Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Since you last heard from me here we’ve continued to make good progress on key priorities for the SVM. We completed our all-school listening sessions, and I'm excited to share some highlights of what I heard and learned later today during an all-school town hall.
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The SVM building and renovation projects, both north and south, continue to move forward and we’re on track to open our new equine arena this month. The School is developing improved pathways to share information about our DVM curricular revision, including a regularly updated website and weekly summary emails. We’re forming the search committee that will be responsible for SVM RISE-THRIVE hires in immunology and healthspan. A quick assessment team has made recommendations and changes that will support staff, house officers and faculty who lead our small animal Critical Care Unit.
While we continue working to advance these exciting and important priorities, I’ve had new opportunities to explore the state and meet more people and organizations in the Wisconsin veterinary and agricultural communities. Most recently, it was a pleasure to visit Larson Acres farm, Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center, Countryside Animal Hospital, and the Fox Valley VMA. Many thanks to all the team members and partners who have helped make these visits possible.
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Until next time, On Wisconsin!
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UW Veterinary Care News
Update from Chris Snyder, director, UW Veterinary Care, and associate dean for clinical affairs
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We’d like to offer heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 Vet Tech of Year Award winners, determined by a vote of nursing staff members. In addition to having their name added to a permanent recognition plaque, each recipient receives a $500 cash award and $500 towards continuing education expenses with two additional paid days to attend CE courses. Many thanks to all who participated in the voting process. And the winners are:
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- Early Career (Less Than 5 years at UWVC) – Stefanie Paulson
- Legends Category- (More than 5 year at UWVC)- Lindsey Hernke
- Large Animal, Vet Tech of the Year- Rachel Borchardt
- Veterinary Technician Assistant- Karen Garcia-Olmos
Another fun way we celebrated the important contributions of Veterinary Technicians was by hosting a CVT Mix & Mingle event on October 19 – which also offered a great opportunity to showcase our SVM North building expansion and share the wonderful things UWVC does to serve the community. We invited all CVTs in Wisconsin and had a great turn out. Thank you
to all who attended!
Also, please join UWVC in welcoming the following team members and in sharing a few staffing updates:
- Ciara Dallas joins the ECC service as a veterinary nurse
- Heather Maxwell is now serving as the CCL for general surgery, and Kellye Walker is serving as the CCL for dermatology
- Hannah DeGroot joins oncology service as a veterinary nurse
Finally, a part of our commitment to be a leader in our teaching mission, we were thrilled to have team members from the SVM’s Office of Academic Affairs conduct a clinical educator professional development series for 20 members of our nursing team (see article below).
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Teaching and Learning News
An update from Peggy Schmidt, associate dean for professional programs
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In January 2023, the SVM launched a Clinical Educator Program for technicians in UWVC. This groundbreaking initiative was designed to elevate veterinary technicians in their educational roles in the teaching hospital. This 7-module program provides comprehensive training, combining educational theory and best teaching practices with practical,
clinic-based teaching experience.
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The program, part of the hospital's broader efforts to be a leader in its teaching mission, aligns with UWVC's commitment to advancing veterinary education. By empowering technicians to be more effective educators, the hospital strengthens its role as a premier teaching institution, enhancing the learning experience for both students and staff.
The Clinical Educator Program aims to build confidence and competence in technician educators, offering tools to improve teaching methods and foster a sense of community. With sessions every two weeks, participants reflect on their teaching philosophies, learn to motivate students, and gain strategies to navigate common teaching challenges in clinical settings.
As one of the program leaders, it’s been very rewarding to see how the Technician Educator Program enhances both the visibility and value of teaching within the technician role, a critical yet often overlooked aspect of a veterinary teaching hospital.
