Annual Report 2016

In this issue of our annual report, we explore the College’s mission statement—Learn. Discover. Heal. Protect.—and examples of how our community is working to advance each one. In addition, we acknowledge the generosity and business accomplishments that fuel our care, research, faculty, students, and staff. This report offers a glimpse into the dynamic institution that is the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

As a leader in veterinary medical education, the College is working to reinvent the way our students LEARN and our teachers teach. In the face of decreased public funding for higher education and a challenging economic climate for graduates, designing a curriculum with higher value and more post-graduate momentum has been tasked to our Curriculum Reinvention working groups. These groups are targeting five key factors: Competencies, Economics of Higher Veterinary Education, Wellness, Educator Development, and Curriculum Models. The College’s efforts will push to answer two vital questions: what and how our students learn, and how the College can best facilitate this process.

John Baker

In 2015, the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine initiated Strategic Planning, a process designed to advance the College’s international leadership status in education, hospital services, research, and public health advocacy. Now, the current student debt crisis has spurred on the College’s Curriculum Reinvention to generate the highest-value education with the most post-graduate momentum.

In a campaign to meet goals outlined by Dr. John Baker, dean for the College, Curriculum Reinvention prioritizes career-ready, high-value graduates from a DVM program that is cost effective for both the students and the institution.

“Make no mistake—the single biggest issue here is the decrease in public funding for higher education,” said Dr. Baker.

In veterinary medicine, the national current debt-to-income ratio stands at about 2:1, representing debt, usually around $130,000, at twice the starting income for new graduates. Dr. Baker is leading a national initiative with the AVMA and the AVMC to tackle this issue. In spring of 2016, MSU hosted the first-of-its-kind Fix the Debt Summit, which brought together national and international veterinary leaders from academia, industry, private practice, and government.

As a profession, we need to address student debt and advocate on a state and federal level for increased funding for higher education. But we must also look on an institutional level and ask what we as a College can do for our students. That’s where the Curriculum Reinvention comes in. —Dean Baker

Curriculum Reinvention Working Groups

Competencies Defining the target competencies for career-ready graduates
Economics of Higher and Veterinary Education Developing recommendations with the potential to reduce the debt-to-income ratio
Wellness Defining a wellness-oriented curriculum and features
Educator Development Defining faculty skills needed to support the reinvented curriculum and a plan to help faculty attain those skills
Curriculum Models Developing a plan for how instruction will be delivered in the reinvented curriculum.

“It’s a really exciting time,” said Dr. Julie Funk, associate dean for Academic Programs and Students Affairs. “We are well placed internally from the standpoints of initiative, ability, and resources to reinvent how we do veterinary medical education to the benefit of our University, our society, and the world.”

Curriculum Reinvention began with a retreat at MSU’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health on May 19, 2016. More than 60 individuals representing faculty, students, alumni, employers, practitioners, industry, and government were in attendance. The College then formed three specialty Working Groups, each targeted to a specific facet of the new curriculum.

“These Working Groups are key to the overarching success of our Curriculum Reinvention; each one is a unique touchstone that we must evaluate, update, and implement,” said Dr. Funk, noting the widespread impact of Curriculum Reinvention. “This process isn’t just for our students. The education of current and future veterinary students impacts our entire community—locally, nationally, and globally.”

Those original three Working Groups are now five: Competencies, Economics of Higher Veterinary Education, Wellness, Educator Development, and Curriculum Models.

These are the key areas that we’ve identified as pivotal to the experience and growth of our students. What’s especially productive about the process is that it’s fluid—we can adjust it as we go. We aren’t limiting what our discoveries and implementation could or should be. This is an adventure that’s going to have huge benefits for our students, our faculty, and the public. —Dr. Funk

Ultimately, the College is using Curriculum Reinvention to answer two key questions: what and how students will learn, and how the College can best facilitate this.

“As we answer these questions,” said Dr. Funk, “our students, our faculty, and our community will advance together.”

Disability and Accessibility in a Diverse Culture

In May 2016, veterinary students, educators, and staff from across the country gathered at the James B. Henry Center at Michigan State University for the 2016 Midwest Regional Iverson Bell Diversity Summit. The three-day event provided attendees with the opportunity to learn about the many types of disabilities, the responsibility that colleges of veterinary medicine have to assure that students, faculty, and staff have appropriate and legally protected accommodations, and to understand how disabilities are a part of diversity and inclusion programs.

