E-Insight

April 2005

Update from the Dean’s Office

Dear Friends,

April seems to be one of the busiest months here at Colorado State University with so many activities planned as well as everyone gearing up for finals and graduation in May. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is no exception and I have a number of things to cover in this update.

First, I’d like to let you know about an exciting new program we have established with Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. Last month, Hills signed a three-year agreement to establish a Shelter Medicine Fellowship program. Partnering with the Denver Dumb Friends League (DDFL), we will recruit two DVM fellows annually who will be paid a stipend from Hills. Their time will be split between the DDFL and the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. This program ensures quality veterinary care for shelter animals at the DDFL and gives the fellows a rich veterinary experience to carry them into their professional careers. The fellowships will begin this summer. I’d like to thank Hills Pet Nutrition not only for their vision, but for their compassion.

Next, I’m pleased to report that the search for the Vice President for Administrative Services has been successfully completed (see story in this edition of E-Insight). As co-chair of the search committee, I can tell you that this was an involved process as we searched nationally for the best candidates. Keith Ickes, a long-time administrator at CSU, was chosen for the position and I know he will bring an excellent skill set matched to meet the financial challenges that lie ahead for the University.

Over spring break, I was in Washington D.C. for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges meeting. As part of that meeting, we visited senators and congressional representatives with the goal of introducing the Veterinary Workforce Expansion Act in 2005. I had the opportunity to meet with Sen. Wayne Allard and Sen. John Ensign (Nevada) about this legislation. They are the two veterinary members of the Senate and both also are alumni of Colorado State University. I also met with a staff member from Sen. Ken Salazar’s office and with Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave to secure their co-sponsorship of the act. The act enables funding legislature to upgrade facilities at existing schools and colleges of veterinary medicine, and graduate more veterinarians committed to employment in the public sector including state and federal governmental agencies, public health agencies, research institutions and laboratory animal medicine programs.

In other news, I’d like to draw your attention to the new alcohol reimbursement policy for the College. The article in this month’s E-Insight details the policy and how it affects expense reporting. In another article, we highlight the College’s annual open house at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. This is a wonderful community event that draws a large crowd every year, and I want to thank all the volunteers who worked so diligently to ensure another successful event.

A couple other items include the upcoming Faculty and Staff Meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 4:15 p.m., at the University Park Holiday Inn. We’ll be discussing standing committee reports, have a budget update, and Dr. Lori Kogan will summarize the results of the annual faculty survey. On April 22-24, the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association is holding its leadership conference in Beaver Creek. We have a number of our students and faculty members attending the conference, the topic of which is “Veterinarians’ Role in Providing Animal Care for Economically Disadvantaged Animal Owners and Producers.”

To wrap up, I hope everyone has a great month and I look forward to seeing most of you at the Faculty and Staff meeting.

With Best Regards,

Lance Perryman, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences