Dear Friends and Colleagues,
During this past month, I’ve been getting to know the SVM through focused meetings, listening sessions, and our first townhall. As you may have noticed, I have also been walking through our hospital, teaching, and research spaces to meet team members where they are and learn about what they do day to day. It’s been wonderful talking with our students and house officers and learning about their interests and future aspirations – and we’re thrilled to welcome our DVM Class of 2028 to the SVM as they begin their journey to becoming a veterinarian.
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It's also been wonderful to connect with our faculty to hear more about their cases, teaching, and research accomplishments. Visiting with our staff in the hospital, and those who support our teaching and research missions, has also been a highlight. Special thanks to those who have given me impromptu tours, tips on local cuisine, and advice about driving in snow – hopefully I have a little time to get prepared before we see the first flakes!
I’ve also been working to get to know our state and outside community, attending my first WVMA events, visiting practitioners and stakeholders in Eau Claire and Waukesha, and touring the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Baron. It’s been great to see the reach and impact of our work right here in Madison and all across the state. My first few weeks have underscored how strong our community is and, again, I’d like to thank everyone for the warm welcome.
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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As summer comes to a close, we embark on the start of another fall semester and are excited to welcome a new class of DVM students. Returning and new students are always encouraged to visit us to see and experience our compassionate, unparalleled veterinary care in action every day. In addition, we’d like to thank our dedicated staff as well as the SVM facilities and IT teams. It’s been a busy summer as we continue to settle into our spaces in SVM North and continue ongoing renovations to SVM South.
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During a recent event hosted at UWVC by our friends at the WVMA, it was a pleasure to offer tours of our new spaces to some of our valued referring veterinarians.
Finally, please join us in welcoming new team members:
- Alexandra Eisner joins the large animal hospital as a new veterinary nurse, while Emma Butcher and Faith Miller join as veterinary nurse assistants
- Matthew Richards joins the clinical pathology lab as a medical lab technician
- Sveta Slobodyan joins anesthesia as a veterinary nurse
- Heather Maxwell is taking on a new role as a CCL (you may know Heather from her role in hospital reception, mainly in oncology)
- Megan Wood, CVT, joins the ECC as a veterinary nurse
Welcome to all, we’re go glad to have you on board!
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Teaching and Learning News
Update from Peggy Schmidt, associate dean for professional programs
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Collaborative Teaching Award: We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Collaborative Teaching Award honoring outstanding teamwork in education. This award was developed by Michelle Turek, Karen Young, and Simon Lygo-Baker, members of the Scholarship working group within the original PREPARE Graduates task force on curriculum revision. This award honors teams of educators who demonstrate excellence in working together to create engaging and effective learning environments. All faculty, instructors, house officers, post-graduate trainees, veterinary nurses and research technicians involved in student instruction are eligible to apply. To qualify, each team member must contribute significantly to the collaborative approach described in the application.
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Curriculum Revision Update: Module Leaders have been selected to transform module blueprints into concrete learning activities and assessments. This dedicated team will work together to develop Phases 1 and 2, focusing on fostering critical thinking and clinical reasoning through a guided instruction approach. The Module Leaders, as content experts in their respective fields, will work collaboratively with instructional specialists and members of the Curriculum & Educational Support team to create engaging and effective learning experiences. Together, they will leverage their combined expertise to ensure that the revised curriculum aligns with the program's goals and meets the needs of learners. The revised curriculum will prioritize active learning experiences that challenge students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. By emphasizing critical thinking and clinical reasoning, we aim to equip our students with the skills necessary to excel in their future careers. We are excited to begin this next stage of curriculum development and look forward to the positive impact this revised curriculum will have on our students' education.
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SVM Receives K9 Unit Merit Award
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On August 15, Sheriff Travis Maze of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office presented the SVM with the K9 Unit Merit Award in recognition of the longstanding partnership with the SVM to provide discounted veterinary medical care for their K9 officers. The plaque was presented alongside Representative Scott Johnson of Jefferson and past Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath. The SVM is honored to receive this award and to support law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve all across the state of Wisconsin.
