a great joy. As I embark on my new career as president and CEO of the Animal Medical Center, I will miss my talented colleagues and friends at the University of Minnesota. Thank you to all of you for your continued support of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Please join us on Thursday, June 21, from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. (remarks at 4:00 p.m.) at the Cargill Building, 1500 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul Campus. I hope that you will be able to join us as we make this transition. If you are planning on attending the reception, please RVSP by June 8 via e-mail cvmpr@umn.edu. If you have questions, please call 612-624-6244.
Dean Jeffrey S. Klausner, D.V.M., M.S., DACVIM
Public
CALLM (Companion Animal Love, Loss, and Memories) Group. Second and fourth Wednesday of each month. 6:30-8 p.m. St. Paul Campus. Cost: Sessions are free and open to the public. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve your seat, please contact VMC Social Work Services at 612-624-9372.
Nestle Purina Memories Garden Ceremony: June 5. St. Paul campus. Brick dedication and memorial ceremony. Special tribute will be paid to newly merged Humane Society. Visit http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/events/home.html for more information.
Xcel Energy Raptor Bowl. Wednesday, July 11. 2-7 p.m. Brit’s Pub. Gather your friends on the bowling green for an afternoon of fun to raise funds to support The Raptor Center. For more information, contact Abby De Hoop at 612-624-2756 or deho0006@umn.edu.
Alumni
All Class Reunion. June 2. St. Paul Campus. To register or for more information, visit http://www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/reunion.html.
University to take a lead role in battle against bird flu
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, part of the National Institutes of Health, has named the University of Minnesota as one of six sites across the country to establish a Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance. The center will receive $22.5 million over seven years to focus on surveillance of avian influenza viruses and to provide the federal government with information and public health strategies for controlling the impact of an influenza pandemic. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will provide all of the testing samples and is a critical resource in this surveillance effort.
"We will be keeping our finger on the pulse of avian influenza," said Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou, principal investigator and professor of infectious disease and epidemiology at the School of Public Health, who holds a joint faculty appointment with the CVM. To learn more, go to http://www.sph.umn.edu/
Pomeroy Center opens
After years of planning, the Ben Pomeroy Student Alumni Learning Center is open and now houses Academic and Student Affairs and D.V.M./M.P.H. program staff. A dedication and open house is planned for September 7, 2007, from 3-5 p.m. Details on the event will be available early this summer. For more information about the Pomeroy Center, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/about/facilitieslibrarymuseum/pomeroycenter/home.html.
Researchers honored at Points of Pride Research Days
On March 21, the annual Points of Pride Research Days event celebrated the College's research program, honoring its researchers, researcher partners, and graduate/post doc students. The following awards were presented:
For a list of all the winners, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/ResearchDays.html.
On March 29, more than 125 people attended the Building a Bridge of Hope: Interdisciplinary Conference on Family Violence and Animal Abuse. At this meeting, organized by Veterinary Continuing Education, representatives from veterinary medicine, law/legal services, social services, animal rescue groups, law enforcement, and human medicine heard nationally recognized experts discuss the relationship between animal abuse and other forms of violence. A coalition of more than 40 people is being formed to continue the work started at this innovative conference.
AVMA accreditation
The American Veterinary Medical Association, through the Council on Education, conducted a six-day review of the College in April. A team of seven external veterinarians spent time with a variety of faculty, students, and alumni to gain additional information about the College’s educational and support programs. The group will submit a summary of their findings and recommendations to the College. A copy of the self-study report is available online at http://www.cvm.umn.edu/about/Graduates.html.
Dr. Julia Ponder named executive director of The RaptorCenter
The College has named Julia Ponder, D.V.M., as executive director of The Raptor Center (TRC). Ponder succeeds TRC cofounder Patrick T. Redig, D.V.M., Ph.D., a College professor who remains in a research, teaching, and advisory capacity. The director of TRC for 21 years, Dr. Redig will take a permanent seat on The Raptor Center’s board of directors and serve as liaison between the center and his extensive network of national and international contacts.