Graduates of the first two program cohorts are:
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Emily Loveland
Karrie Maz
Teka Bue
Heather Bonti
Amanda Anderson
Shaianne Olson
Morgan Kelley
Hayley Pooler
Nicole Schramka
Stefanie Paulson
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Heather Ladwig
Gina Durham
Alician Elskamp
Ashley Onsager
Cheryl Bartels
Jennifer Borgen
Karen Garcia-Olmos
Sara Larsen
Sandy Eklof
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The SVM was filled with new discoveries October 18! Our annual Fall Research Day gives our DVM Summer Scholars a chance to present their research to the SVM community. In addition, each department presented and discussed a selection of their faculty’s research. Judges had a hard time determining scoring because there were so many great entries. Here are our top posters:
3rd place: Ethan Elazequi, Faculty Mentors: Jason Soukup & Elias Wolfs, “Assessing the Influence of Pulp Exposure Duration and Patient Age on the Success Rate of Vital Pulp Therapy in Dogs”
2nd place: Kellyne Skillin, Faculty Mentor: JP Martins, “Optimizing resynchronization of ovulation programs for nonpregnant lactating dairy cows via luteal function evaluation by color Doppler ultrasound”
1st place (tie): Nicola Brown, Faculty Mentor: Peter Muir, “Metacarpal/metatarsal condylar stress fracture assessment in Thoroughbred racehorses: a multi-volume, variable-modulus model”
1st place (tie): Sydney Zwillinger, Faculty Mentors: Starr Cameron & Freya Mowat, “Behavioral Hearing Testing in Dogs: Comparison of Sound Booth vs. Laboratory Setting”
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Correction: Congratulations to Taylor Weary
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In a news item in October, we shared that Kavi Mehta (Department of Comparative Biosciences) published a paper with Tony Goldberg (Department of Pathobiological Sciences) identifying a brand-new papillomavirus in monkeys that has oncogenic potential in monkeys and humans. We regret inadvertently leaving off the first author of the paper, Taylor Weary, a 4th year DVM/PhD student. Apologies and congratulations, Taylor!
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Happy 10th Anniversary, Shelter Medicine
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This fall, the SVM’s Shelter Medicine – a national leader focused on outreach, education, research and community engaged care – is marking the milestone of 10 years. Under the leadership of Sandra Newbury (DVM ’03; Department of Medical Sciences), Shelter Medicine continues to strive for the development of meaningful relationships that foster innovative thinking with students, veterinarians, animal welfare organizations and communities nationally and internationally. The Shelter Medicine team continually advocates for well-being, lifesaving, and community engagement to be fundamental components of any plan for animal care and services, shelter care, or infectious disease outbreak response. Read the complete anniversary article here or look for it in the print issue of On Call coming out this month.
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SVM Honored with HEED Award
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We’re thrilled to announce that the SVM is one of three schools at UW-Madison – along with Pharmacy and Nursing – honored with the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The award recognizes the School’s commitment to cultivating inclusive practitioners and fostering a community of belonging.
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Special Species Supports Preventive Care Exam for Zoo Alligators
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A few weeks ago, UW Special Species faculty Kurt Sladky (’81 MS ’88 DVM ’93; Department of Surgical Sciences) supported the animal care team at the Henry Vilas Zoo to perform sedated preventative health exams on the zoo’s two 35-year-old American alligators, Barley and Honey. Dr. Sladky is shown above, in hat, consulting with HVZ veterinarian Mary Thurber (DVM’14). Preventative health exams allow the zoo care team to gather individual data about their animals and detect potential medical issues before they become a concern. Preventative health exams usually include blood draws, physical exams, x-rays, and ultrasounds, with monitoring of vitals throughout. Sedating Barley and Honey helped minimize their mental and physical stress during this important exam. Both recovered quickly from their anesthesia and were given a clean bill of health!
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This year's Partners in Giving campaign runs now through December 3. As an added incentive, all donors are eligible for reduced-price tickets to the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey, women's basketball, and wrestling events listed below. With your support of any of the nearly 400 organizations under the Partners in Giving umbrella, you will receive a link to redeem these special ticket offers.
