Congratulations, Class of 2022 |
The Class of 2022’s graduation and investiture ceremonies are just around the corner. I want to wish everyone in the class success and happiness in this amazing profession. As you and your classmates know, there has never been a greater demand for veterinarians with a wide array of careers available to you as graduates of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. Good luck and remember to stay connected with the school as you progress in your career. We look forward to welcoming you back to your five-year reunion in 2027.
This coming week will be an exciting one, with five finalists for the chancellor position at UW–Madison visiting campus each of the next five days. The candidates were announced last week and can be found here. I look forward to meeting with each of them. Each finalist will participate in a moderated Q&A session open to the campus community and public, and you can share candidate feedback through May 8 (details here). UW System’s goal is to name the university's next chancellor by mid-May.
I want to congratulate the Class of 2023 as it nears the end of the semester and the beginning of clinical education this month. We had an enjoyable Blue Coat Ceremony held at Union South on April 10. For the first time in three years, we were able to welcome family, friends and loved ones to the event hosted by the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.
I wish all of our students a fantastic end of the semester and upcoming summer.
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UW Veterinary Care Updates from the Director |
Welcome to new employees Bridget Barnes and Sabas Terrazas Herrera, both veterinary assistants with the Emergency and Critical Care unit; Karissa Kraemer and Daniel Welch, both greeters/cashiers with the reception team; and Polyanna Nunes da Silva, certified veterinary technician with the Large Animal Hospital.
Welcome also to Katie Hausmann DVM’20, who began her Zoological Companion Animal Residency in April with the SVM.
Congratulations to large animal surgeons Joe Davis and Kayla Le on the successful completion of their Phase II examination to become diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
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And congratulations to Shawna Hawkins, recipient of the 2022 American Association of Veterinary Clinicians annual resident’s award. This award is presented to two individuals across all veterinary disciplines in the U.S. who have achieved a high degree of excellence in their chosen specialty. Now a clinical instructor of zoological medicine with us, Hawkins previously completed a Zoological Medicine residency here at UW. We're thrilled she chose to remain at the school.
Short and sweet, the below feedback from a recent client hits the mark. Thank you for your continued great work.
"I am very pleased with my overall experience. Everyone was empathetic, compassionate, listened to my concerns, and provided top notch service to my dog." -Julie
Christopher Snyder, DVM, DAVDC
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
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UW School of Veterinary Medicine graduates attend the 1987 UW–Madison Commencement ceremony. Whether celebrating our inaugural class or, 35 years later, our current group of students, Commencement is always an exciting affair. Congratulations to the many soon-to-be grads.
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On April 23, students, faculty, staff and friends gathered at Union South for the 2022 SVM Celebration of Excellence Awards. This event, made possible through the generosity of donors, celebrates the end of the academic year and recognizes the efforts of the exceptional people who work and learn at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. View the award recipients.
The school is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the SVM Walter and Martha Renk Food Safety Endowment. All tenure-, clinical-, research/teaching professorial-track faculty and instructors with appointments in an SVM department are eligible to apply if conducting research to advance food safety and security. The submission deadline is July 15; for more information, see an April 20 email from M. Suresh to the SVM-all list.
In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2022 World University Rankings for veterinary science schools, the UW School of Veterinary Medicine ranked 12th globally (and 6th nationally) – a sharp increase up nine spots from 2021. The system's metrics are based on a number of factors, including academic reputation, employer reputation, and research citations per paper.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion News
An update from Richard Barajas, director of diversity, equity and inclusion
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A reminder that the registration deadline for the 2022 Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit, to be hosted by the UW School of Veterinary Medicine May 20-22, is May 6. The summit's primary goal is to promote diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine, with special attention to academia. This year’s summit theme is From Talk to Action: Becoming a Change Agent on Your Campus.
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Congratulations to Tatiana Ferriera (Surgical Sciences) on her promotion to clinical associate professor; Heidi Kellihan and Katrina Viviano (Medical Sciences) on their successful promotions to the rank of clinical professor; Gillian McLellan (Surgical Sciences) on her promotion to professor; and Leandro Teixeira (Department of Pathobiological Sciences), promoted to associate professor with tenure, all effective July 1.