As executive director, Dr. Ponder will be responsible for the strategic direction and overall operations of TRC, providing organizational leadership with an emphasis on growth through fund raising, educational sponsorships, research grants, endowments, marketing, operations, and cost management. For more information, visit http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/TRCDirector.html.
Kudos
Dean Jeffrey Klausner was appointed as an Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges representative to the American Veterinary Medical Association's task force to review the selection criteria for Council on Education members. The goal is to assure that the best and most qualified members are appointed to this important committee.
Faculty members were honored with awards at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Feb. 1-3. For details see http://www.cvm.umn.edu/about/awardwinners/MVMA.html.
Dr. Jody Lulich has been named the 2007 recipient of the WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) Excellence in Veterinary Health Care Award. The award was specifically developed by the world organization to recognize "the outstanding work of veterinarians in promoting companion animal health care and the family pet/veterinary bond through a special sensitivity to both clients and patients using leading edge clinical nutrition and advanced medical and surgical techniques." The award will be presented to Dr. Lulich during the 2007 WSAVA Congress in Sydney, Australia, August 19-23.
Dr. Tom Molitor received a University Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education on April 23. Receiving the award recognizes Dr. Molitor as a member of a very distinguished group of faculty who exemplify the University of Minnesota's commitment to quality education. It also signals his pending induction into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Dr. Cindy Wolf, Veterinary Population Medicine, was elected to the board of directors of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) at the association's annual meeting in Sacramento, California, April 2-5. NIAA's mission is to provide forums for building consensus and advancing solutions for animal agriculture and to provide continuing education and communication linkages to animal agriculture professionals. Its members include producers, veterinarians, scientists, state and federal officials, and business executives. More information is available at www.animalagriculture.org.
Drs. John Arnold, Bee Hanlon, and Walter Mackey received the Veterinarian of the Year Award at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Feb. 1-3. The three retired professors were honored for their involvement in forming the Minnesota Veterinary Historical Museum.
Dr. Heather Case, class of 1998, is now a Congressional Science Fellow working in the Washington, D.C., office of Rep. Robert Andrews of New Jersey on issues pertaining to agriculture, energy, the environment, and homeland security. "These issue areas complement my broad interests in public health, animal health, and disaster response and preparedness," Heather said.
Dr. Kate Knutson, class of 1996, has been elected to serve a two-year term on the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) board of directors. Founded in 1933, AAHA serves more than 3,000 hospital members in the United States and Canada and over 36,000 veterinary care providers in North America and overseas. Dr. Knutson is the co-owner and lead veterinarian at the Bloomington-based Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic.
Dr. Barbara Ault, class of 1997, was recently hired as lead veterinarian at Alta Veterinary Clinic in Minneapolis, which offers alternative treatments for companion animals, such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, nutritional guidance, massage therapy and behavior training.
The College's 2007 commencement ceremony took place May 5 at Northrop Memorial Auditorium on the Minneapolis campus. For a list of graduates, visit http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/publications/cvmthisweek/043007.html.
Eduardo Fano-Gonzalez successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis, "Epidemiology of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae: Transmission, Persistence and the Impact of Piglet Prevalence at Weaning." Drs. Carlos Pijoan (deceased) and Scott Dee were Eduardo's advisors. Dr. Fano-Gonzalez will be returning to his home country of Mexico, where he is employed as a professor and researcher with the National University of Mexico. He also plans to continue the research he has been working on in Mexico throughout his graduate program.
Luanne Hunt successfully defended her master's thesis, "Myopathies in Warmblood Horses: Clinical Characteristics and Response to Diet and Exercise Recommendations." Luanne was advised by Dr. Stephanie Valberg.
Ra Mi Cha successfully defended her master's thesis, "Response of the Upper Respiratory Tract of Turkeys to Avian Metapneumovirus." Ra Mi was advised by Dr. Jagdev M. Sharma. She is continuing her studies under Dr. Sharma as a doctoral student.
After reviewing many qualified applicants, the Veterinary Public Health faculty selected Carissa Schloesser to attend the Smith Kilborne Program at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Plum Island, New York, this summer.
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.
