Congratulations Class of 2021 – You Made It |
Congratulations, Class of 2021! What a challenging and unpredictable year it has been. It was over a century ago that our country faced a pandemic of this magnitude. COVID-19 impacted the end of your class’s third year and all of your fourth year at the School of Veterinary Medicine. I compliment and congratulate you for your perseverance, dedication and willingness to help us overcome the significant hurdles mounted by the pandemic. We faced these challenges together to provide the last two months of your third year virtually, the first two months of your clinical education remotely, and now, since last July, a more in-person experience within UW Veterinary Care. I know how difficult the year has been, but you've made it!
I want to thank all of our faculty and staff, both in the hospital and throughout the school, for their dedication to your education. They rose to the challenge to provide you with the learning opportunities you needed to successfully become a veterinarian.
Last weekend, we held the school’s virtual Celebration of Excellence event. Thank you to the faculty, staff and students who helped organize and deliver this fun experience. For those who have not had the opportunity to watch, you can find a recording here.
This coming week, we will hold the virtual Investiture Ceremony on the morning of May 8, with an in-person graduation event at Camp Randall Stadium that afternoon.
I want to thank each and every one of you in the Class of 2021 for your understanding and for working with us through these difficult times. I wish you all the best in whatever this amazing profession will provide you in the coming decades. Take care, good luck and be well.
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UW Veterinary Care Updates from the Director |
Congratulations to Lysbeth Lesak on her new role as client care liaison for the dentistry and surgical services (Lysbeth will continue to assist in Oncology reception occasionally until new staff is in place). And welcome to Rachel Quamme, a new client care liaison for the Cardiology and Ophthalmology services.
Congratulations to Michelle Piccione, a third-year resident in Dermatology, for winning the 2021 American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Resident Award.
Day in and day out, we continue to provide compassionate and outstanding care despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. This comment from a client whose dog was a recent patient of general surgery speaks to your great work:
"Staff was professional and beyond helpful! Every question was answered and her diagnosis was explained thoroughly. I can't imagine anything that anyone could have done better. … When she was walked out of the building, she was happy and that made me happy to know she was well taken care of inside the building." -Reba, Lake Geneva
Ruthanne Chun DVM'91
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
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As we look ahead to groundbreaking this summer on the School of Veterinary Medicine building expansion, let’s look back to the original building dedication. In March 1983, state elected officials, school and university administrators, and many others gathered for this momentous event, capping a tremendous effort decades in the making. That spring, the first class of 80 students was admitted to the school – “a victory for the State of Wisconsin” said state Rep. Gervase Hephner, one of the key legislators to champion the school’s establishment. Read more about this history and the school’s founding team.
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Growing demand: The Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education, and Social Services (WisCARES) clinic has been experiencing an influx of new clientele due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A partnership between the UW schools of veterinary medicine, social work and pharmacy, WisCARES provides veterinary medical care and social services to individuals in Dane County who are low-income or experiencing homelessness.
Campus COVID-19 updates:
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Campus leadership has announced changes to campus activities after the end of the spring semester. Beginning May 10, new guidelines will be in place for access to campus buildings, visitor and guest access to campus facilities, on-campus COVID-19 testing, and activities and events. To learn more and check for future updates, go to covidresponse.wisc.edu.
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All are encouraged to have a plan for vaccination and to get vaccinated on or off campus. University Health Services (UHS) has COVID-19 vaccine appointments available for employees and students. UHS is also now able to offer vaccines to anyone who lives, works or studies in Wisconsin. For more information and to schedule a vaccine appointment, visit go.wisc.edu/covid19vaccine.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion News
An update from Richard Barajas, director of diversity, equity and inclusion
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The School of Veterinary Medicine has finalized our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan. This is an important step as a strategic plan focused on DEI has not previously been created. In conjunction with the school’s overall strategic plan, these documents highlight the strategic priorities we will be measuring.
Additionally, SVM faculty, staff and students have been actively engaged with the Purdue Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine, with monthly conversations around the modules. Another call for individuals to register for the certificate will be forthcoming, with continued discussions around subsequent modules continuing into the summer.
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Congratulations to Jyoti Watters, elected as chair of the Department of Comparative Biosciences starting July 1, and Lyric Bartholomay, who will become director of the Comparative Biomedical Sciences graduate program on June 1. Thank you to Ted Golos and Suresh Marulasiddappa, respectively, for their many years of leadership in these roles.
