Dear Friends,
Spring is finally arriving in Colorado and, after nearly three months of snow on the ground, not a moment too soon. March is shaping up to be a busy time of the year, so let’s get right to what is happening in the Dean’s Office.
The Foresight Analysis plan that members of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has been working on will be published in a special issue of JVME (The Journal of Veterinary Medical Education) and each faculty member will receive a copy. As President of the AAVMC, I had the privilege of participating in this process and am anxious to share the report with my colleagues and others in veterinary medicine. Veterinarians employed in academia often focus on their own specialty organizations. The Foresight Analysis report shows how we can advance the profession through refinements in our educational programs. Most recently, I attended an AAVMC meeting with industrial veterinary representatives and had a chance to describe the report and the future directions the AAVMC will take to implement the basic concepts of the Foresight Analysis.
On Feb. 10, I attended Colorado State University Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Awards and Recognition Banquet where Dr. Ward Whicker, a Professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, received the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award. Congratulations to Dr. Whicker, a leader in the field of radioecology and a long-time esteemed member of our College’s faculty (see related article in this edition of E-Insight).
From Feb. 16-20, I visited Phoenix for fundraising activities and Las Vegas for fundraising and the annual Western Veterinary Conference. It was wonderful to visit with so many of our alumni and also spend time with friends of the College who have supported us for so many years. Ms. Whitney Miller, MBA degree recipient and third-year PVM student, was honored as our WVC Scholarship Award recipient.
From March 2-6, I was in Washington D.C. to lead the annual meeting of the AAVMC during which Dr. Ray Whalen, a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, received the National Carl J. Norden Pfizer Distinguished Teacher Award. Congratulations to Dr. Whalen whose many years of innovative teaching have resulted in tremendous improvements in the teaching of veterinary anatomy to the benefit of thousands of students nation and worldwide (see related article in this edition of E-Insight).
During the AAVMC annual meeting, representatives from member institutions also discussed implementation of the Foresight Analysis report, and met with congressional representatives and senators regarding reintroduction of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act. We hope this year will see the Act move through the legislative process more quickly and eventually win approval and funding.
Lastly, I’d like to bring everyone’s attention to the Spring Faculty/Staff meeting scheduled for April 19, 4:15 p.m., at the Hilton Hotel in Fort Collins. At the meeting, we will present detailed plans on each of the seven major construction projects on the board for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. We hope everyone will be able to attend as we have so much exciting news to share. Please join us as we take a look at the College’s present and future plans and how these upcoming projects will affect our College, and our faculty, staff and students.
Enjoy spring break and I hope to see you all at the Spring Faculty/Staff meeting.
Best Regards,
Lance Perryman, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
