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Message from the Dean | October 2020
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The fall semester is well underway, which as all of you know, has been challenging. The university is resuming some in-person undergraduate instruction this week and next. Let's all keep our fingers crossed (and follow important safety precautions) that our COVID-19 numbers stay down so that instruction can continue until Thanksgiving break. As many of you know, last month amid broader campus changes we had a two-day cessation of in-person instruction for our first- through third-year veterinary medical students, but ultimately received approval from UW-Madison leaders to resume in-person instruction by the following Monday. It is my hope and expectation that our current in-person instruction will continue this semester.
I've asked the school's leadership to work with our faculty and instructional staff to evaluate how we can continue to expand the in-person instruction we provide to our veterinary medical students in the spring semester. We face particular challenges due to the severely limited space in the SVM, but I am hopeful we will be able to expand in-person learning opportunities throughout this academic year.
We have recently completed listening sessions with an array of stakeholders on the school's draft strategic plan. It is our goal to complete this strategic plan by the end of 2020, with the implementation of initiatives associated with our strategic priorities in 2021. As our plans roll out, I will provide updates on these strategic priorities and our most important initiatives to help us achieve those priorities.
I wish you all the best throughout the remainder of the fall. As I've highlighted in many previous messages, our success in continuing and expanding in-person instruction at the SVM is dependent on our ability to limit the number of faculty, staff and students who become COVID-19 positive. I continue to encourage you to be smart and be safe in all that you do. To date, we have had very few COVID-19 positive individuals in the school and I'm convinced that if we can maintain our low level of infections we will be successful in expanding our in-person instruction in the coming year.
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UW Veterinary Care Updates from the Director
The new Radixact radiotherapy delivery system has been installed in the hospital, replacing our TomoTherapy machine, and we will resume radiation therapy treatments the week of Oct. 12. This new system incorporates several advancements to provide improved treatment planning speed, imaging detail, image-guided treatments and tumor dose accuracy and delivery. In addition, the machine's adaptive radiotherapy and real-time motion synchronization tracking will allow for easy and accurate changes to treatment plans during treatment when tumors or normal structures change size or shape. We are thrilled to be able to offer to our patients and clients this innovative treatment option, made possible in part by gifts to the school's Pets Make a Difference Fund.
Welcome to Brooke Ace, a new technician in the hospital pharmacy; Caleb Novak, a flex technician in the Large Animal Hospital; Molly Racette, who joined the Emergency and Critical Care faculty in September; and Megan Terrell, a pharmacy technician.
Congratulations to Nate Van Asselt and Audrey Stevens for passing the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) radiation oncology certifying examination and to Richard Brooksby, Andrew Eitzer and Sara Tolliver for passing the ACVR qualifying board exam.
I know that challenges related to the pandemic continue for all of us, both professionally and personally. I want to again express my gratitude for your dedication and resolve. Under trying circumstances we are maintaining an excellent level of patient care, as this recent client comment attests:
"Given the circumstances with COVID restrictions, the appointment went very well. ... We've been clients since 1993 -- have always received great care. It's wonderful to have specialists easily accessible for consultation."
-Ellen, Madison, Wisconsin
Ruthanne Chun DVM'91 Director, UW Veterinary CareAssociate Dean for Clinical Affairs
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School News
All UW-Madison employees and students are encouraged to get flu shots this fall. Flu shot clinics are being held on campus through Oct. 10 and appointments are required. View details.
If you haven't already, register to vote and make a plan for voting in the Nov. 3 election. Visit vote.wisc.edu to learn about voter eligibility, registration, voter ID, voting by absentee and more. You can also sign up for text updates; text the word BadgersVote to the number 56525.
The 48th annual Partners in Giving campaign, this year themed Stronger, Together, begins Oct. 12 and continues through Nov. 27 -- an opportunity for state, UW and UW Health employees in Dane County to join together to support of more than 500 charities.
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges has started a Diversity Community Reads program for faculty and staff to read and discuss books related to diversity, equity and inclusion issues in veterinary medical education. The first Zoom discussion is scheduled for Oct. 14. The first text is Academic Ableism by Jay Dolmage, available for free download. For more information, see a Sept. 17 email to SVM faculty and staff from Richard Barajas and register here.
The UW-Madison Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement is also hosting a Diversity Book Club with discussions of I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown and White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. Brown and DiAngelo are the keynote speakers for this year's UW-Madison Diversity Forum, Oct. 27-28.
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Student News
Welcome to two new Ross University students who began their clinical year with us in September, joining the Class of 2021: Japinder Grewal and Sean Kent.
The school's Broad Spectrum student chapter sold 169 T-shirts last month, raising $1,417 for GSAFE, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ students in Wisconsin schools. On National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, as a sign of solidarity for LGBTQ+ people in the SVM, those who purchased shirts -- or otherwise want to show support -- are encouraged to post a photo to social media. Include #NCOD and tag @uwbroadspectrum.
The school's Veterinary Medical Outreach Organization student chapter plans to start a Veterinary Spanish Club at the SVM and is seeking participation from students, faculty, staff and house officers who want to improve their knowledge of veterinary Spanish. Those interested in participating as a learner or leader should complete this survey.
In recognition of the difficulties that COVID-19 has placed on Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBMS) graduate students' dissertation completion, the CBMS program used a portion of their student support allocation from the Graduate School to provide additional funding support to PhD students who are close to dissertation completion but whose progress was delayed by COVID-19. Dissertation completion fellowships were awarded to CBMS students Woojong Lee, Diego Lema and Jordan Mandli.
Preston Cernek DVMx'21 has published in the Journal of Dairy Science research that he performed in Associate Professor Dorte Döpfer's lab as a Summer Scholars student in 2019, exploring a method for detecting digital dermatitis with computer vision.
Raul Landeo DVMx'22 is among 18 exemplary veterinary medical students across the nation to receive an American Association of Bovine Practitioners Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award and $5,000 scholarship presented by Merck Animal Health.
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Research News
Professor Marulasiddappa Suresh led research published in Cell Reports Medicine in September that describes a T-cell-based vaccine strategy that is effective against multiple strains of influenza virus. The study suggests a potential strategy for developing a universal flu vaccine and aids understanding of how to induce and maintain T-cell immunity in the respiratory tract. The researchers believe the same approach could apply to several other respiratory pathogens, including the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
WARF Therapeutics encourages researchers working on a novel biological target to submit project proposals by Oct. 15. WARF Therapeutics works with researchers to advance work closer to clinical testing, investing in the development of drug-like molecules using industry-centric drug discovery resources. In addition, researchers are invited to attend the WARF Therapeutics Drug Discovery Seminar Series in November.
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Upcoming Events
Whenever possible, the university recommends that events and meetings continue to be held virtually. The new campus events policy for schools, colleges, divisions and departments can be found here and for registered student organizations here.
CASI Forum (update on SVM building project)
Oct. 6
Noon-1 p.m.
Virtual event; calendar invite with login information will be sent the day prior.
Virtual School of Veterinary Medicine Town Hall
Oct. 13
Noon-1 p.m.
Tentative; if held, login details will be sent by email.
SVM Fall Research Day
Oct. 28
3:30-5:30 p.m.
Virtual event; see Sept. 28 email from Associate Dean Bjorling for details and Zoom link.
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