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, in March. Additional scholarships totaling $20,000 were provided by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation on behalf of Elanco Animal Health. The recipients included five College students --
New research grants
Congratulations to these recent grant recipients:
Dr. Sheila Torres, Mayo researcher awarded grant
The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics has awarded a $709,852 grant to Dr. Sheila Torres, assistant professor of dermatology, and Doug Plager, Ph.D., a research associate in dermatology in the Allergic Diseases Research Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic College of of Medicine. The subject of their research: therapeutic targets for atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema that affects animals and people.
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From time to time, the College has opportunities for pet animals to participate in clinical trials. For a list of current trials, go to http://www.cvm.umn.edu/cic/current/home.html#enroll. |
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Welcome to the following new faculty member:
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Barbara Greig, assistant clinical professor
The University of Minnesota was recently ranked fourth in the number of paper citations in veterinary medicine and animal health. The rankings were by average citations per paper among the top 100 federally funded U.S. universities that published at least 200 papers in Thomson Scientific-indexed journals of veterinary medicine and animal health between 2001 and 2005. For more information, go to
www.in-cites.com/research/2007/march_5_2007-2.html.
The College was featured in many articles in the April 2007 issue of Minnesota Medicine. To view the full publication, go to http://www.mmaonline.net/Publications/MNMed2007/April/toc.cfm.
"Unbridled Ambition," an article in the February issue of Minnesota Monthly, explored the new Equine Center, with quotes or mentions of Drs. Trevor Ames, Mary Durando, Jim Mickelson, Travis Saveraid, and Stephanie Valberg and students Lisa Borgia and April Schroeder. The article is online at www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/February-2007/Unbridled-Ambition/.
Dean Jeff Klausner was quoted in "House Committee Looks at U of M Ag Research Efforts," an article in the Feb. 6 issue of Agri News, an independent agricultural newspaper. The article is online at http://webstar.agrinews.com/agrinews/288141983872952.bsp.
Dr. John Fetrow and Larry Bjorklund were quoted by the Minnesota Daily about the declining numbers of large animal veterinarians. Students Eb Ballinger and Genevieve Bergman were quoted and Ryan Wheeler was pictured. The article is online at http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/02/14/70745.
Katie Baratto, a third-year student at the College and a volunteer at Wild and Free Rehabilitation Program, was quoted in "Master Rehabber Nurses Animals in Need" in the Feb. 10 issue of the Pioneer Press, online at www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/breaking_news/16667879.htm.
A huge pet food recall was a major news story. Dr. Julie Churchill was interviewed for a piece aired on KARE-11 on March 19 --online at http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=247590 -- and quoted in an article in the Star Tribune on March 20, online at www.startribune.com/462/story/1066332.html. For more information on the recall, go to http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp.
The Feb. 23 University of Minnesota Moment featured National Pet Dental Health Month and an interview with Dr. Gary Goldstein. Listen to the feature at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/urelate/radio/pet-dental-health.mp3.
Esquire's "Answer Fella" column included a quote from Dr. Margaret Root Kustritz on the topic of whether animals get sexually transmitted diseases. The article is online at http://www.esquire.com/style/answer-fella/ESQ0307fella.
Dr. Margaret Duxbury was quoted in a "Good Question" story about "wild" behavior in dogs on WCCO-TV on March 28. The piece is online at http://wcco.com/local/local_story_087175608.html.
Dr. Julie Churchill was quoted by ABC News about pets' nutritional needs. The story is online at http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2973682&page=1.
On a recent Horse Sense broadcast series, Dr. Julie Wilson discussed the use of senior horses. Dr. Wilson's comments can be heard at http://www.rrfn.com/horsesense/files/04-16-07.mp3.
The Raptor Center
On March 30, Dr. Juli Ponder, director of The Raptor Center, was interviewed about the College's annual open house on the Craig and Kate Affair morning show on WNMT, which broadcasts in northern Minnesota.
The RaptorCenter's treatment of a California condor was the subject of an article in the April 2007 issue of Boys’ Life.
A bald eagle release at South Elementary School in St. Peter, Minn., was covered by KEYC Television in Mankato on April 10. The story is online at www.keyc.tv/article/view/119391.
If you have any news to share, please e-mail cvmcomm@umn.edu.
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