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December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011Eleanor M. Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP

  • On Nov. 14th, the CVM hosted almost a dozen staff members from the State Capitol. These guests, invited by governmental affairs staff from the university, work with our legislators to help set budget priorities for upcoming legislative sessions. After a brief introductory presentation, the group was led on a tour of the CVM by Vet Med Ambassador, Joe Pluhar. According to Texas A&M Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Michael O'Quinn, "It was great for these visitors, who have key responsibilities relating to appropriations, to see firsthand the amazing work of the College's students, faculty and staff. We received positive feedback regarding A&M's effort to enhance animal and human health. They also saw the passion for what we do in the College. As the state's only college of veterinary medicine, it was a tremendous opportunity to share with them the important role that Texas A&M plays in service to the citizens of Texas."
  • On December 5th, we interviewed three candidates for the Assistant Dean for Finance position. The interview schedule for each candidate included representative groups from across the college. For those asked to participate in the interview process, a website was created so that each candidate's information could be reviewed ahead of the interview. The website can be accessed at /assistant-dean-search. Afterward, participants in the interview process were able to use the website to submit comments about each candidate. These comments are being collected and used as part of the candidate evaluation process. I hope to have a new Assistant Dean for Finance in place in January.
  • Recently, I attended the national convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Our college was extremely well represented. Dr. William Moyer concluded his term as president of AAEP and gave a passionate presentation. In addition, Dr. Noah Cohen presented the prestigious Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture. The Milne Lecturer is chosen by a highly competitive process and is awarded to an individual deemed to have contributed a body of work in their discipline. Dr. Cohen's topic was epidemiology. Joe Pluhar, a 3VM and DVM/MBA student, also attended the conference and was interviewed as a representative of our student body. The Veterinary Emergency Team also was highlighted at the convention. The AAEP Foundation was one of the first financial contributors to the VET, helping them acquire much needed start-up equipment. They continue to be very supportive of our efforts in helping animals in disaster. As always, our faculty and our students continue to put our college in the spotlight with all of their hard work and dedication.
  • In 2010, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents created the Texas A&M University Institute for Advanced Study (TIAS), a program designed to bring nationally and internationally prominent faculty fellows to Texas A&M University for an extended term to engage in disciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborations. Serving on the Advisory Committee for TIAS as the representative for our college is Distinguished Professor James Womack. Each college has been invited to submit names of preeminent scholars (Nobel laureates, national academy members, etc.) that could be invited to Texas A&M. The next step - in anticipation of a call for scholars from Dr. John L. Junkins, the interim director of TIAS, is to identify potential scholars we think should be included. The department heads will discuss potential candidates with their faculty and will recommend one to two scholars per department in an area of one of our strengths (e.g., signature programs) for this opportunity to take a sabbatical at Texas A&M. The final names will be decided upon by the administrative team and will be submitted to TIAS through the Dean's Office. During this process, we have been asked not to personally contact any of the potential scholars. Once a final list has been created by the TIAS team, they will be responsible for extending the invitation.
  • On Nov. 8th, representatives from Pfizer Animal Health met with the CVM Administrative Team to discuss possible collaborations and areas of funding. Texas A&M former student, Dr. Michael McFarland, represented Pfizer Animal Health at the meeting. Dr. McFarland is supportive of a number of opportunities to work with the CVM, and had this to say about his visit, "In my position at Pfizer Animal Health, I have the privilege to work with all of the U.S. Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, so I have to remain objective when evaluating partnership opportunities. However, as a former student, it gives me great pride to see such strong and progressive leadership at my alma mater. The highly strategic plans evolving at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences will truly advance the veterinary profession. Pfizer Animal Health is proud to have opportunities to further support the CVM in these efforts." On 12-9-11, I received notice that Pfizer will direct $50,000 towards planning of a veterinary media and communications initiative. We look forward to hearing about other proposals.
  • The Research & Graduate Studies website has been redesigned and offers an improved, user-friendly window into our programs. The Graduate Studies site can be found at /graduate, while the Research information can be found at /research. Prospective graduate and DVM students, as well as prospective faculty, are able to search for mentors and collaborators through the new website. New content has been added and provides details about all graduate and research programs, fellowship opportunities, and the application and admissions process. Thanks to Drs. Bhanu Chowdhary, Ashley Seabury, and Ms. Robin Benbow for all their hard work to ensure that our web presence for Research & Graduate Studies reflects the excellence of our programs. And, as always, special thanks go out to our web designers for their fantastic work representing our college online.
  • The holidays are a busy time around the CVM. Just as a reminder, if you, or your department, are hosting an event or are expecting special guests, please contact our Facilities Director, Sam Wigington, to help with making arrangements for parking. Sam can be reached via email at SWigington@cvm.tamu.edu.
  • Holidays are about celebrations and sharing good times with friends and family. I am looking forward to celebrating the end of another excellent year with the Annual CVM Holiday Party scheduled for Dec. 12th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Hagler Center. There will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. We hope to see you there this evening.
  • On Dec. 16th, I have the pleasure of presenting another College Hour. Sam Wigington will join me to further discuss the Veterinary Education Building and Small Animal Hospital Expansion.
  • Next week another AVMA Council on Education update report is due. Thanks to those who in the Dean's Office who contributed - Kenita Rogers, Bhanu Chowdhary, John Scroggs, Belinda Hale, and Sam Wigington. We continue to make progress.
  • I hope you will join us for the upcoming Biomedical Sciences graduation ceremony on Dec. 16th at 2:00pm. We expect 74 undergraduates and 20 graduate students to receive their degrees. This semester, we had four undergraduate students graduating with a 4.0, all of whom will receive watches. Congratulations to them for this stellar achievement.

Sincerely,
Eleanor M. Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP
Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M University
(979) 845-5053