This was the first major conference to focus on disability and accessibility in veterinary medicine. Dr. John Baker, dean of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, addressed the importance of this topic in his opening remarks.

“Disability and accessibility were selected as the topics for this conference because of our increased awareness that our population is changing,” Dr. Baker said. “Invisible and visible disabilities are not discussed often; in fact, there are some who are afraid to bring them up at all. Addressing this topic will help us to chart a course for success in veterinary education.”

Disability and Accessibility in a Diverse Culture

Advancing Education with New Simulation Models

Jen Roberts With Mootilda The Simulation Cow — Dr. Jennifer Roberts prepares Mootilda, an anatomically correct bovine dystocia simulation model, for student interaction.

The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine has added three new life-size simulation models to its collection: an equine colic simulator and equine and bovine theriogenology models. Simulation models are anatomically correct likenesses of entire animals or specific body parts and systems. Veterinary students use these models to learn fine motor skills and techniques that they will use to diagnose and treat different medical and surgical conditions. Models like these allow students to practice in a low-stakes, low-pressure environment with scheduling flexibility.

Continuing to build its collection of simulation models is an important piece of the College’s current Curriculum Reinvention process, which is just one component of the College’s Strategic Plan. During Curriculum Reinvention, the College plans to enhance the availability and access to simulation models for veterinary students. This includes allowing first-year students to work with simulation models, which will begin building their confidence and skill sets earlier in their education.

Advancing Education with New Simulation Models

In addition to high-value, career-ready graduates, the College continues to produce novel research that impacts the lives of animals and humans alike. One such study has come from Dr. Adam Moeser, director of the GI Stress Biology Laboratory and Matilda R. Wilson Endowed Chair. Focusing on gastrointestinal diseases,
Dr. Moeser’s latest research involves the novel use of a porcine model to demonstrate the affects that early-life stress can have later in life, both in humans and pigs. Dr. Moeser’s research offers implications for swine production management, as well as GI disease prevention and treatment in both humans and pigs. With this DISCOVERY, Dr. Moeser will evaluate different types of stressors, potential consequences to other physiological systems, and the importance and treatment of sex differences as they relate to GI disease.

John Baker

Differences in how male and female pigs respond to early-life adversity with regard to gastrointestinal nervous system development and function provides potential mechanistic clues into GI diseases in humans and animals.

The gut has a mind of its own, and scientists call it the “second brain.” With more than 100 million neurons—outnumbering those that surround the spinal column—this enteric, or intestinal, nervous system communicates directly with the spinal cord and the brain to heavily influence gastrointestinal health. While we understand the enteric nervous system’s central function in health, the ways in which early-life factors may disrupt the mechanisms of disease resistance remain unknown. Now, Dr. Moeser’s team has reported novel findings on how early-life adversity alters the development of the enteric nervous system, increasing intestinal permeability and contributing to GI disorders.

Early-life stress, sex differences, and IBS

In the weeks following birth, the gut undergoes major developmental changes as it adjusts to the postnatal environment. This includes development of the immune and enteric nervous systems, which governs the function of the GI system, as well as changes in epithelial barrier function and microbiome colonization and structure. These changes allow the host to survive and thrive.

We know there is a clear brain-to-gut pathway, and early-life events and sex differences play important roles in GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects about a quarter of the population and is up to four times more prevalent in females. In part because it is a disease that impairs bodily function, patients with IBS are more likely to undergo unnecessary procedures, including rates of hysterectomies or ovarian surgeries that are up to 50 percent higher than comparison groups, making IBS a major women’s health issue.

The adult onset and severity of IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, other GI diseases, and even allergies are associated with early-life adversity, such as the loss of a caregiver, emotional and physical abuse, or other physical injuries. While this link has been established, how it works is a mystery that Dr. Adam Moeser and his team are working to solve.

