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Dean’s Column – Looking Ahead to 2019

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

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Anniversaries are important milestones that provide wonderful opportunities for celebration as we take stock of our accomplishments and look to the future. 2019 is a banner year for such milestones for both Purdue University and the College of Veterinary Medicine, as the University celebrates its 150th Anniversary and our College marks its 60th.

Today, as we build on the strong foundation of excellence that has characterized our College during the past 60 years, we are fulfilling our mission to advance global animal and human health and well-being through excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement. Many examples of the progress we are making are detailed in the stories of this issue.

In particular, we are seeing unprecedented success on the research front, as our faculty have propelled our College to a record-breaking year in terms of funding for scientific discovery. Eclipsing the $12 million mark in research funding for the most recently completed fiscal year is a major accomplishment that holds great promise for advancing medical science for the benefit of both animals and humans.

We also received independent validation of the quality of our Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) and Veterinary Nursing Program, which both obtained number one rankings. The VTH scored the highest benchmark rating as measured by the CalPro Research Referring Veterinarian Survey compared to 26 participating companion animal veterinary teaching hospitals across North America. Our Veterinary Nursing Program was ranked #1 in a listing of the Top 50 Veterinary Technician Programs in the country for 2018 published by TheBestColleges.org.

We also are continuing to work with the Purdue administration to find the best path forward for construction of much needed new hospital facilities. The Board of Trustees approved funding for an equine hospital as phase I of a multiple phase project, but actual project costs for all phases combined were on track to greatly exceed estimates, so the building plans are being reviewed as the University works on a plan for the remainder of the project funding.

As we look to the future, one of the most promising developments involves our engagement programs that are designed to foster increased diversity in the veterinary profession. We just received a multi-million dollar federal grant to launch Vet Up! The National Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy for Veterinary Medicine. Purdue was the only college of veterinary medicine to receive such support.

These are just some of the reasons why we are excited to celebrate the achievements and promise of Purdue Veterinary Medicine on our 60th Anniversary in 2019, as we also join in Purdue University’s Sesquicentennial celebration focused on the fitting theme of “Giant Leaps.” Hail Purdue!

Willie M. Reed, DVM, PhD
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine


Writer(s): Willie Reed | pvmnews@purdue.edu


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