Wisconsin Men’s Hockey
Saturday, November 30 vs. Alaska Anchorage (8 p.m.)
Friday, January 17 vs Long Island (7 p.m.)
Reserved tickets are $14; limit of 12 per game per patron. Offer expires at 12 p.m. game day.
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball
Saturday, January 11 vs. Maryland (1:30 p.m.)
Reserved tickets are $4; minimum of 4 per game per patron. Offer expires at 12 p.m. game day.
Wisconsin Wrestling
Sunday, February 9 vs. Michigan State (TBA)
General Admission tickets are $2; limit of 4 per patron. Offer expires at 12 p.m. game day.
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Congratulations to Brent Lesley, the SVM’s Cybersecurity Engineer, on recently achieving a new certification: the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, granted through the Project Management Institute. Through achieving this globally recognized certification, Brent has proven his ability to develop and lead projects in any industry with any model of project management: predictive, hybrid or agile. Individuals with this highly sought-after certification are prized for their ability to work with leadership and stakeholders to lead the successful completion of projects.
Vanessa Bruneau, a third-year small animal internal medicine resident, won the Best Poster Abstract at the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases Symposium in Vancouver, BC. Her poster, "Feline Serum Amyloid A Concentrations: Acute Pyelonephritis vs. Stable Chronic Kidney Disease vs. Healthy Controls," impressed judges not only with its scientific excellence but also with her professionalism in presenting her work. Shoutout to her mentor, Katrina Viviano, for guidance and support. Congratulations!
The lab of M. Suresh was awarded an Administrative Supplement of $285,000 to its NIH grant (Diversifying T Cell Responses: Safeguarding Against Avian Influenza with Mosaic Nucleoprotein) to develop vaccines against avian influenza virus in bovines and other mammals.
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Lyric Bartholomay presided over the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Vector Ecology in Fort Collins, Colorado in September. Dr. Bartholomay is currently the President of the Society of Vector Ecology.
The Department of Surgical Sciences is excited to announce that Sara Tolliver (Department of Surgical Sciences) has accepted a position as a Teaching Assistant Professor in Radiology-Diagnostic Imaging. Sara is excited to transition into this new position and looks forward to continued and future collaborations throughout the clinic and SVM.
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Ali Ross and Tom Richards, CBMS graduate students, shared mosquito and tick knowledge with middle school students attending the Wisconsin Science Festival at the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery in October. We’re starting Wisconsinites young when it comes to sharing what they need to know about mosquitoes and ticks to protect themselves and their pets!
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The World Dairy Expo, held annually in Madison, offers an excellent opportunity for our DVM students and our dedicated faculty and staff to shine. Read more about this year’s event in Dairy Herd Management.
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Registration is now open to attend the 2024 UW–Madison Diversity Forum — “Threads of Belonging: Navigating Differences and Building Community”— which will be held November 13-14 at Union South with options to participate in-person and online. As always, the Diversity Forum, hosted by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA), is free and open to the public. The 2024 conference will focus on underscoring the importance of bringing our full selves to the collective while engaging with diversity and difference to gain new perspectives and facilitate growth.
The SAVMA Blood Drive, through the American Red Cross, is coming up! Sign up to donate either Blood or Power Red November 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in MD-1. Search: UWVETMED. This is a perfect opportunity to earn SAVMA volunteer points: regular donations receive 1 SAVMA volunteer point and Power Red donations receive 2 volunteer points. Walk-ins are welcome but sign up ahead of time to get your preferred time slot: CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment.
Join us for our next session of the Health Sciences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Lunch and Learn sessions on November 20 at 12:00 p.m. The topic is “Inclusive Excellence in Teaching, Advising, and Supervision.” Register for this virtual event here.
Friday, November 16, 2024
DGT: Breakfast with Sally
SVM South Building Foyer
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
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