Research and new findings

Dr. Moeser, director of the GI Stress Biology Laboratory and Matilda R. Wilson Endowed Chair, led the team in new research that shows how pigs respond to early-life adversity when it comes to the development and function of the GI nervous system. The team developed a porcine model to study stress-related GI diseases because when compared to humans, pigs suffer from similar GI diseases and have similar stress responses and intestinal tracts. The resulting research verified that early-weaning stress—a common swine production management protocol— simulates early-life adversity in humans and induces lasting hypersensitivity of cholinergic nerves. These nerves are abundant in the gut and produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which controls a wide range of GI functions including motility, intestinal permeability, immune responses, and fluid secretion. Cholinergic nerves are key in regulating gut immunity and barrier functions, which are pivotal factors in health. Without proper function, leaky gut, diarrhea, inflammation, and other symptoms of GI disease are more likely to arise.

The Moeser Laboratory also found that early-life stress in female pigs induces developmental changes in the enteric nervous system that are lifelong and more pronounced than those found in males. This finding correlates with sex-related GI disease patterns found in humans and illustrates the importance of sex differences in different species. The identification of heightened nerve secretion responses in female compared with male pigs provides potentially important insights into the underlying sex differences that exist in human stress-induced GI disorders while also pointing toward an understanding of why females are more vulnerable.

These findings are the result of a project that began in 2013 with an NIH-funded grant. Dr. Moeser’s team has published more than 30 papers within the last 8 years that address early-life stress and gastrointestinal disorders. The team first identified current swine production management practices that were causing an increase in GI disease susceptibility later in life. This led to their investigation of enteric nervous system mechanisms and underlying biology that would link early-life stress and adult onset of severe GI disease together. These most recent findings, published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility in September 2016, provide potential mechanistic clues into the differences in sex that are prevalent in diseases like IBS. The paper was selected as an editorial focus, and experts who reviewed the paper commended the novel use of a large animal model, which is more translatable to human disorders than rats or mice.

Healthier pigs, disease prevention, and new therapies

Dr. Moeser’s research has One Health implications. For pigs, early-weaning stress is a common swine production management practice. Piglets are weaned early, allowing for the sow to potentially be rebred sooner. While this method may increase the number of pigs produced, it also produces a higher number of unhealthy pigs with compromised gut health, poor digestive function, and disease susceptibility. These findings may facilitate the implementation of less-stressful production practices that result in healthier pigs.

In both pigs and humans, the research points to a better understanding of how early-life factors can lead to a lifetime of disease susceptibility. This understanding will provide researchers with targets to focus on when devising preventative measures against GI diseases. Additionally, as researchers learn more about the development of the gut, new therapeutic targets may be unveiled, which may even bridge into sex-specific treatments and other forms of precision medicine.

The next steps are to evaluate stressors, consequences, and sex differences more closely. Dr. Moeser’s team will research the components of stress in humans, breaking down causes and types of stress into separate components to see which may have a stronger impact when it comes to adult onset GI diseases. The team also will examine which other consequences, besides GI disease, an altered nervous system may lead to, particularly in regard to immune function. Additionally, the team will focus on sex differences to determine if sex hormones, physiology, or other factors are the reason why females are more vulnerable or males more resistant to the effects of early-life stress.

In Pursuit: Solving the Mystery of Shivers

Painful cramps, uncontrollable shaking, and gait problems inhibit movement in horses with shivers, a chronic neuromuscular syndrome. In 2015, Dr. Stephanie Valberg and her team published a paper that was the first to describe the specific types of shivers. Dr. Valberg, now the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at MSU, continues to break new ground in our understanding of the syndrome. Her team has now determined that shivers may be due to the degeneration of specific cells in a part of the brain called the cerebellum.

This spring, Dr. Valberg partnered with Dr. Josh Aman, a post-doctoral associate in the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, to investigate this theory by conducting research that correlated hind limb muscle recruitment patterns with gait abnormalities and cerebellar degeneration. Now the team is working to determine whether shivers is inherited. This research investigates the molecular pathways that become dysregulated in the cerebellums of shivers horses.

In Pursuit: Solving the Mystery of Shivers

Bacteria May Be the Secret Weapon Against Inherited Eye Disease

Simon Petersen Jones In Lab — Dr. Simon Petersen-Jones, the Meyers-Dunlap Endowed Chair in Canine Health, and PhD Candidate Dr. Andrea Minella working in the Comparative Ophthalmology Lab.

