Update from the dean’s office
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The search for a new associate dean for student academic affairs is underway here at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. Chad Vezina, chair of the Department of Comparative Biosciences, is leading the search committee, which will include faculty, students, and staff
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The position will be posted in the coming weeks and on-site interviews and selection will occur by the end of the spring semester, according to Dean Jon Levine.
“My sincere hope is that our next associate dean for student academic affairs will build on Lynn Maki’s (’00) strong legacy of leadership, outstanding student support, and faculty engagement,” Levine adds.
Maki retired at the end of the fall semester, in part to have time and space to recover from a series of small strokes that resulted from a medical procedure in July. Calico Schmidt (’88 DVM’92; Department of Pathobiological Sciences) has been serving in the role on an interim basis since November.
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Save the date: 2026 alumni reunion on June 27
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Save the date for one of our favorite gatherings of the year: Our annual alumni reunion will be held on June 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the school’s courtyard — a lovely space for outdoor gatherings that is the heart of our expanded facilities. While all alumni are invited to the event, we will be celebrating the classes of 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021.
Additional details about registration will be shared in the coming months. Information about a hotel block for the event can be found here.
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Legislative update: Rural loan repayment program awaits floor votes
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A bipartisan plan moving through the state Legislature could provide game-changing financial assistance for some Wisconsin veterinary medical students and recent graduates. The proposal offers up to $100,000 in student loan repayments for veterinarians employed in designated rural counties, helping tackle provider shortages while providing students significant financial assistance. UW Vet Med leaders worked with campus partners to provide testimony in support of the legislation.
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(Photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison)
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Under the plan, fourth-year DVM students and veterinarians who have graduated in the past seven years (from the UW School of Veterinary Medicine or other accredited schools) would be eligible for the repayments, so long as they meet the following criteria:
- Be employed in (or will be employed in) designated rural counties for at least a year.
- Spend at least 25% of their time caring for farm animals.
In exchange, the state would provide $25,000 in loan repayments annually for up to four years.
Committees in both the Senate and Assembly have unanimously signed off on the bill, teeing it up for a full floor vote in both chambers. However, even if the proposal is passed between now and the end of the current legislative session — late February or early March — a key hurdle remains: The bill does not currently contain funding for the loan repayment program.
One of the plan’s lead authors, Rep. Joel Kitchens, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he expects funding for the program to be included in the next state budget. Lawmakers will take up that spending plan in summer 2027.
We will continue to provide updates on this important issue as well as other related topics as they arise.
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OnWard curriculum bolsters early clinical experiences for UW Vet Med students
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Since the start of the fall semester, the UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) has been integrating early clinical experiences into each phase of our new OnWard curriculum, working to ensure seamless and productive student transitions from the classroom to clinical practice.
The SVM considers pre-clinical opportunities with authentic patient contact in a real-world context to be early clinical experiences.
“Early clinical exposure promotes deeper learning, stronger understanding, and longer retention of knowledge by allowing students to apply foundational concepts in real clinical situations,” says Liddy Alvarez (Dept. of Medical Sciences), an SVM faculty member and the school’s director of early clinical experiences.
These community-based education opportunities give students exposure to the places where many of them will be practicing veterinarians. They also teach students the scope and importance of primary care, including the veterinarian’s role as a first-line, whole‑health provider, while also deepening their understanding of communication, continuity of care, cultural humility, and the impact of pet health on families.
Starting in August 2027, the goal will be that all third-year veterinary students will be required to rotate through several varied semi-structured weeklong early clinical experiences in clinical settings outside of the UWVC teaching hospital. The SVM is reaching out to students, alumni, and past participants in our career fair for their feedback as we create these new opportunities. Please take a brief survey to share your thoughts by clicking the button below.
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The SVM Alumni Association (SVMAA) will hold its next meeting virtually on Monday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. central.
If you are an alum who is not an SVMAA member, there are two ways to join. You can make a gift and be automatically enrolled, or sign up here without making a gift.
Membership benefits:
- All members who make a $60 minimum gift will receive a special SVMAA branded gift upon initial enrollment (IRS rules require this gift amount)
- Invitation to attend the school’s annual Dean’s Luncheon (held in September)
- Invitation to attend SVMAA meetings
- A great way to have a voice in supporting the school, alumni, and the students
For questions and meeting access information, please contact Kristi Thorson.
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Wanted: Feline patients who have had MRI or CT scans
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Cats age seven and older that have had MRI or CT imaging of their brain or skull completed at UW Veterinary Care within the past five years are eligible to participate. No additional trips to the hospital are necessary. Participants just need to fill out a 10-minute behavior questionnaire, which will be shared with them by a clinician after enrolling in the study.
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- Dean Jon Levine and alum Meg Mueller (DVM’10) were quoted in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story examining the shortage of veterinarians in rural Wisconsin.
- Alum Nicole Nietlisbach (DVM’19) was recently featured in a Wisconsin Natural Resources story exploring the work of veterinarians at the state DNR. Nietlisbach, along with two other staff veterinarians, is responsible for ensuring the population health of Wisconsin’s fish and wildlife species. Read the full story here.
- Thomas Friedrich (’97 PhD’03; Department of Pathobiological Sciences) and Keith Poulsen (’00 DVM’04 PhD’12; Department of Medical Sciences; Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) were quoted in a recent Nature story about H5N1 focused on how to prevent the next flu pandemic.
- Kristen Bernard (MS’92 PhD’95; Chair, Department of Pathobiological Sciences) spoke with Block Club Chicago about a recent canine rabies case in Chicago, outlining how a nationwide public health initiative dating back to 1947 has dramatically curbed the disease’s presence in pets.
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Feb. 16, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Alumni reception – WVC Annual Conference
Border Grill – Mandalay Bay (south dining room)
Las Vegas, NV
Please contact Kristi Thorson if you plan to attend
June 27, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
UW Vet Med courtyard
2015 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706
Registration details to come
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