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Welcome to our New Board of Visitors Members
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We’re thrilled to share six outstanding individuals have accepted Dean Levine’s invitation to join the SVM’s Board of Visitors. They are:
- Mitch Breunig ’92 – a CALS graduate and owner of Mystic Valley Dairy in Sauk City, WI
- Kim Kratt DVM’00 – an SVM graduate, practice owner of Central Animal Hospital in Onalaska, WI and president-elect of the WVMA Board
- Jane Mandula ’86 – engineering graduate, business owner, past member of the WFAA Board of Directors and generous friend of the SVM
- Linda Nelson ’82 – a graduate of the business school, retired from the State of Wisconsin Investment Board and early friend and client of the SVM; she and her husband established the Easterday professorship
- Jeff Wiesner ’83 – an engineering graduate, retired partner at Accenture, member of the WFAA Board of Directors and long-time supporter of the SVM’s shelter medicine program
- Ewan Wolff DVM’11 – an SVM graduate and small animal internist at BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital in Portland, OR who has served in multiple leadership roles within BluePearl, including scientific design and their university partnership program; Ewan also is on the board of directors for the Pride Veterinary Medical Community and is a research assistant professor at University of New Mexico
We are honored to have the input and engagement of so many incredible friends, alumni and supporters. View our full Board of Visitors here.
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It was a busy August for Dean Jon Levine! As part of UW’s series of 175th anniversary events and his desire to meet veterinarians, legislators and other key stakeholders around the state, he traveled to Eau Claire, which included a stop at Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital as well as a visit to the famous Leinie Lodge. A trip to Waukesha included time at the Waukesha Veterinary Referral Center as well as a stop at GE HealthCare.
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Dean's Gathering/All School Picnic - Join Us September 13!
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As a fun way to celebrate the beginning of each school year, the dean hosts a welcome picnic for all SVM students, employees and their guests. Mark your calendar for Friday, September 13th, 2024, from 5:00-7:00pm under the SVM South overhang. Look for more details coming soon in your email inbox. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!
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FFAR Fellowship Awarded to Kellyne Skillin
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This summer, DVM student Kellyne Skillin (DVMx’27) was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural research (FFAR) to pursue research furthering global food security, sustainable animal production and environmental sustainability. The fellowship provides support for a summer scholars stipend and some research supply costs as well as travel to the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium. Kellyne’s work, with JP Martins (Department of Medical Sciences), focuses on how early pregnancy loss in dairy cows adversely affects overall herd reproductive performance and thus the profitability of commercial dairy farms. Her research aims to minimize pregnancy loss and more quickly identify cows who failed to get pregnant, allowing for faster re-insemination to improve productivity of the herd. Congratulations, Kellyne!
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As we know, remarkable discoveries occur at the intersection of animal and human health. Here at the SVM, Marulasiddappa Suresh, John E. Butler Professor in Comparative and Mucosal Immunology and associate dean for research and graduate education, is conducting a landmark exploration of immune resistance and respiratory viral infections and how they impact people and animals alike. This work was recently featured in a profile by the UW Foundation.
In recent trials, a new inhaled nasal spray is proving safe and effective in bolstering protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza for people vulnerable to severe disease when they receive it in addition to the annual flu shot. The vaccine candidate, FluGen’s M2SR, is based on technology developed by researchers in the SVM Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Yoshihiro Kawaoka and Gabriele Neumann, more than a decade ago.
Northwestern University scientists have developed a cell-free bioactive material comprising a complex network of molecular components that work together as a scaffold to mimic cartilage’s natural environment in the body. To evaluate effectiveness in promoting cartilage growth, the material was tested in sheep with cartilage defects in the stifle joint at the SVM in the laboratory of Mark Markel (Department of Medical Sciences). Read the complete research paper or a summary for more details on the findings.
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