Three member institutions have been selected to participate in a new AAVMC pilot program designed to help veterinary colleges and schools develop holistic admissions programs. They are the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Holistic admissions is a rapidly developing program in the health professions designed to foster greater diversity and inclusion among student cohorts, thereby enriching health professions with a base of practitioners that better represent the patients and clients they serve. The AAVMC will be working closely with these schools over the next 12-18 months to offer support in committee training, policy and practice development, research and data analysis and program review. Read more.

The AAVMC mourns the passing of Dr. Billy E. Hooper, the first Executive Director of the AAVMC. "Dr. Hooper helped lay the foundation for all that AAVMC is today," said AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. "He was a wonderful person who was devoted to helping people and animals through the profession he loved. His legacy of kindness and generosity will continue to shine brightly throughout all of academic veterinary medicine for many years to come." The AAVMC honored Dr. Hooper during the 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2016 by creating the Billy E. Hooper Award for Distinguished Service. Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Willie Reed worked closely with Dr. Hooper for decades. Please read this letter he wrote to the Purdue community upon learning of Dr. Hooper's passing.

The communications program at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), led by Director of Communications Kristen Browning-Blas, has been recognized with the AAVMC's 2018 Communications Excellence Award. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium, a commemorative, and public recognition. It will be formally presented during the annual meeting of the Association of Veterinary Advancement Professionals (AVAP) on Thursday, July 12 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center. The AAVMC Board of Directors established the Communications Excellence Award in 2013 to recognize and inspire communications excellence among member institutions. Read more.

The AAVMC's Cost Comparison Tool (CCT) has been updated and enhanced for 2018. The CCT's interactive dashboards now contain updated data and features that allow users to compare data related to tuition, projected cost-of-living, and debt financing. Among improvements, the CCT now
demonstrates three levels of cost: tuition, tuition & living expenses, and total cost of attendance (TCA). The TCA includes the previous two categories as well as the cost of loan interest accruals on an assumed fully financed DVM program. The CCT is a powerful web-based tool introduced in 2016 to help applicants and students more precisely estimate the cost of earning a DVM degree. CCT data has been mined from a variety of sources, including the last six years of the Comparative Data Report, surveys of AAVMC member institutions, and internal calculations.  Read more.

	Johnson (left) and Lairmore (right) with AAVMC staff.

AAVMC President Dr. Calvin Johnson, dean of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, and President-Elect Dr. Michael Lairmore, dean of the University of California - Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, devoted a day in May to learning more about the people and programs at the AAVMC. Johnson and Lairmore spent a day at AAVMC international headquarters in Washington as part of a comprehensive leadership orientation program. While broadly familiar with the organization as part of their prior leadership service, the orientation was specifically designed to help them get to know the staff better and learn more about the nuts and bolts of many programs. Read more.

	Reid addresses the audience during the AAVMC's 50th Anniversary Black Tie Gala in Washington, D.C. in 2016.

Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London, has been appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to the veterinary profession and higher education. He is also an active member and former officer of the AAVMC. "I am delighted and humbled," said Reid upon learning of the honor. "It is truly a privilege to have had the opportunity to be part of both the veterinary profession and the university community, and to have worked with colleagues throughout my career who have a huge commitment to the common good. I am very grateful that the importance of animal health, education and science is being acknowledged in this way." Read more.

About 120 people from 11 different institutions gathered for the 2018 Midwest Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit held at Purdue University May 18-20, 2018. Following welcoming remarks during the opening luncheon from Purdue University CVM Associate Dean for Engagement Sandra San Miguel and Dean Willie Reed, the event kicked off with a keynote presentation by Glenn E. Singleton on Courageous Conversation. Members participating in the Midwest Regional Diversity Summit include schools and colleges of veterinary medicine at Purdue University, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin. Read more.

AAVMC Project Manager Andrew Zoeller has left the AAVMC and moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he has accepted a position as a Program Manager with Purefy, a firm that helps arrange best-value financing for student loans. Andrew, his wife and two young children have already relocated and are happily getting settled in the Virginia capital, where they'll be closer to extended family. Known for his unflappable, focused, low-key approach to problem-solving and attention to detail, Andrew was affectionately known as "The Mayor" around the office for the way he presided over the planning, organization and presentation of many AAVMC meetings and events. Read more.

	Maccabe and Penn's retiring Dean Dr. Joan Hendricks pose before her official portrait.

About 3,000 new veterinarians took the oath and emerged from dozens of graduation ceremonies at AAVMC member institutions during recent weeks. Graduates, families and friends heard from a variety of classmates, faculty and dignitaries during the poignant and colorful rituals that symbolize professional passage and celebrate a job well done. Those attending ceremonies at the University of Pennsylvania and Ross University heard remarks from AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, who congratulated the graduates and helped welcome them to a profession he's served in various ways for more than 30 years. Read more.

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From Our Members 

Canine Researchers Team up for DOGBONe at University of Guelph

Texas A&M, Cornell Collaborate to Advance Education Research, Expand Pipeline for Underrepresented Students

Michael Lairmore Joins NIH Council of Councils

People on the Move 

Professor Anna Meredith will become the new Head of the University of Melbourne Veterinary School on 2 July 2018.

Dr. Christine Theoret has been named Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal.

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