E-Insight

May 2006

Update from the Dean's Office

Dear Friends,

April and May always bring a flurry of activity with awards ceremonies, celebrations, graduation and more, but this year I seem to be particularly fortunate to have so much good news to share with you.

First, we are hopeful that the CVMBS capital construction projects now before the governor of Colorado will be signed into law, as approved in the state budget by the State House and Senate. These projects include $3.2 million for mechanical upgrades and fire sprinklers at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital; $3.5 million in planning funds for the new Diagnostic Medicine Center; and $400,000 to replace and upgrade fire alarms in the Anatomy/Zoology Building. We hope this represents a new era for the College and the University, made possible partly with the passage of Referendum C in the last Colorado election and with the continued private support of donors.

One of those very special donors, Dr. Delbert Osguthorpe, a 1943 graduate of the Colorado A&M (CSU) Professional Veterinary Medical Program, also deserves an honorable mention. Dr. Osguthorpe, who has long supported the CVMBS Scholarship Program for PVM students, joined us this year at the College's Scholarships and Awards luncheon and was also the guest of honor at a special reception. Dr. Osguthorpe announced that he has made a planned gift of $12 million to construct the Food Animal Care Facility at the University's South Campus. Dr. Osguthorpe's generosity and continued investment in his alma mater truly leave us without the right words to express our gratitude, except for a heartfelt thank you.

With this planned gift, and with additional state funds, we hope to begin construction this fall on the infrastructure of the Veterinary Medical Center, with improving and restructuring parking areas as a first step.

In other activities this month, I will be attending and presenting at the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association's spring leadership conference at Beaver Creek and then make my way to Bismarck, N.D., for a WICHE meeting where we will work to set PVM tuition rates for member states. On May 31 and June 1, Fort Collins will host a Foresight Workshop for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. I will participate in this workshop, as president of the AAVMC, and Kendra Flood, PVM 2007 and past SCAVMA president, will contribute from a student's perspective. For more on the Foresight Project, please refer to the March E-Insight.

In other news, I want to congratulate all involved with the Infectious Disease Program whose hard work has paid off in many ways including, most recently, designation as the University's first Supercluster, as established in the University Strategic Plan (for more information, read the Supercluster article in this edition of E-Insight). The Infectious Disease Supercluster will receive additional funding from the University to continue its important work, and we look forward to many great advances in infectious disease research as this program continues to grow and develop.

Lastly, I want to congratulate each and every one of our undergraduate, graduate and Professional Veterinary Medical students who will be receiving their diplomas during graduation weekend, May 12-13. You have reached a well-deserved resting point on your educational journey. Some of you may stop, celebrate and stay a bit, while others may move on to the next higher pursuit in your academic career. Whatever your path, I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors. And keep in touch.

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