Congratulations also to the following faculty members on their recent promotion: Dörte Döpfer (Medical Sciences) and Joan Jorgensen (Comparative Biosciences) to professor, and Marie Pinkerton (Pathobiological Sciences), Chris Snyder (Surgical Sciences) and Jason Soukop (Surgical Sciences) to clinical professor.
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A Blue Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2022, organized by the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, was held on April 18 at the Monona Terrace rooftop. View a video of the ceremony.
Yinyu Yuan DVMx'23 is the recipient of an AVMA/AVMF 2nd Opportunity Summer Research Scholarship. This scholarship, a $5,000 award, is intended to provide support for currently enrolled veterinary students who have previously conducted a summer research project and are seeking to gain a second summer of research experience. Yuan is investigating the relationship between maternal sleep apnea and immune activation.
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On April 5, Sen. Tammy Baldwin visited the AIDS Vaccine Research Laboratory in University Research Park to learn more about research led by Professors Thomas Friedrich and David O’Connor to study the virus that causes COVID-19, including genomic sequencing of variants of concern, and research to better understand transmission of the virus. Baldwin introduced legislation in February to fund an expansion of virus genome sequencing. This was included in the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed into law in March, providing $1.75 billion in new funding for genomic surveillance.
Professor Michael Cahill led research published in Neuron that found for the first time that disruptions to a particular protein called Akt can lead to the brain changes characteristic of bipolar disorder. The results offer a foundation for research into treating the often-overlooked cognitive impairments of bipolar disorder, such as memory loss, and add to a growing understanding of how the biochemistry of the brain affects health and disease.
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Graduate student Allison Ludwig is co-first author of work published in the journal Science Advances that may provide hope for those who have vision loss. The team of medical researchers and engineers have made new photoreceptors from human pluripotent stem cells and developed a micro-molded scaffolding photoreceptor “patch” designed to be implanted under a damaged or diseased retina.
Twenty-four research trainees presented their work at the 2021 SVM Phi Zeta Research Day in April. Congratulations to the 2021 Zoetis Research Award recipients: Brittney Moore DVMx’23 (mentor, Lisa Arendt), Research Excellence by a DVM Student; Allison Ludwig (mentor, David Gamm), Research Excellence by a Graduate Student; Sai Krishna Bhamidipati (mentor, Jayshree Samantra), honorable mention, Research Excellence by a Graduate Student; and Michelle Piccione (mentor, Doug DeBoer), Research Excellence by a House Officer.
Professors Jyoti Watters and Tracy Baker were awarded a $380,000 supplement from the NIH National Institute of Aging to begin pilot studies investigating the link between sleep apnea, brain resident immune cells (microglia) and Alzheimer’s disease. This award complements their ongoing $3 million R01 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, evaluating how early-life exposure to sleep apnea during pregnancy pathologically reprograms microglia in the fetal central nervous system.
The editorial board of the Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia selected a manuscript authored by then-graduate student Lauren Hillers-Ziemer, a trainee in the lab of Assistant Professor Lisa Arendt, titled Weighing the Risk: Effects of Obesity on the Mammary Gland and Breast Cancer Risk, as the best paper submitted by a trainee published by the journal in 2020.
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Seth Eaton, clinical assistant professor of comparative ophthalmology, examines the eyes of Valentine, a blood donor horse for UW Veterinary Care's Morrie Waud Large Animal Hospital. Animal blood donors provide critically needed blood products to aid hospital patients in their recovery.
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Upcoming Events
Note: With increased COVID-19 testing, fewer positive cases, and continued vaccinations, UW-Madison has made changes to its campus events policy.
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May 8
SVM Investiture Ceremony
9 a.m. (virtual)
Details and link to be shared soon.
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May 8
UW-Madison Graduate and Professional School Commencement Ceremony
4 p.m., Camp Randall Stadium
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Associated Press
WMTV NBC 15
Spectrum News 1
National Geographic
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“For many homeless folks, companion animals are pathways to feeling love, finding joy, staying hopeful, nurturing purpose, and enhance the overall will to keep living. I’m disabled and I’m well aware that my cat, as my medical assistance animal, makes my life possible.” |
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