When Mari Kuennen talks to groups of University of Minnesota students, she wants them to know the history of veterinary medicine doesn’t lie dormant in dusty books or hidden away in drawers. 

As curator of the Minnesota Veterinary History Museum, Kuennen seeks to bring history to life through engaging lectures and by showcasing artifacts from the museum’s expansive collection—around 10,000 items, books and photos in all. Through events and classroom visits, she creates connections between the past and the present to inspire students to think about the future. 

The topics Kuennen covers during these outings come at the request of students and instructors. She’s presented on a variety of subjects, from the history of rabies to how animal welfare standards for laboratory animals have evolved. She once spoke to an undergraduate history class to talk about something often considered more fantastical than factual: monsters. 

“I gave a talk about animal monstrosities and how the medical definition and the changing medical understanding of what made an animal a monster evolved over time, and then tied that into the way that popular media still represents those monsters,” she says. “That was a really fun one.”

While Kuennen often connects College of Veterinary Medicine students, in particular, with the history of their field, she also encourages students to add their voices to it. The museum collects oral histories from people across veterinary medicine roles and welcomes contributions from any experience level. The goal is to gather and share stories from a wide range of voices and perspectives.  

“There's an important bridging of generations, and we’re inspiring people to help continue the legacy,” Kuennen says. “Oral histories are a great example of the new generation contributing to the story of veterinary medicine. They're bringing in their own experiences they want to share, to preserve—they’re looking to the past to look forward.”

Over this past summer, Kuennen had the opportunity to connect with an even younger generation. She partnered with the college’s VetCamp program, a summer camp for middle and high school students that encourages them to learn more about veterinary medicine and potential career paths in the field. 

Campers were taken on a tour of museum exhibits and its anatomy collection, which features hundreds of animal skeletons and anatomic models. There, students took inspiration from the collection and had the opportunity to design and make a black-and-white print reminiscent of anatomical drawings in old textbooks. 

First, they selected an item for inspiration and then drew a design on paper. Then they transferred their design onto a block of linoleum and carved around the design on the block to create a stamp. After applying ink, the time for the big reveal came, with lifted blocks revealing skulls, limbs, and partial skeletons. 

Kuennen hopes to add more outreach and learning opportunities for students of all ages in the future. 

Interested in supporting the Minnesota Veterinary History Museum’s community outreach efforts or other aspects of its mission? Consider making a gift.