Nine years ago, scientists discovered that bacteria use a collection of genetic sequences and an associated enzyme as part of their defense against invading organisms, such as viruses. This system, called CRISPR-Cas9 (pronounced crisper-cass nine), remembers, recognizes, targets, and then cuts viral DNA, rendering it ineffective. Over the last nine years, CRISPR-Cas9 has been engineered to precisely target and cut DNA as a means of treating diseases caused by genetic mutations.

PhD student Dr. Andrea Minella and Dr. Simon Petersen-Jones of the Comparative Ophthalmology Lab are now exploring the use of CRISPR-Cas9 for treating cats with a particular form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy, an inherited disease that causes blindness. The concept is simple: direct the CRISPR-Cas9 system to cut out the mutated region of the implicated gene and replace it with a “normal” bit of DNA, thereby correcting the disease-causing mutation.

The execution, however, is far more complex and still being developed at the cellular level. Drs. Minella and Petersen-Jones are optimistic that this can be done, and could be used to treat humans with Leber Congenital Amaurosis.

Bacteria May Be the Secret Weapon Against Inherited Eye Disease

Discovery enables us to HEAL patients using new clinical treatments. The Veterinary Medical Center provides specialty services to large and small animals. This includes innovative treatments for medical conditions that are currently without any progressive options. Dr. Karen Perry, veterinary orthopedic surgeon, has been working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cats with medial humeral epicondylitis (MHE), which occurs when mineral deposits develop around the elbow joint. Using a combination of surgery and rehabilitation, Dr. Perry has helped an 11-year-old cat named Abbey regain her quality of life, offering hope and direction to other cats suffering from the same disease.

John Baker

For cats suffering from MHE, a joint condition that can be severely debilitating, surgical treatment may be the most effective way to get them back to doing what they do best—climbing, playing, and running.

Medial humeral epicondylitis (MHE) occurs when mineral deposits develop around the elbow joint. When large quantities of the mineral deposits accumulate, they can cause nerve compression. These deposits may cause severe pain and often do not respond to conventional medical therapy. Veterinarians suspect that MHE occurs due to repetitive injury of the flexor tendons on the inside of the elbow. This overuse likely occurs due to a cat’s active lifestyle.

“Cats may present with varying degrees of lameness, or sometimes it can be an incidental finding,” said veterinary orthopedic surgeon Dr. Karen Perry. She’s currently working to improve diagnosis, treatment, and awareness of MHE. “A cat’s lifestyle plays a major role in the development of the disease. In the early stages, it may be possible for us to reduce progression of MHE by simply modifying the cat’s environment, but if we don’t treat accordingly, the condition will likely progress, and in the later stages, it can severely impact a cat’s quality of life by inhibiting movement and causing pain. In these later stages, surgery is often the only option.”

MHE is relatively unknown in the veterinary community, which means it is often misdiagnosed. It also can be hard to recognize, as the signs that are visible on radiographs take time to develop. In the early stages, visible signs are not there at all, and when the signs become apparent, they can be very subtle. In humans, ultrasound is often used in these early stages, but there is limited awareness of this modality in cats. This difficulty in recognition means that MHE often goes undiagnosed and untreated until it progresses to the later stages.

The first step is to get the word out in the veterinary community that MHE is an important and debilitating condition. We need to raise awareness. It needs to be considered early on so that treatment can be instigated and we can minimize discomfort for these cats. The goal is to maintain quality of life and to avoid surgery when possible. —Dr. Perry

The second step is research. Most cats treated surgically for severe cases of MHE have shown significant initial improvement, both in mobility and pain. However, none of the cats treated surgically have been tracked long enough for researchers to assess the overall effectiveness of the surgery and whether recurrence of the mineralized bodies is likely in the future.

Additionally, surgically treating cats with MHE is sometimes controversial. Many of these cats have multiple joint problems, which complicates their management. Also, because MHE cats tend to be older and may have other medical conditions, owners and veterinarians alike may be more reluctant to pursue surgery. This means that the outcomes following surgery have been largely unknown—until recently.

The cats we have performed surgery on were in the later stages of the condition and were severely debilitated by MHE. They had nerve compression, severe pain, and limited mobility. But even in these advanced cases, the surgeries have been successful. The cats became dramatically more comfortable. In my opinion, we need to consider surgical treatment for MHE cases more often. Unfortunately, positive results aren’t yet known to most veterinarians, so there is still a reluctance to perform the procedures. —Dr. Perry

Naomi And Abby — Veterinary assistant Naomi Wells helps Abbey dry off after hydrotherapy.

