From the high-stakes world of academic publishing to the frontiers of infectious disease research, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) came together on June 17 for the 2026 Research, Innovation, Discovery, and Education (RIDE) Summit.

Held at the Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine Building, the annual daylong event brought together students, faculty, staff, and alumni to connect and celebrate the real-world impact of veterinary research.

The morning kicked off with a sharp and timely panel discussion, “Navigating the perils of modern publishing.” Moderated by Associate Professor Davis Seelig, the panel featured a powerhouse lineup of internal and external expertise: Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Maxim Cheeran, Professor and Avian Diseases Editor Randall Singer, and UMN Libraries Director of Open Research and Publishing Emma Molls.

The conversation tackled the evolving—and often stressful—realities of getting research into the world, balancing the demands of peer review, open access, and academic integrity. “In academia, your publications and your scholarship really become the currency by which you are recognized,” explained Cheeran. “Defining those metrics and standards by which we evaluate folks [is critical]...but the truth of the matter is that if you want to get promoted, you still have to publish. There's no way around it.” 

The panelists also dove into the rapidly evolving impact of AI on authorship and publishing. “AI is breaking publishing—it already has,” warned Molls. She emphasized the critical need for human oversight as generative tools alter the landscape: “I think there are some opportunities in some processes being broken…[but] we likely are approaching a horizon in which the system looks different.”

Singer also noted the striking trends that journal editors have seen in the wake of generative AI: “The bigger challenge I'm seeing now as an editor is when the AI is actually writing the paper, maybe making up data. And we now require the full DOI [for citations], because I've had multiple papers in the last year where the references don't exist. I mean, you talk about AIs hallucinating…they're just making up references. As soon as I find one…it's an immediate reject.”

The panelists continually returned to the refrain of the need for good communication—within a research team, between journals and authors, and across the industry generally. “I think a lot of times folks are so focused on just getting published that they may bypass important conversations [about access, copyright, etc.],” Molls reflected, pointing to UMN resources like the campus copyright librarian and the Big Ten Academic Alliance author addendum. “Please ask your journal editor questions. I don’t think we need to be fearful. We are all scholars interested in scholarship.”

The day’s RIDE Seminar welcomed back a familiar face as the 2026 Distinguished Research Alum: Dr. Srinand Sreevatsan, now the dean of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sreevatsan’s keynote centered on Pasteur’s Quadrant—the sweet spot where fundamental scientific discovery meets practical, use-inspired inquiry. He walked the audience through his career studying the epidemiology and molecular pathogenesis of infectious diseases, specifically focusing on the complex, "wicked" challenges of tuberculosis to build precise diagnostics and next-generation vaccines.

He also emphasized that modern scientific breakthroughs cannot happen in isolation, making a strong case for the value of genuine team science. “Talk is cheap. We have to show it,” Sreevatsan noted. “It takes every individual to make that change to say, ‘Hey look, I know collaboration means I have to do some compromising, and that's fine’... I think we should give recognition to every possible collaboration that comes together.”

Throughout the day, CVM trainees stepped into the spotlight to practice the vital art of translating complex science into compelling public narratives. The hallways buzzed during the morning Poster Session, followed by the fast-paced energy of the 3-Minute Thesis competition and Resident Oral Presentations over lunch.

Read more about trainees’ contributions to the RIDE Summit here.

Between sessions, attendees also took a step back in time by touring the Minnesota Veterinary History Museum’s new exhibit, “History in the Making,” which bridges the legacy of past CVM breakthroughs with the future of the college's research.

The afternoon concluded with an awards ceremony, including remarks by the four 2026 Research Award recipients. In addition to the Distinguished Research Alum, the recipients were:

• Jaime Modiano, Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
• Jennifer Granick, CVM Mark of Excellence Award
• Katie Minor, Hill's Research Staff Excellence Award

Reflecting on the day, Dean Laura Molgaard emphasized the strength of the CVM community: "I hope you carry with you a renewed sense of pride in what we accomplish together and inspiration for what lies ahead. The challenges facing research right now are complex, but the expertise, creativity, and dedication represented in this room give me confidence in our ability to meet them.”

See photos of the day’s events below.