E-Insight

March 2006

College Announces New Associate Dean for PVM Program

Dr. Peter Hellyer, a Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, will be replacing Dr. Martin Fettman in the position of Associate Dean for the Professional Veterinary Medical (PVM) Program starting July 1. Dr. Fettman is retiring from the University and moving to Arizona with his wife, Dr. Heather Connally, who is in private practice.

"It has been an honor to work with Marty during my time as Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences," said Dr. Lance Perryman. "While it is never easy to lose someone of Marty's caliber, I know that we have an excellent replacement in Dr. Peter Hellyer. His devotion to his students, and his desire to make veterinary medical education responsive to the current and future needs of the profession and its students, ensure us a continuity of excellence in the position of Associate Dean for the Professional Veterinary Medical Program."

Dr. Hellyer said his first priority when becoming Associate Dean is to learn the job, figuring out what needs to be done. With the basics under control, he'd like to work with the PVM curriculum committee to refine and integrate the program within each year and across all four years. One of his objectives is to develop a database faculty can use to determine what is taught, when it's taught, who taught it, and understand the comprehensiveness of material when presented.

"A second priority I have is to work toward establishing a dental program," said Dr. Hellyer. "I know this is something of great importance to our students, and I think we can develop a program that meets the standards of excellence of the College."

A third priority for Dr. Hellyer is the creation of a Center for Teaching and Learning within the veterinary school. The center would provide access to databases for faculty and staff, help refine teaching efforts, improve efficiencies, and raise awareness of and funds for the PVM Program. Dr. Hellyer plans to spend about 75 percent of his time on his Associate Dean duties, while the remaining 25 percent will be devoted to teaching in the clinical and biomedical sciences, and promoting the establishment of a Pain Center at Colorado State University.

"Teaching is so important that most of my efforts will be geared toward teaching," said Dr. Hellyer. "We want to provide students with a really great program, the latest information, and provide the opportunities to use that information to make decisions, follow through, and apply what they learn. My goal is to be here as an advocate for a solid teaching program - to be here for students and to help faculty refine and improve the curriculum."

Dr. Hellyer began his career at Colorado State University in 1995, when he joined the anesthesia faculty at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. While on the anesthesia faculty, he helped to develop a problem-based learning program for students rotating through the anesthesia service. He served as section head of anesthesia for five years, from 1996 to 2001, and has since served on the Animal Care and Use Committee. He received his undergraduate and DVM (1983) degrees from The Ohio State University and then went on to work in small animal practices. He developed an interest in anesthesia and pain management, and returned to Ohio State to complete a three-year residency and masters of clinical sciences in 1988. He then took a faculty position at North Carolina State University, where he worked until coming to CSU.

Dr. Hellyer's research work focuses on pain and pain management, including a survey of attitudes toward pain management, opiate receptors in the horse and dog, the effects of NSAIDS on GI lesions in dogs, development of a pain-scoring system, and specific drug studies to enhance the use of pain medications for injured, ill, and post-operative animals.