Dr. Perry is working to produce the necessary literature that will follow cats treated surgically for MHE and allow the long-term results to be evaluated.

“Currently, we’re following an 11-year-old cat named Abbey,” said Dr. Perry. “Abbey was being treated for arthritis for more than a year with no real improvement, so her MHE continued to progress. When we diagnosed her with MHE, her case was severe and surgery was the only option.”

There were two stages to Abbey’s surgery. First, Dr. Perry removed the mineralized bodies and sections of tendon and muscle tissue that were causing nerve compression. Then she repaired the defect by reattaching the debrided tendons and muscles to the surrounding, healthy structures. The surgery immediately improved Abbey’s level of comfort.

Since recovering from surgery, Abbey, who also was diagnosed with arthritis and osteochondromatosis, has been working with Dr. Sarah Shull at MSU’s Dr. Elwood and Linda Collins Rehabilitation Center. Abbey started with laser therapy, icing, passive range of motion exercises, and acupuncture. At four weeks post-surgery, she began massage and walking on the underwater treadmill to build strength and mobility.

Dr. Perry is hoping to spread the word about MHE diagnosis and treatment by sharing patient stories like Abbey’s.

We expect Abbey to continue to improve. As we continue working with her, we will be able to monitor her progress and results to help assess the long-term potential benefits of this surgery for other cats suffering with MHE. —Dr. Perry

Saving a Hero

Ike And Jeff In Action — Ike and Perryman in action.

While on assignment in Georgia, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms ATF canine agent Ike was treated for gastric dilation volvulus, commonly known as bloat. One week later in Michigan, Ike began vomiting blood. Special Agent Jeffrey Perryman brought Ike to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center, where an ultrasound revealed mesenteric volvulus, meaning that Ike’s entire intestinal tract had twisted. Emergency and Critical Care veterinarian Dr. Ari Jutkowitz and anesthetist Jennifer DeVoe kept Ike alive while Dr. Krista Gazzola and Dr. Andrew Armstrong performed emergency surgery. Ike’s prognosis was grim, but with the help of MSU’s team, he survived.

One week after recovery, agents Ike and Perryman returned to MSU and presented an award from Washington D.C. to Dr. Jutkowitz and the Hospital for saving Ike’s life by going “above and beyond to help an agent.” Agents Perryman and Ike are one of ten teams of human/canine duos that make up the Bureau of ATF and Explosives Special Response Team Canine Program.

Ike Teamaward — Left to right: Dr. John Kruger, Dr. Ari Jutkowitz, Jeff Perryman, Dr. Andrew Armstrong, Dr. Chris Gray, and Ike. Perryman presented the flag and award to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center team on February 11, 2016.

Saving a Hero

Hydrotherapy for a Horse Points to Skeletal Solution

Napoleon In Water Treadmill — Dr. Jamie Kopper and fourth-year student Heather Murphy support Napoleon during his first hydrotherapy.

Foals born with severe incomplete ossification, or bones in their leg joints that did not fully develop before birth, face a grim future—either they will likely develop juvenile arthritis, which causes extreme pain, or they will be euthanized.

During the summer of 2016, a newborn colt named Napoleon came to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center with severe incomplete ossification. Dr. Elizabeth Carr, associate chair and associate hospital director for large animal clinical programs, decided to take a proactive approach. After allowing Napoleon’s bones to develop, she started rehabilitating Napoleon in the underwater treadmill.

Napoleon’s progress is indicative of a successful outcome, and this treatment could be used to help other foals. Dr. Carr’s goal is to design a protocol to determine effective use of hydrotherapy for patients, potentially preventing crippling arthritis and saving lives.

Hydrotherapy for a Horse Points to Skeletal Solution

The College also took the lead on a major health emergency to help PROTECT our community. The Flint water crisis affects many pets, who drank contaminated water, which put their health and quality of life at risk. The collaborative efforts of the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, the Veterinary Medical Center, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development facilitated our emergency help response. Our team’s involvement in this important societal issue underscores how a One Health transdisciplinary approach helps improve the health and welfare of the entire community.

John Baker

The College of Veterinary Medicine’s contribution to the well-being of Flint’s companion animals.

