To a Momentous Happy New Year | Message from the Dean

Message from the Dean | January 2019

To a Momentous Happy New Year

I want to welcome each of you to 2019 and hope you have a fantastic upcoming New Year. This year should be a momentous one for the School of Veterinary Medicine. For those who don't know, we have been talking about and focusing on expanding the SVM since at least 2002. Due to the efforts and support from our friends, alumni, faculty, staff and students, this year will hopefully be the one where the school's expansion project is enumerated.

The five-story parking ramp on the northeast side of the School of Veterinary Medicine, across Linden Drive, is slated to begin construction in the fall of 2019, with completion in fall 2020. We are in the process of selecting the architects and engineers (A&E) for the school's building expansion project with the goal of naming the A&E in the first part of the year. Over the next 12-18 months, with your input, we will design the new building and the remodeling that will occur in our existing building.

We had the pleasure of introducing Governor-elect Tony Evers to the SVM and its expansion project, accompanied by a tour, this past month. We have also had numerous state senators and representatives, as well as staff from the Department of Administration and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, tour through our facilities. We hope to be included in Governor Evers' capital budget this coming spring, with the goal of being included in the final budget when it is signed later this summer.

As soon as our A&E are selected, we will introduce a new section of the monthly Dean's Message that will highlight important updates regarding the school's expansion project. I would like to emphasize that now is not the time to become complacent, but rather a time for our friends to talk to local legislators, highlighting the importance of the school's expansion project for the SVM's continued success and leadership in this exciting profession. Whether it's training the next generation of veterinarians who serve the citizens of the state of Wisconsin, or advancing both animal and human health, the school remains dedicated to serving Wisconsin, its animals and its citizens.

Again, I wish everyone a happy New Year and On Wisconsin!

UW Veterinary Care Updates from the Director

Congratulations to Corinne Lawson on passing the certification examination of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) to become an ACVECC diplomate and to Jason Soukup and Chris Snyder of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery service, who were recently named Founding Fellows by the American Veterinary Dental College in oral and maxillofacial surgery -- a distinction given to only 14 individuals worldwide.

Welcome to several new employees: Christine Kass, CVT, who joins us in the medicine ward; Sylwia Los, a full-time pharmacy technician who previously served as a student worker; Shana Strobel, our new diagnostic imaging/MRI technologist in Radiology; Christina Hoekstra, joining the phone reception staff; and Anna Arenz, who begins today as a veterinary technician in Anesthesia. Also, current employee and veterinary technician Kim Vukovich will now serve Emergency and Critical Care.

Farewell and thank you to Dave Amrhein in Reception who retired in December after 31 years with UW Veterinary Care .

Here's to a wonderful 2019 providing great client experiences such as this one :

" From the check-in to check-out, all was fantastic. We were there for quite a while; seeing all the students, staff and doctors' interaction with pets and owners in the waiting [area] was very professional and all had an upbeat presence to them. They all should be complimented . "

- Mathew, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Ruthanne Chun DVM'91
Director, UW Veterinary Care
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

School News

The deadline for the SVM climate survey has been extended to January 11. Please complete this brief, anonymous survey designed to identify how employees and students feel about working and learning at the school.

The 30th annual SVM Crafts Fair in December raised $960 for the school's Companion Animal Fund. Thank you to all vendors, helpers and shoppers!

A new canine friend, Doc, designed as a UW Veterinary Care superhero, can now be found in the second floor lounge -- a gift from Garry and Debby Eades. This summer, Doc resided on Chicago's Magnificent Mile as one of 33 Labrador Retriever police dog statues created for K9s for Cops, a public art installation and fundraising campaign designed to pay tribute to the important work of police dogs.

Faculty and Staff News

Did you know that depending on the circumstances, your touch neurons can either produce pain or dampen pain? Read about this and more in a new faculty focus with LaTasha Crawford, associate professor in Pathobiological Sciences.

Professor Emeritus Ron Schultz was recognized as the meeting dedicatee at the 99th Annual Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases in December. Also at the meeting, Sarah Raabis, a clinical instructor in the Department of Medical Sciences who is pursuing a PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, earned the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists' top award for a graduate student presentation.

Professor Chuck Czuprynski has been named a scientific advisor to the International Life Sciences Institute, a nonprofit foundation that plays an important role in identifying and addressing scientific questions on nutrition and food safety.

Mike Collins, a professor of microbiology, will retire to emeritus status this month after 36 years with the school . Part of the original cohort of SVM faculty, Collins has long taught the Veterinary Bacteriology course and is a global leader in the study of paratuberculosis, or Johne's disease. He will continue to oversee the Johne's Information Center website.

Student News

Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association gift to GSAFE

Two recent graduates were recognized for their academic excellence and leadership at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) 64th Annual Convention in December. Mandy Craven DVM'18 received a scholarship from Zoetis and the AAEP Foundation and Sarah Appleby DVM'18 received the Northwestern Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association Equine Symposium Scholarship from the AAEP Foundation.

The SVM's Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association raised more than $8,300 through their annual drag show in December to support GSAFE, an organization that works to create school communities across Wisconsin where all LGBTQ youth can thrive.

Research News

Jorge Osorio, a professor of pathobiological sciences, will lead the Colombia-Wisconsin One-Health Consortium (CWOHC), one of three new Centers of Excellence to join the renowned Global Virus Network. CWOHC is a collaboration between the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ruta N Corporation of Colombia and UW-Madison. It will focus on emerging viral diseases, as well as the development of novel vaccines.

Amelia Munsterman, clinical assistant professor of large animal surgery, earned the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation research grant award at the 24th International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium for "Non-invasive measurement of gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity with unipolar electrodes in horses."