September 2012

Message from Dean Markel
to UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Alumni

Welcome to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s alumni e-newsletter! Periodically, we’ll keep in touch to let you know what’s happening at your alma mater. In this issue:

WHAT’S NEW AT THE SCHOOL?

SVM Welcomes New Dean


On September 1, Mark D. Markel began his new role as dean of the school. Markel originally joined the SVM in 1990 as an assistant professor of large animal surgery, and he now becomes only the third dean in the school’s 29 years.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to build on the legacy that Dean Buss and Dean Easterday have created,” said Markel. “My top priority will be to engage everyone at the school and its many alumni, friends, referring veterinarians, and our partners in the agricultural industry.” Markel looks forward to leaving his mark on the school, which has become his home.

Read Dean Markel’s inaugural message to the school.

30th Dog Jog


The annual Dog Jog charity benefit marked its 30th and final year on Sunday, September 16, and the event ended its long tenure with yet another success. About 300 owners and their dogs ran or walked the two-mile route this year to raise funds for animal shelters and related programs.

Many thanks to SVM Clinical Instructor Linda Sullivan MA’80, DVM’87, who played an instrumental role in founding and organizing the event along with the school’s Companion Animal Club.

If you would still like to show your support for the organizations that the Dog Jog benefits, you can make a gift online.

Fourth Annual Tailgate


More than 160 people braved the cold and rain for the SVM’s fourth annual continuing education event and tailgate, held at the School of Veterinary Medicine Building on Saturday, September 22. As always, it was a wonderful way for alumni and referring veterinarians to connect with SVM faculty, staff and students.

Despite the weather, a good time was had by all as guests enjoyed a tailgate brunch and time with Bucky! (A 37-26 Badger victory over the Miners of the University of Texas-El Paso didn’t hurt either). Thanks to Dr. Doug DeBoer for providing an excellent continuing education session.

Share the Wonderful


UW-Madison and the School of Veterinary Medicine are wonderful places, and alumni like you can help to ensure that we never stop advancing animal and human health.

During UW-Madison’s Share the Wonderful campaign, which runs until October 31, you are invited to support your alma mater with a gift that will help to recruit faculty, support research and educate students. If you would like your gift to specifically support the SVM, please choose the School of Veterinary Medicine Annual Fund when you make your donation.

As a proud SVM alumnus or alumna and a member of the veterinary profession, we sincerely hope that you will make an investment in teaching and training outstanding veterinarians in advancing research into animal illness and disease and providing state-of-the-art care. Truly, no gift is too small; in fact, collectively, the impact is huge. Please donate and help to share the wonderful!

WVMA Convention


Mark your calendars for the 2012 Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association Convention, which will be held October 11–14 at the Alliant Energy Center. We hope you will attend the convention and stop by our booth to reconnect with our faculty and staff. We look forward to seeing you there.

Alumni Reception at AAEP


Join us for the alumni reception at the American Association of Equine Practitioners on Monday, December 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Marriott Anaheim (Grand Ballroom, Salon J) in Anaheim, California. If you are interested in attending, please contact Kristi Thorson at kvthorson@vetmed.wisc.edu or (608) 265-9692.

AVMA Convention Honors Two SVM Alumnae


The awards ceremony at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) annual convention, held this year in San Diego, California, honored some of the nation’s top veterinarians. Among these were two SVM alumnae: Heather Wamsley ’95, DVM’00 and Vicki Wilke DVM’98. The SVM would like to congratulate Wamsley and Wilke on their dedication to going above and beyond.

Wamsley received the Student AVMA Teaching Excellence Award for her ability to educate, inspire, and make an impact on students. She is currently an assistant professor and the clinical pathology residency coordinator at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Wilke earned the Student AVMA Community Outreach Excellence Award, celebrating her outstanding work in the community. She is now an assistant professor of small animal surgery at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Read the full story on our website.

Alumni Updates

In Memoriam


Dr. Holly Pohl (1960–2012)
The School of Veterinary Medicine mourns the loss of Dr. Holly A. Pohl ’83, DVM’94, who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 21, at her home in Chicago.

You can read Dr. Pohl’s obituary online at the Stevens Point Journal.

Taking the Lead


Congratulations to Chris Booth ’96, DVM’00, who has accepted the opportunity to become the WVMA President-Elect in October. Dr. Booth is a dairy veterinarian in Plymouth, WI.

Business Savvy


Veterinary Emergency Service and Veterinary Specialty Care in Middleton, WI, founded by David Wirth DVM’93, recently earned a Dane County Small Business Award. Dr. Wirth was commended for his integrity and charitable efforts. Learn more about his practice here.

COPLOW Seeks Specimen Submissions


The Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin (COPLOW) has helped to understand spontaneous eye diseases for more than two decades.

The lab offers a mail-in eye pathology service that has been the top choice for diplomats of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists for many years. With an archive of almost 40,000 specimens and a yearly caseload of more than 3,000, COPLOW is well equipped for rare ocular diseases, discovering new spontaneous eye disorders or putting a new twist on an old disease.

Dr. Richard Dubielzig, the director of COPLOW, has published more than 200 manuscripts describing eye pathology and has written the first textbook devoted to veterinary ocular pathology.

Alumni are encouraged to send their submissions to the COPLOW lab for analysis. Submission forms can be downloaded from the COPLOW website, or visit our Facebook page for more information.

WDIN Tracks Wildlife Diseases


The Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN), a project focused on developing web-based methods for monitoring wildlife diseases, recently found a new home at the SVM with principal investigator Kurt Sladky, a clinical associate professor of zoological medicine. The WDIN hopes to provide tools for disease specialists, veterinarians, physicians, public health workers, and the general public to limit the spread of disease and prevent future outbreaks.

A recent talk at Wednesday Nite @ the Lab, a free lecture series for alumni and friends, introduced attendees to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter, one of the WDIN’s publicly available tools. For more about the WDIN and its mission, check out its website.

Clinical Trials


UW Veterinary Care is currently enrolling patients in clinical trials in oncology, emergency services and critical care, ophthalmology, small animal internal medicine and orthopedic surgery. For more information, visit the UWVC website.

Continuing Education Updates


The UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Continuing Education is offering some upcoming courses. For more information, check its website or contact Karl Olson at (608) 263-5206 or olsonk@vetmed.wisc.edu.

Veterinary Anesthesia Principles for the General Practitioner
Friday, November 9, 2012, at the Sheraton Madison Hotel
This short course will cover common anesthetic and analgesic questions that we often hear from our referring veterinarians.

Positive Pressure Ventilation
Wednesday, October 31, and Thursday and Friday, November 1–2, 2012, at the F.K. Bemis Conference Center in De Pere, WI
These workshops with Dr. Ken Nordlund and Dr. Nigel Cook will cover the basics of designing a positive pressure ventilation system for your calf and heifer barn and how to remodel your dairy barn to save your cows and your wallet.

If you have specific requests for information, we’d love to hear them. Just hit “Reply” and let us know what’s on your mind.

Mark D. Markel, Dean
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Wisconsin-Madison
alumni@vetmed.wisc.edu