A REPORT CARD FROM THE DEAN: News from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine

This past year has been a mix of achievements, historic events, and ongoing activities. Within this mix, the faculty, staff and students continue on a daily basis to strive for excellence. It is a pleasure to note some of the highlights. In January, the undergraduate students hosted the Canadian Veterinary Students Association Symposium. This event was the culmination of considerable planning and work by a highly dedicated group of students. Their efforts were rewarded with a very successful meeting — both academically and socially. My congratulations to the students and faculty who helped to make this event a success. Funding for the Alberta Chair in Beef Cattle Health and Productivity is nearly complete with the recent commitment of $250 000 from the Saskatchewan Cattle Marketing Deductions Fund. The chair was initiated by major donations of $1.5 M and $0.5 M respectively from the Alberta Ministry of Learning and the Alberta Cattle Commission. The primary objective of the chair is to encourage and promote careers in food animal medicine, with an emphasis on beef cattle health and production. The Advisory Committee for the chair had its first meeting in March and approved the recruitment process to fill the position. Applications for the position are now being received. At the time of writing, the final plans are underway for the official grand opening of the MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and Radiation Therapy Facility on September 27, 2002. The MRI unit was installed in June and is undergoing final testing. The unit was purposely built for exclusive use on small companion animals by MRV Systems (Winnipeg, Manitoba). The design of the unit and the associated software was completed by the Institute for Biodiagnostics, a subsidiary of the National Research Council in Winnipeg. The installation of the cobalt source and final commissioning of the radiation therapy unit is expected to occur later this fall, pending final regulatory licensing approval. This combined facility represents a major technological step forward for the college. It will be a positive impact on all areas of its program, teaching, research, graduate training, and service. We expect these new facilities to expand WCVM's collaborative research and teaching relationships with the College of Medicine and the Saskatoon Cancer Centre, both located on campus. The college's Equine Health Research Fund (EHRF) is marking its 25th anniversary this year. A celebration of its past achievements and future opportunities is being planned for February 1, 2003. This all-day event will be held at the Spruce Meadows Equestrian Centre in Calgary. The day's activities will culminate with a evening gala. We are very proud of the contributions the EHRF has made to improved health care and welfare of the horse. In addition to directly supporting equine research, the fund has also supported the postgraduate training of veterinarians in specialty areas related to equine health, as well as undergraduate student projects and equine extension activities. Recently a new 5-year Interprovincial Agreement was signed. The WCVM is truly a regional institution serving the needs of all 4 western Canadian provinces. This agreement is significant, because it officially signifies the ongoing role of the college in all 4 provinces and also recognizes the need for additional financial support. It has taken over 2 years to complete and represents considerable effort by dedicated individuals in all 4 provincial governments, as well as in the university and college. It would be an understatement to say we are excited about the direction and opportunities this new agreement brings to the college. There are 2 important milestones in the history of the college that occurred this past year. The first was marked at the end of June, when Dr. Alex Livingston completed his second 5-year term and stepped down as the 4th dean of the college. A brunch was held in June to recognize and thank Dean Livingston for 10 years of leadership and efforts on behalf of the college. Dr. Livingston is currently on a 1-year administrative leave. He will then be returning as a professor in the Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. The second milestone also occurred at the end of June. The college has been blessed by a multitude of outstanding faculty members who have been committed to excellence in teaching and research. Few of these people have been singled out for special recognition. However, it seems appropriate on Dr. Otto Radostits's retirement to note the 37-plus years of service and commitment that he brought to the WCVM. He has been an outstanding and unwavering teacher of large animal medicine. He has left his mark on every graduate since the college opened its doors. His teaching has been recognized with numerous teaching awards, including the University Master Teacher Award. His scholarly activity in food animal medicine brought international recognition to himself and the college. I suspect that Otto will remain active in his writing and other scholarly activity as professor emeritus. Otto and his wife, Ruth, have been fixtures in the life of the college since it opened. We wish them well in retirement. (by Dr. Charles Rhodes, BS, DVM, MSc, Acting Dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine)

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