Dear friends and colleagues,
As the fall semester winds down, the SVM’s ongoing projects will continue to impact our trajectory, our state, and our profession. The SVM North expansion and SVM South renovations are progressing and within the next year we should have renovated primary care spaces, a new PET-CT, and fresh biosafety level 3 research space for groundbreaking innovations. The School has begun searching for three new research-emphasis faculty as part of the UW RISE-THRIVE initiative.
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These hires will include one clinician-scientist and two foundational scientists to work in areas that impact healthspan, such as aging biology and immunology. We also are beginning the search for an Artificial Intelligence focused faculty member to complement existing strengths at the SVM and on campus. Our curricular revision is moving forward, with phase 2 approved by faculty vote in mid-November. We are continuing to improve our hospital’s operations, focusing on recruiting and retaining the very best staff and faculty. During the Spring of 2025 we will undertake strategic planning efforts that will help the SVM broaden and expand its positive impact.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve continued to visit our external stakeholders including the Ag Coalition, practitioners in La Crosse, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, and our Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association Board. These have been great opportunities to listen and learn, and also to share the strengths that make the SVM such an outstanding institution.
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Until next time … On, Wisconsin!
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UWVC celebrated National Radiologic Technologists week November 3-9. Our radiologic technologists expertly perform the same advanced diagnostic imaging modalities found in human hospital – MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, fluoroscopies, and more.
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Eight of our team members are certified through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), bringing the highest standards of expertise to our patients. What sets our team apart is that most of them initially trained in human imaging before transitioning to veterinary care, making them uniquely equipped to complete precise, high-quality diagnostic images for animals. Our technologists contribute immensely to veterinary medicine by providing accurate imaging studies that aid in diagnoses, advocating for optimal imaging standards, and educating future veterinarians on the importance of quality diagnostic imaging. We thank all of our radiologic technologists for their expertise and hard work!
Also, please join us in welcoming new team members to UWVC:
- Keighley Ahlstrom, CPhT, and Susan Klosa, CPhT, join the hospital pharmacy as pharmacy technicians
- Jeana Carter, CVT, joins the hospital's float team as a new veterinary nurse
- Jennifer Francis, CVT, accepted a permanent veterinary nurse position with our ER service
Welcome to all – we’re excited to have you on board!
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SVM Represents at DEI and Wellbeing Summit
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The SVM was well represented at the 2024 AVMA DEI and Wellbeing Summit in Atlanta in November. More than 350 veterinary medical professionals attended this summit focusing on actionable ways to empower and support veterinary professionals and the workplaces where they operate. SVM team members in attendance included Calico Schmidt (’88 DVM’92; Department of Pathobiological Sciences), Lynn Maki (associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs), Carnita Lincoln (DVMx’25), Taylor Gordon (DVMx’25), Ramsey Peterson (DVMx’25), Rhonda Nichols (UWVC social worker), Karrie Mazurkiewicz (UWVC CVT) and Richard Barajas (assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion).
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Working Together to Prevent Extinction of Endangered Species
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Last month PBS and UWVC pathologists Kimberley Sebastian and Alisia Weyna; current and past residents Brittany Moore and Clara Cole; and DVM students Elena Kostecke-Sengstock (DVMx’25) and Ceci Escobar-Lopez (DVMx’25) joined UW-Madison Zoological Museum curators Laura Monahan, John Stuhler and Emily Halverson for the necropsy of a 19-year-old male Masai giraffe. This included collection of tissue for genetic material preservation, images of joints and dental arcades, and collection of the skeleton for studies on aging and disease in this endangered species. Necropsy and preservation of tissue and bones are carefully collected and recorded for the Species Survival Plan data entry system, collated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as part of a global mission to prevent extinction of endangered species. Our expertise as anatomic pathologists and curators is imperative to gaining the best understanding and data possible. The information collected becomes part of a database accessible by researchers around the world.
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Three DVM students, Shimana Bose (DVMx’26), Hunter Lynch (DVMx’26), and Hannah Stocklein (DVMx’26), presented at the ACVP annual meeting student poster session in Seattle on November 16. We are very proud of how well they represented UW and the SVM!
Lyric Bartholomay (PhD’04; Dr. Bernard C. Easterday Professor in Infectious Disease; Department of Pathobiological Sciences) was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) at the organization’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans in November. Congratulations!
Middleton-based Imbed Biosciences has received federal approval to sell Microlyte Ag/Lidocaine, an antimicrobial wound dressing that includes the anesthetic lidocaine to manage painful skin wounds. Former DSS chair Jon McAnulty is one of Imbed’s co-founders.
DSS has several recent announcements to share:
- Third year radiation oncology resident Kaylynn Veitch won best poster at the ACVR conference for her poster, “Occupational radiation exposure and dose distribution during novel helical fan beam standing computed tomography of the equine head and limbs.”
- Sami Loeber presented a seminar to the ACVR whole college on PET/MRI.
- Claudia Colon, small animal surgery resident, won best clinical research abstract at the ACVS scientific symposium for “Electromyographic evaluation and response to electrical stimulation of the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle in dogs with naturally occurring laryngeal paralysis.”
- Graduated ophthalmology resident Taylor Opgenorth received the ACVO best clinical resident manuscript on “Comparison of preoperative retrobulbar bupivacaine and postoperative subcutaneous liposome encapsulated bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia in dogs undergoing enucleation.”
- Kazuya Oikawa, Comparative Ophthalmology resident and post doc researcher in the McLellan Lab, was an invited speaker at the Asian Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology meeting in Tokyo, Japan.
- Gillian McLellan (Tim and Nancy Speaker Chair in Canine Health) gave an invited presentation on her research at the International Society for Eye Research meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Elias Wolfs and Jason Soukup published “Orbital reconstruction: titanium mesh implant after excision of orbitozygomaticomaxillary tumors,” in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
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Ryan Breuer (DVM’12; Department of Medical Sciences) was recently featured in a podcast and article for Mid-West Farm Report, discussing calf health challenges during seasonal changes. He highlighted the increase in respiratory diseases and illnesses like Salmonella as temperatures fluctuate, and shared recommendations for farmers on assessing management protocols to support calf health.
Mackenzie Pellin (DVM’11; Department of Medical Sciences) was recently featured in a Critically Speaking podcast alongside colleagues Laurie Malone and Patricia Ungar. In this episode, they discuss their work training dogs to detect cancers and even COVID-19 before individuals test positive.
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Dean’s Get Together: Holiday Cookie Decorating
Monday, December 16, 11:30am - 1:00pm
SVM South, 2nd floor lobby
Alumni Reception: AAEP Annual Convention
December 9, 2024, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Orlando
Alumni Reception: Veterinary Meeting & Expo
January 25, 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Orlando
For additional information and registration for alumni receptions, contact Kristi Thorson: kristi.thorson@wisc.edu or 608-265-9692
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