The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s recent efforts in Flint focused on the lead contamination in water and potential toxicity to companion animals and have helped provide guidance to impacted families. Our clinical, research, and laboratory faculty and staff members, along with development, diversity and inclusion, student services, communications, and dozens of College volunteers were essential to the work. The collaborative efforts of the College, Veterinary Medical Center, Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH), and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) made the initiative possible.

Flint Blood Draw — Licensed veterinary technicians Heather Defore and Kristin Koehl draw blood from a dog at the Genesee County Humane Society to test for lead exposure.

Early on in the crisis, the College formed a team, which met regularly to coordinate and guide College involvement in partnership with the MDARD and the State of Michigan’s emergency response efforts. The primary goals were to identify the extent of the problem, follow up on any needed animal care, educate the public and veterinarians, provide community assistance, and conduct research.

Education

College outreach education efforts included the creation of informational materials for pet owners and veterinary clinics. The team distributed multilingual information for pet owners through emergency management channels, churches, animal control, MDARD, MSU Extension, and through the College’s website. Informational materials for veterinarians were distributed through MDARD and the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association.

Community Assistance

Community assistance efforts included six free screenings for lead exposure. In areas affected by the water crisis, locations trusted by community members were selected, which supported the success of the screening events. They were held in churches, community centers, the Genesee County Animal Control, and the Humane Society of Genesee County. Between February and May 2016, volunteers tested more than 300 dogs for lead toxicity.

Research and Discovery

Flint Regina And Teddy — Regina Garland brought Teddy in for the College’s sixth lead screening event with her mother, Marla Garland. Here, Regina and Teddy get out some last minute jitters before the blood draw.

The College’s research initiatives included an epidemiologic investigation of lead exposure and clinical characterization of toxicity and treatment.

For this study, blood lead levels of 50 ppb-399 ppb were considered to be “probable” cases of lead toxicosis by MDARD, whereas blood levels of 400 ppb or greater were considered “positive” cases of lead toxicosis. One of the lead-positive dogs showed clinical signs that are consistent with lead poisoning, which included weight loss, gastrointestinal distress, and behavioral changes and did require treatment.

The team also found a number of dogs that had elevated blood lead levels suggestive of an exposure, but not considered toxic. Long-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause neurologic changes in animals.

Detailed data analysis is ongoing and will include evaluating blood levels of lead and other metals by location and clinical parameters. In addition, comparisons with findings in the human population will be undertaken. A peer reviewed publication is anticipated soon.

Staying On Top of Senecavirus A

Late in the summer of 2015, several cases of Senecavirus A (SVA, formerly referred to as Seneca Valley virus or SVV) were detected in the upper Midwest. SVA is particularly worrisome because the clinical signs are indistinguishable from many vesicular foreign animal diseases (FADs) including foot-and-mouth disease, vesicular stomatitis, and swine vesicular disease.

When the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health (DCPAH) got a call in late September from the State Veterinarian’s office that vesicular lesions had been detected in pigs at a slaughter facility, DCPAH faculty and staff responded with speed and efficiency. In addition to testing samples for foot-and-mouth disease, the virology laboratory collaborated with the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to validate and implement a real-time PCR assay for SVA by November.

Staying On Top of Senecavirus A

I am honored to work with the finest veterinary professionals in the world at an institution so focused on supporting health, education, and outreach, here at home and around the globe. The exceptional work of our faculty, staff, and students featured in this report embodies the College’s mission. As a community, we are all proud of our achievements this year and how they have positively impacted local, national, and global communities. As Spartans, we will continue this tradition for years to come.

John Baker

Fiscal Year 2015-2016

Each year, tens of thousands of lives are touched and impacted by the College of Veterinary Medicine. From students who are educated and trained at the college, to clients who can resume life with their four-legged family member, to animals who receive life-saving, state-of-the-art treatment and care, the reach of the College extends throughout our state and across the country.

The College is able to make a difference for so many, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of graduates, grateful clients and members of the community. This fiscal year, more than 3,900 alumni and friends contributed over $13.3 million in cash and pledges. Your financial support is greatly appreciated and allows us to achieve our mission. Learn. Discover. Heal. Protect.

CVM Office of Development and Alumni Relations

784 Wilson Road, Room F130
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4937
Development@cvm.msu.edu