Dear Friends,
The season of construction is upon us as we ramp up projects on the South Campus and Main Campus, and near completion of a new research facility at the Foothills Campus. The Regional Biocontainment Laboratory will be completed this month, though with commissioning the building and testing the systems, it will be a few months before the keys are handed over and research work begins at the facility. I know our faculty members are anxious to get moved in, and wish them the best of luck in all their endeavors in our newest research facility.
On the South Campus, demolition work on the concrete floors of the old Dairy Barns has been completed, and the next step will be to begin work on infrastructure for the new Diagnostic Medicine Center. You can read a more in-depth article about the RBL in this edition of E-Insight, as well as see photos of the dairy floor removal.
On the Main Campus, the Office of the Dean is preparing to move temporarily to the first floor of the Student Services Building (northeast section) while our current offices are renovated and expanded. The move is scheduled for July 30 and 31, and we expect to be back up and running on Wednesday, August 1. We hope to move back to our newly refurbished offices by Dec. 31, 2007.
On June 18 and 19, I attended the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association annual meeting in Steamboat Springs where I gave a report on the Food Animal Veterinary Career Incentive Program (FAVCIP). We are one full year ahead of schedule and have accepted our first Professional Veterinary Medical student into the program. Josephine Hover, who will embark on the FAVCIP this fall, is from Fort Collins and a graduate of Colorado State University. In following years, we hope to bring in five students each fall to participate in FAVCIP with the goal of increasing the number of veterinarians practicing in rural areas.
On June 20, it was my distinct privilege to honor the College’s five endowed chairs at a ceremony and reception in the University Club at the Lory Student Center. Being honored were: Dr. Christopher Kawcak, The Iron Rose Ranch Chair in Musculoskeletal Equine Disease and Injury; Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith, The Barbara Cox Anthony University Chair in Orthopaedic Research; Dr. Robert Ullrich, The Barbara Cox Anthony University Chair in Oncology; Dr. Stephen Withrow, The Stuart Chair in Oncology; and Dr. Gordon Woods, The John Alexander Chair in Large Animal Reproduction.
Looking ahead, from July 13-18 I’ll be attending the annual meeting of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C. At this meeting, held in conjunction with the American Veterinary Medical Association convention, the AAVMC’s board of directors will select the organization’s next executive director. We also will continue our work on the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act – S 746 in the Senate and HR 1232 in the House. Sen. Wayne Allard introduced the bill in the Senate with Sen. Ken Salazar as one of the co-sponsors. In the House, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) introduced the bill with Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave as one of the co-sponsors.
During the meeting, AAVMC members will meet with their respective senators and congressional representative to seek additional co-sponsors to promote eventual passage of the bill. The purpose of the bill is to provide a source of funding to which existing colleges of veterinary medicine can submit applications to renovate and/or add new facilities to increase class size and educate more veterinarians. The specific goal of the program is to increase the number of veterinarians entering public health and public practice.
This will be my last meeting as president of the AAVMC. The experience has been wonderful and rewarding, and it has been a true honor for me to serve as president. Though I will have continued responsibilities, the work load will be less intense. I’d like to say thanks to my colleagues who supported me so generously during my tenure as president. In was a privilege to serve for such a fine organization.
Finally, on July 16, during the AVMA convention, we’ll be hosting a CVMBS alumni reception. Please join us if you are attending the convention. Thank you and I look forward to seeing many of you in Washington.
Best Regards,
Lance Perryman, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
