Education

Urbana, Ill. - A $400,000, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine will help provide more clues about how the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus evades the immune system.

Columbia, Mo. - A long-time professor and chairman at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine is taking over the post of academic affairs associate dean Sept. 1 to make sure the school's curriculum matches the fast-changing pace of the profession.

Urbana, Ill. - The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine is preparing two new studies that will look at various treatments for common canine ailments.

Fort Collins, Colo. - A nonprofit business-development foundation at Colorado State University (CSU) has selected one of its own board members to lead the program into its second year.

Blacksburg, Va. - Dr. F. William "Bill" Pierson, interim director of the veterinary teaching hospital at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech since last July, now has officially been named to the full-time veterinary teaching hospital director position.

National Report - The downturn in the economy is blamed for deficits, spending cuts and administrative reorganization at some of the nation's leading veterinary colleges.

Baton Rouge, La. - A new book written by a member of the Louisiana State University equine studies team chronicles what is being called the largest equine rescue ever.

National Report -- Nearly 2,500 newly named veterinarians marched into the work force last month. In all, the nation?s 28 veterinary colleges reported 2,481 new DVM grads. The number has remained flat for about the last two decades, says Dr. Michael Chaddock of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). \

Guelph, Ontario - The University of Guelph has received a $5 million, 10-year promise of financial support from Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. for the Ontario Veterinary College's (OVC) health center.

Columbia, Mo. - A program aimed at helping graduating veterinarians pay back student loans and addressing the shortage of rural veterinarians is getting under way at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine.

New York - Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, professor of surgery and director of the Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State University, was named a co-recipient of the second annual Elastikon Equine Research Award for his work on a project aimed at enhancing the safety of racetracks for horses.

Fort Collins - A financial reprieve in the form of a million-dollar boost from the state means a Colorado teaching hospital won't have to sacrifice personnel for a balanced budget.

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The March issue of DVM Newsmagazine highlighted an increasingly critical issue in veterinary education: the escalation of student debt. Discussion around this topic is widespread and is bolstered by fact and emotion. Finding a solution is vital to the future of the veterinary profession, but robust analysis of the situation requires full information from the student, employer and academic perspectives.

Gainesville, fla. - Construction is under way for the Pathogen Research Facility, slated to house the University of Florida's (UFL) new Emerging Pathogens Institute that aims to improve disease preparedness, prevention and treatment statewide.

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National Report - Some call it evolutionary. Others consider it a mistake. No matter how it's defined, limiting the licenses of veterinarians is stirring national debate, from college classrooms to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The outcome could mean licensure limitations, experts say.

College Station, Texas- 3/31/08 - The Texas A&M University Board of Regents has approved the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to begin construction on a veterinary imaging and cancer treatment center.

Baton Rouge, La. - 3/21/08 - The Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), with the help of a Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) grant, has launched a community-based companion-animal health program that will use local shelters to help train students.

College Station, Texas - Dr. Noah Cohen, professor of large-animal clinical sciences at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, received the 2008 Schering-Plough Animal Health Applied Equine Research Award at the 10th World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA) congress in Moscow, Russia.