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Board of Regents tours CVM facilities

  • Dr. Alexandra Armstrong speaks to Board of Regents members

    Board of Regents tours CVM facilities

    Faculty, staff, and students showcase the College’s strengths and impact across numerous areas during visit

    Dr. Alexandra Armstrong (left) speaks to Board of Regents members during their tour of the Active Learning Classroom at the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

From learning about its research into infectious diseases to visiting hospital services areas to meeting a live bald eagle, members of the Board of Regents spent an afternoon getting a closer look at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM).  

On Dec. 4, regents James Farnsworth, Doug Huebsch, Janie Mayeron, and Penny Wheeler as well as Board staff members Brian Steeves and Krista Overby, accompanied College leaders on tours through the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC), the Food-Centric Corridor, the Active Learning Classroom, the Guedes Lab, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), and The Raptor Center (TRC).

Throughout the tour, the regents heard from faculty, staff, and students about the College’s impact in the areas of service, education, research, and outreach. 

“I am incredibly proud of our dedicated faculty, students, and staff, who work tirelessly to advance our mission of improving the health of animals, people, and the environment we share —often in the face of significant challenges,” CVM Dean Dr. Laura Molgaard says. “It was great for the regents to get to see our mission in action.” 

Visits to the Primary Care and ICU service areas in the Lewis Small Animal Hospital gave the regents a firsthand look at the compassionate and cutting-edge care patients receive at VMC facilities while also hearing from Drs. Kara Carmody, Rosalind Chow, and Kelly Tart, and VMC Director of Operations Alecia Crum about challenges such as workforce shortages and their impact on care. 

Veterinary Laboratory Director Hemant Naikare (far right) explains to Board of Regents members some of the intracacies of testing samples. 

In the Food-Centric Corridor, Dr. Montse Torremorell gave regents an overview of research integral to maintaining the health and biosecurity of Minnesota’s food animal populations, particularly in the poultry and swine industries. Minnesota is the No. 1 turkey-producing and No. 2 swine-producing state in the U.S., meaning consumers across the country benefit from the impact of CVM food animal research. 

Researchers within the corridor work closely with the VDL, which processes samples sent in from across the world but a majority of which originate in Minnesota. VDL Director Hemant Naikare, Molecular Diagnostic and Molecular Bacteriology Section Manager Michele Leiferman, and veterinary pathologist Dr. Stephanie Rossow guided the regents through two of the facility’s labs, pointing out equipment that is key for the VDL to provide fast and accurate results, particularly during disease outbreaks. 

More research was highlighted during a stop at the Anesthesia and Pain Research Laboratory headed by Associate Dean of Research Dr. Alonso Guedes. Guedes highlighted some of the lab’s work, including its development of a human-relevant animal model that is being used to test anti-opioid (fentanyl, heroin) vaccines and antibodies to help address the opioid addiction crisis in the U.S.

Dr. Alonso Guedes (right) speaks to Board of Regents Chair Janie Mayeron (left).

Regents also stopped by the Active Learning Classroom in the Animal Science-Veterinary Medicine Building and heard from students Braden Letourneau and Emily Marrott on why they chose CVM and what sets it apart from other veterinary schools they considered. Both cited the faculty and staff’s dedication to connecting with students and the investment they have in their success. 

The afternoon ended with TRC Interim Director Lori Arent and Medical Director Dr. Dana Franzen-Klein walking regents through the origins and global impact of The Raptor Center as a pioneer in raptor medicine, including avian orthopedics. Lutsen, a bald eagle and one of TRC’s educational ambassadors, made an appearance and demonstrated the value live birds bring to education and outreach events. Regents got an opportunity to see other ambassadors in their enclosures and learn more about the circumstances that brought them to TRC. 

Lori Arent (center), interim director of The Raptor Center, leads Board of Regents members through enclosures that house the center's educational ambassador birds. 

To see the impact of CVM’s community outreach firsthand, Regent Mary Turner observed a VeTouch clinic on Dec. 8. VeTouch is a volunteer-based, non-profit veterinary student club that hosts a monthly vaccine clinic for pets of Twin Cities residents receiving low/no income or experiencing houselessness.

Dr. Montse Torremorell (second from right) shares materials with Board of Regent members about the types of research conducted within the Food-Centric Corridor and its importance. 

Lutsen, a bald eagle and educational ambassador for The Raptor Center, is handled by naturalist Jenna Kopp. 

CVM Dean Laura Molgaard speaks to Regents Janie Mayeron and Penny Wheeler in the Lewis Small Animal Hospital intensive care unit. 

DVM student Emily Marrott (second from left) shares the positive experiences she's had while attending the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Molecular Diagnostic and Molecular Bacteriology Section Manager Michele Leiferman (right) shares information about the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory's capabilities and impact. 

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