May 9, 2011

• This past Friday, I had a special opportunity to participate in recognizing some of our veterinary technicians as part of National Veterinary Technician Week. Our veterinary technicians are important not only to the clinical service we provide, but also to student instruction. Each year, students vote for veterinary technicians in a number of categories, and the winners were recognized at an awards ceremony on Friday. I've included the winners below, so please join me in extending congratulations to them.
  • Best All Around Medicine Technician - Jean Laird
  • Best All Around Anesthesia Technician - Kate Maki
  • Best All Around ICU/Triage Technician - Lori Carpenter
  • Best All Around Radiology Technician - Hollye Callis
  • Best All Around Surgery Technician - Wendy Greathouse
  • Best All Around Operating Room Technician - Cassie Hindsley
  • Best Teacher - Jean Laird
  • Most Helpful - Jean Laird
  • Best Patient Advocate - Liz Kelley
  • Most Service Oriented - Kay Waddell
  • Best Non-Clinical Support Staff - Dennis Hargett
  • Best Support Service Technician - Josh Freeman
• 
• On April 25, we held the first of a two part Media Training Session for faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Jim Humphries, President of Veterinary News Network and an Aggie, presented proactive media messaging and crisis management. The second part of the series was this past Friday when Ms. Neoma Twining, Texas A&M former student and former news anchor, provided an inside look at how the television media works. Media training provides communications skills that benefit communications in media circumstances, with clients, with colleagues, and a variety of audiences. If you are interested in media training, please contact our PR Director, Angela Clendenin.
• On April 26, Evelyn Castiglioni, Linda Logan, Glen Laine, and I went to Houston to the Texas Medical Center to discuss expanding collaborations with CVM. We met with Richard Wainerdi, President, CEO, COO, John Kajander, Sr. VP, Ed Tucker, Sr. VP, Kevin Ilges, Sr.VP, John Antel, Provost of UH, and David Brammer. They are interested in highlighting current collaborations in their newsletter, and vice versa, and visiting CVM to further explore. Angela Clendenin and Department Heads will work with faculty to identify and craft messages for newsletters. Visits are also being coordinated.
• The TAMU International Advisory Board visited campus last week. On April 28, Linda Logan and I met with a small subgroup to discuss international programs in CVM, including how they might be involved. More will come from this meeting.
• On April 29, representatives from TVMA and CVM met to discuss future partnerships and outreach opportunities. The 2012 TVMA Conference will again be held here at the college. Ideas for collaboration included offering CE in conjunction with the TVMA Recent Graduate/Veterinary Student Tailgate in the fall, co-branding CE programs (TVMA & CVM) in the future, hosting a golf tournament here in Aggieland to benefit veterinary student scholarship, and planning a Cancer Walk in conjunction with the grand opening of our Diagnostic Imaging and Cancer Treatment Center.
• On April 29 through May 2, the TAMU VET (Veterinary Emergency Team) participated in a full-scale disaster response exercise with Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Animal Health Commission. The exercise provided the opportunity for our faculty, staff, and students to work with two world-class emergency response agencies in this extraordinary training opportunity. During the four-day exercise that was held at Disaster City, the team had a chance to test the emergency response plan and make improvements through multiple scenarios. The end-result is that the TAMU VET will be better prepared to respond on behalf of animals and their owners if a natural or man-made disaster strikes Texas.
• During that same weekend we welcomed more than 200 practitioners from five states, including two guests from Chile who were visiting with Dr. John August, to our annual Feline Conference. In addition to the 14 lectures focused on the newest ideas in feline medicine, for three months after the event attendees will be able to access an instructional website that provides access to the encrypted PowerPoint presentations, a self-assessment quiz, proceedings, and a selection of PDF papers from recent journals on pertinent subjects of interest in feline medicine. For the first time, the audience was able to participate in a new classroom response system during some lectures, in which attendees submitted their opinions using text messaging from cell phones. Congratulations to Dr. John August, conference chair, and to the Continuing Education Office team for another successful event.
• Bill & Mary Barnes of our Development Council helped arrange a fundraiser at Maple & Motor, a restaurant known for the" best hamburgers in Dallas." On May 1, Jack Perkins, owner of Maple & Motor, animal lover, and ut graduate, hosted approximately 50 people to raise money for our Diagnostic Imaging and Cancer Treatment Center. We raised $5,400 while informing those present about our oncology program and imaging capabilities. More support should follow. Thanks to Bubba, Guy, and Noell for helping organize the event and to Jennie Lamb for designing an impressive invitation card.
• Regarding university and system news, the Board of Regents has changed its 2011-12 meeting schedule. According to the new calendar, the Board will vote on tenure at their May meeting with materials due to the Provost's Office by mid-December (the Board of Regents grants tenure while the Chancellor approves promotions). Promotions for consideration by the Chancellor are scheduled to be presented in early February. As we have more information on deadlines for promotion, we will share them with you. Our administrative team will continue to work together to set college and department deadlines for the tenure and promotion process and will share these college-wide as soon as they are finalized.
• Commencement ceremonies will be held later this week. Thursday, May 12^th is our DVM Commencement at 2 pm in Rudder Auditorium. Our speaker will be Dr. Baxter Black, veterinarian, cowboy poet, and humorist. Our Biomedical Sciences ceremony for both graduates and undergraduates will take place on Saturday, May 14^th at 9 am in Reed Arena. You are invited to attend to support our graduating students.
• The 12^th Annual CVM Picnic is scheduled for May 20^th from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm in the Lameness Area adjacent to the Large Animal Hospital. Join us for food and fellowship as we celebrate another successful year here at the CVM. RSVP to Deidre Tarver in the Dean's Office by email dtarver@cvm.tamu.edu or by calling 845-5051. The picnic is always a great time, and I look forward to seeing you there so I can personally thank you for your hard work and dedication.

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