Texas A&M And Cornell Colleges Of Veterinary Medicine Join Forces With Pfizer Animal Health

Groundbreaking Partnership Between Academia And Industry Aims To Provide An Unparalleled Online Learning Experience To Help Meet The Needs Of An Evolving Veterinary Profession 

Western Veterinary Conference, Las Vegas, NV, February, 2012 - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences have announced today a groundbreaking partnership with Pfizer Animal Health. This unique partnership between academia and industry will deliver the Universities' expertise in medicine and teaching, supported by Pfizer Animal Health's information delivery and customer service know-how. Together, the partnership will offer veterinarians convenient web-based educational products utilizing the latest advances in educational technologies. 

Practicing veterinarians need access to high quality educational opportunities throughout their career since the knowledge base that drives veterinary medicine continues to evolve after professionals have earned their degree. The partnership between Cornell, Texas A&M, and Pfizer Animal Health will seek to transform the learning process, providing practitioners with unique opportunities to stay current with the latest discoveries in veterinary medicine, hone in their clinical skills, incorporate current medical advances into decisions that affect patient care, and build more profitable practices. This collaboration will leverage technology to ensure convenient, round-the-clock access to these educational opportunities. 

This partnership will utilize advanced technology to make high quality, lifelong learning more accessible to veterinarians. The educational platform will allow practitioners and students to learn in an online environment that is interactive, experiential, and flexes to accommodate different styles of learning. 

 "It is not very often in one's academic lifetime that an opportunity arises which, if pursued, allows substantial change in our profession.  I believe this partnership is just one of those opportunities.  In the truest sense of collaboration, two colleges of veterinary medicine and Pfizer Animal Health are developing a unique public-private partnership that will revolutionize education and learning.  A distinguishing factor that will set this educational content apart is that the academic partners are providing not only subject matter expertise and peer review, but also pedagogical expertise, which will result in transformative learning experiences.  The excitement in the air on the Texas A&M campus is palpable and we are looking forward not only to working with Cornell University, but also to including content experts from other veterinary institutions."  Said Eleanor M. Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP, Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. 

"Ultimately, the goal is to support and bolster veterinarians in their pursuit of excellence and improve the quality of animal care," said Dr. Michael I. Kotlikoff, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. "This state-of-the-art learning environment will encourage innovation and flexibility in the profession, while meeting the needs of all those involved by aligning the abilities of the veterinarian with their clients' and patients' needs and responding to an identified need among practice owners to maintain their skills, improve their approach to practice management, and continually develop their professional knowledge." 

 "At Pfizer Animal Health, we are proud to be part of this groundbreaking partnership with Cornell and Texas A&M, which will allow us to offer exciting opportunities for Veterinarians to access world-class learning that will be highly relevant and immediately applicable to their practices, produced by undisputed leaders in their scientific fields and delivered in an exciting technology platform. This is just another example of our ongoing commitment to education, innovation and professional readiness for Veterinarians and this partnership is just the vehicle to ensure sustained development and delivery of top quality, unbiased, science-based education", said Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP, Group Director Companion Animal Veterinary Operations US Pfizer Animal Health. 

About Pfizer Animal Health

Pfizer Animal Health, a business unit of Pfizer Inc, is a world leader in the discovery, development and manufacture of innovative animal health vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.  Pfizer Animal Health invests more in research and development that any other animal health company.  We work to assure a safe sustainable global food supply from healthy beef and dairy cattle, pigs, poultry, and fish while helping dogs, cats, and horses live healthier longer lives.  To learn more visit, www.PfizerAnimalHealth.com.  

About Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences was established nearly a century ago to serve the needs of the Texas livestock industry.  Today it serves the largest livestock industry in the U.S. in addition to protecting the health of all animals, people, and the environment in the second most populous state. It is an innovative leader in veterinary medical education recognized for graduating top quality, practice ready veterinarians from Texas A&M University, which is the seventh largest university in the nation and a top 20 Tier One research institution. 

About Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine is recognized internationally as a leader in public health, biomedical research, animal medicine, and veterinary medical education. Ranked the number one veterinary college in the nation by US News & World Report consistently since 2000, the College's strength is due to the strategic breadth and depth of its programs, to the expertise of its faculty, and to the achievements of its alumni. Cornell awarded the first veterinary degree in the United States to Daniel Salmon, best known for discovering Salmonella, and again made history in 1910 when it awarded the first American woman with a veterinary degree. 

Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world™

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world's best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world's leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more about our commitments, please visit us at www.pfizer.com.

Media Contacts: 

For Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences:

Angela Clendenin, Director of Public Relations, Voice: 979.862.2675

For Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine:

Stephanie A. Specchio, Voice: 607-253-3369, e-mail address: sas6@cornell.edu

For Pfizer Animal Health:

Rebecca Cisek, Senior Director US Communications, Voice: 973.660.5565, e-mail address: rebecca.cisek@pfizer.com