College to host SAVMA symposium in 2017

The college was successful in its bid to host the 2017 Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) symposium. Led by SAVMA delegates Michael McEntire and Caitlin Conner, the presentation focused on the new facilities we will have available and all of the amazing opportunities the college has to offer. We are all excited about sharing our program with students from veterinary schools all over the country!

College well represented at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The CVM continued its annual tradition of having an educational booth and serving the livestock industry during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo March 3–22. Thanks to all of the faculty, staff, and students who worked at the event in the booth and contributed to another successful livestock show!

Morgan Scott Presented at the International Livestock Congress

Dr. Morgan Scott spoke about anti-microbial resistance (AMR) at the International Livestock Congress on March 5, 2015, the day after McDonald’s announced their new Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship. This is an important issue, and we’re so proud to have a world expert like Dr. Scott at the college!

Climate Matters Conference held

The second annual “Climate Matters Conference: A Dialogue on Climate, Inclusion and Respect” was held in the MSC Bethancourt Ballroom March 9-10. Our own Dr. Kenita Rogers was one of two members of a panel discussion on best practices for climate, diversity and equity.

Three Texas A&M students participate in AVMA’s 2015 Legislative Fly-in

Three Texas A&M veterinary students participated in the 2015 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Legislative Fly-in, held this month in the nation’s capital. Emily Hobson, Ricci Karkula and Alyzabeth Looney were among the nearly 70 veterinary students from around the country who were there to learn more about the legislative process and to urge Congress to act on higher education issues and support veterinarians in rural areas.

Legislative Ladies visit the CVM

We were all delighted to host the “Legislative Ladies” on March 24. Approximately 35 wives of our Texas Legislators, including Texas State Representative for District 14 (Brazos Co.) John Raney’s wife, Elizabeth, who served as the opening speaker, along with Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp's wife, Charlotte, joined us on a tour of our college. We had a great day showing off our interns, residents, students, faculty, and all of our clients! The ladies had a full day of activities, and they were excited to hear more about all we are doing to promote healthy people, animals, and the environment across our state and nation.

One Health Students Collaborate

During the evening, of March 30 our Student One Health Association (SOHA) participated in a global webinar hosted by the One Health Commission (OHC). Our SOHA, joined 37 schools from more than 12 countries across the world including the US, Puerto Rico, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Brazil, Australia, and Europe. Students discussed their One Health activities and shared future goals and initiatives for their colleges and universities. The OHC board will soon be calling for nominations of students to become voting student representatives. One Health at Texas A&M is led by Rosina C (Tammi) Krecek interim assistant dean of One Health. Representing SOHA on the webinar were Jacob Hammond, Co-President of Human Medicine, and Ashton Richardson, Co-President of Veterinary Medicine.

The AAVMC Conference and the Iverson Bell Symposium

In March, Drs. Kenita Rogers, Dan Posey, Jodi Korich, Wesley Bissett, Garry Adams, and Alice Blue-McLendon, Mr. Les Fitchner, and I attended the 2015 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Drs. Jodi Korich and Wesley Bissett also attended the AAVMC Leadership Academy, which provides leadership development for faculty at AAVMC institutions. The content of the conference was valuable on many fronts, and many who represented our college attended various program sessions. Using attractive and thought-provoking ideas and recommendations from this conference, CVM participants and I will work to implement key ideas into our college framework. We also attended, along with two of our students, Austin Hardegree and Angela Harrington, the 2015 Iverson Bell Symposium at the AAVMC conference, named for the first African-American veterinarian to hold the position of vice-president of the AVMA. The primary goal of the symposium, which was held in Washington, D.C. on March 13-15, is to promote diversity and inclusion in academic veterinary medicine.

Follow the Progess of the VBEC Online

You can view the latest state of the new Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex online. The webpage allows for a time-lapse video of construction.