Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer!
Although spring arrived later than usual this year, it seems to have officially given way to an early summer. I hope you all have an opportunity to take advantage of this beautiful start to June. As I highlighted in my last Dean’s message, members of the class of 2023 are now all veterinarians. We had a great graduation and investiture weekend, and I wish every one of our graduates an outstanding career in this amazing profession. As our newest alumni, we ask that you please stay in touch. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming alumni reunion or national conference where the school hosts an alumni reception. I also want to welcome the class of 2024 to the clinics. I wish you all the best in your final year at the School of Veterinary Medicine.
On the new North Building front, the bridge structure between the parking ramp and the North Building is slated to be installed soon; it is exciting to see this project approach completion. Currently, we are planning to move into the North Building later this fall - an exciting time. For those who are paying attention to the south side of the School of Veterinary Medicine, you will notice that the new large animal arena is actively under construction, with the goal of its completion later this year as well.
I’m sad to announce that Ed Rodriguez, the school’s CFO and associate dean for budget and finance is retiring next month. Congratulations and happy retirement, Ed! I’m thrilled to announce that Fariba Kiani will start as our new CFO beginning July 1. Fariba will be responsible for the school’s business services and report directly to the Dean. We’ve decided to mildly reorganize our leadership structure, so that beginning in July, the school’s Human Resources team will now report to Kristi Thorson, associate dean for advancement and administration. Congratulations all!
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine alumni reunion is scheduled for June 24, 2023. We're looking forward to welcoming classes celebrating their 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, 30- and 35-year reunions. We hope faculty and staff can join us! Please register via the link Kristi Thorson shared earlier this week via email.
Have a great June!
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UW Veterinary Care Updates from the Director |
Please join me in welcoming several new employees who joined our team in May:
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Victoria Butler, veterinary nurse in the ECC.
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Gabrielle Yelk, veterinary nurse assistant in LAH
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Brittany Bibeau, med lab technician in clinical pathology
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Bethany Einer, veterinary nurse in cardiology
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Erin Shoen, veterinary nurse assistant in the SAH
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Abby Aubart moved from the float pool to the ECC as a new veterinary nurse assistant
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Cassie Gorbette, CVT, joined the ECC as a veterinary nurse
I would also like to congratulate Emma Callan who was recently promoted from veterinary assistant to veterinary nurse in ECC. Emma completed the veterinary technician intern program with UWVC and the CVT program at Madison College! She started her UWVC career in reception and has grown into her new role over the past few years.
The below client comment highlights the excellent care and customer service delivered by all members of our team. From the reception staff to the students, nurses, clinicians and everyone behind the scenes, we all play an important role in delivering compassionate care to our patients. Thank you for all that you do.
“Couldn't have done anything better. I can't remember all the names, but the receptionists in the oncology area were incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful. The tech that came out to go over Lucy's initial reason for being there was awesome. And Dr. Andersson was fantastic! Couldn't have picked a better dream team if I had tried!”
Christopher Snyder, DVM, DAVDC
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
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On May 26, the SVM celebrated the house officers who are completing their residencies and internships this year. We are grateful for all they have contributed to UW Veterinary Care and wish them the best in their veterinary medical career!
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Teaching and Learning News
An update from Peggy Schmidt, associate dean for professional programs
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A number of our teaching faculty are sharpening their teaching skills by earning The Essential Skills for Medical Educators credential offered by AMEE, the premier international Medical Educators professional organization. We'd like to recognize our current cohort, Dr. Karen Hershberger-Braker, Dr. Chelsea Holschbach, Dr. Amy Nichelason, Dr. Calico Schmidt, Dr. Lara Tomich, Dr. Nina Zitzer, and upcoming cohort Dr. Lorelei Clarke, Dr. Sara Colopy, Dr. Kayla Le, Dr. Paul Merkatoris, Dr. Jessica Pritchard, and Dr. Lindsey Snyder for their continuous efforts to ensure our students' success!
This spring we also had a number of our UWVC veterinary technicians participate in a pilot Technician Educator Training Program. Veterinary technicians enrich the educational experience for veterinary students and strengthen the overall quality of veterinary education. They provide valuable training, guidance, support, and mentorship to students, preparing them for successful careers in the field. This professional development opportunity was aimed to equip these educators with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively teach and mentor students. Fifteen technicians across 10 services participated in the first offering of this program. This training focused on teaching perspectives, cognitive theory and strategies, motivation, and the unique roles and responsibilities of technicians as role models for veterinary students with the tools and knowledge to help guide and inspire our veterinary students. We’re looking forward to our next offering of this innovative training program.