Congratulations also to Elizabeth Alvarez, clinical assistant professor, Department of Medical Sciences, who has been appointed as the inaugural recipient of the Ruth M. Skaar Chair in Veterinary Medicine. This five-year professorship begins July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2027.
Professor Ruthanne Chun was featured as part of a celebration in honor of Asian, Pacific Islander & Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month by the UW–Madison Writing Center, highlighting APIDA writers and the range of writing processes and strategies.
Professor Emeritus Chris Olsen has been elected chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Public Health for 2022-2023 (beginning August 2022).
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In April, students and faculty from the SVM's Comparative Biomedical Sciences program hosted a virtual workshop, Introducing the Theory of Being for Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education, led by the University of Iowa's Professor Sherry Watt and Multicultural Initiatives Research team. The interactive event focused on how to approach topics of race, identity, exclusion and racism in academia.
Logan Keding, a graduate student who works in the lab of Professor Ted Golos, took the top prize in the fifth annual Morgridge Institute for Research Ethics Cartooning Competition. The competition invites participants to make a cartoon on any ethical issue related to biomedical research. Keding's winning cartoon addresses the balance of substance and style that researchers must often consider when publishing their research findings.
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As part of research studying viruses in all their movements and mutations, Professor Tony Goldberg and his lab are checking North American bats for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Because if bats were to acquire the virus, they might serve to re-infect human populations, lengthening the pandemic.
Congratulations to the following recipients of Zoetis research awards at the 2022 SVM Phi Zeta Research Day in April:
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Award for research excellence by a graduate student: Portia Smith
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Honorable mentions: Brenna Walton, Keer Jiang
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Award for research excellence by an SVM student: Ariela Burk
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Honorable mentions: Hannah Wildermuth, Ryan Anderson and Emma Kobitter
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Award for research excellence by a house officer: Annie Showers
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Honorable mention: Kaitlyn Jones
Department of Comparative Biosciences faculty members Kim Keil-Stiez and collaborator Lisa Arendt, as well as Sathish Kumar and co-investigator Rob Lipinski, have received grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) for research, respectively, related to obesity-environment interaction in bladder dysfunction and the effect of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), so-called “forever chemicals,” on maternal vascular and placental dysfunction. Related fun fact: According to department chair Jyoti Watters, Comparative Biosciences faculty receive 75 percent of total NIEHS funding awarded to the entire UW–Madison campus.
Kazuya Oikawa, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Associate Professor Gillian McLellan, received a $70,000, one-year career starter grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to study neuroinflammation in pediatric glaucoma.
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In April, the UW–Madison Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) chapter welcomed Derrick Hall, AVMA associate director of student initiatives, and Sandra Faeh, AVMA vice president, to the school for a presentation on the AVMA Brave Space certificate program. "We want to thank these AVMA representatives for supporting our chapter and helping us grow in our veterinary careers," the chapter said on its Facebook page.
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May 6
SVM Picnic
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
School of Veterinary Medicine
May 13
Doctoral, MFA and Medical Professional Degree Candidate Commencement
5:30 p.m.
Kohl Center
May 14
Bachelor’s, Master’s and Law Degree Candidate Commencement
Noon
Camp Randall Stadium
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May 14
SVM Investiture
7 a.m. breakfast/9 a.m. program
Memorial Union
May 20-22
2022 Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit
School of Veterinary Medicine
June 25
SVM Alumni Reunion
Celebrating graduates from the classes of 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
School of Veterinary Medicine
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CBS 58
Progressive Dairy
DVM 360
WKOW-TV 27
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“Our goal is to try and relate what’s going on in the dog to what’s happening in the human that lives with them. In theory, the dog could be a beautiful way to study aging.” |
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-Freya Mowat, a veterinary ophthalmologist and professor at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, discusses with Wisconsin Public Radio a new project that aims to answer the question: What do dogs like to watch on television? The survey is part of a larger research project to learn more about how canine vision degrades over time and what factors contribute to it – with potential implications for the treatment of human eyesight, as well.
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