Curriculum revision efforts continue to move forward towards the implementation date of Fall 2025. The Nimble Working Group is continuing to refine system-level learning outcomes for the body system modules that will populate courses in Phases 1 and 2. Patterns are emerging within these learning outcomes that will promote scaffolded learning for students and aid instructors with sequencing content across modules and courses. A series of SVM Town Halls were held in April to provide updates on progress and solicit feedback from faculty & staff on the order of body systems in Phases 1 and 2. Based on this feedback, the Nimble group has made minor adjustments to the order of body systems and is exploring how best to transition learners from Phase 1 into Phase 2.
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Dr. Ruthanne Chun led a discussion about a recent article she co-authored, “Can veterinary medicine improve diversity in post-graduate training programs? Current state of academic veterinary medicine and recommendations on best practices.”
Congratulations to Dr. Mostafa Zamanian and Dr. Wilmara Salgado-Pabon (Pathobiological Sciences) on their well-deserved promotions to associate professor with tenure.
Fei Zhao (Comparative Biosciences) was awarded his first R01 grant entitled “Mechanisms of androgen-dependent Wolffian duct differentiation.”
Jayshree Samanta (Comparative Biosciences) was selected as the recipient of one of this year's Distinguished Faculty and Staff Postdoc Mentoring Awards. This award is presented annually to mentors who have positively impacted the postdocs working with them.
The school's Advancement Team recently welcomed Anna Fowler as its new events coordinator. Anna will be responsible for managing and supporting logistical details and resources for a range of events hosted by the school as well as a limited number of events sponsored by external organizations that have faculty, staff or student participation. She will also be available to provide guidance to faculty and staff interested in hosting CE events. More information will be shared as Anna gets settled into her new role.
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Three DVM students traveled to India earlier this year for a One Health field experience led by Dr. Ann Evensen, faculty director of UW-Madison Graduate/Professional and Capstone Online Certificates in Global Health. Students learned about the EMRI Green mobile veterinary clinics, wildlife forensics, antimicrobial resistance, unique livestock species and their care, endangered wildlife conservation, and infectious diseases such as lumpy skin and rabies, in addition to human medicine topics. Other participants on the trip were from the Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, Medicine, and Engineering, making it a truly interdisciplinary learning experience. Currently, three additional SVM students are having One Health field experiences in Thailand and Ecuador.
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DVM student Rachel Illgen examining an ill calf outside of Hyderabad, India as part of a ridealong with EMRI Green mobile veterinary services. |
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June 24
Alumni Reunion
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Veterinary Medicine Building
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August 8
Vet Med Ed Day
8:30-3:00
DeJope Residence Hall/Mendota Room
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SVM Dean Mark Markel was interviewed by the Midwest Farm Report about Racehorse care, the risks of competing in the sport, and some things horse owners should be thinking about ahead of their competition season (rodeos, pulls, etc.).
Lyric Bartholomay professor and director of the comparative biomedical sciences graduate program, was featured in a NBC26 story in Green Bay about the ‘Asian Tiger Mosquito.’ Dr. Bartholomay was part of the team that discovered the disease-carrying mosquito in Wisconsin.
Lisa Forrest, SVM radiation oncology section head, and David Vail, SVM medical oncologist, were featured in an NBC15 story in Madison about comparative cancer research that benefits both humans and animals. The story focus on the school's Radixact radiation therapy machine, which delivers cancer treatment with pinpoint accuracy and was purchased with gifts received following the 2020 WeatherTech Super Bowl commercial.
Alycia Kowalski, clinical instructor, spoke with Midwest Farm Report about how the SVM is preparing students to meet the demand for large animal veterinarians and its role in supporting Wisconsin agriculture.
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"The DVM students were such an important part of learning One Health concepts. Their insights and perspectives enriched the learning experience for all students and travelers."
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-Dr. Ann Evensen, faculty director of UW-Madison Graduate/Professional and Capstone Online Certificates in Global Health, speaking about the impact DVM students made during a One Health field Experience in India earlier this year.
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