Six-year-old Callie Jean was a “puppy mill mama” who came into Ruth Allen’s life after she learned about her rescue along with 31 other dogs on the Internet site Petfinder. “She was in terrible, terrible shape, but she’s been with me three years now,” Allen says. “She didn’t know what steps were, grass was a mystery to her, and rain was something she couldn’t figure out, but she’s doing okay now.”

Like Callie, 13-year-old Sherlock also came to Allen via the Houston Cocker Spaniel Rescue. Twice Allen drove halfway to the shelter from her Little Rock, Ark., home, meeting a volunteer to make the exchange for her new friends. Ever since her childhood in Saginaw, Mich., Cocker Spaniels have been Allen’s favorite dogs. “They’re soft and loveable and cuddly, and so we get along just fine,” she says.

Allen’s pets are her family. Her love for them and a concern for all animals inspired her to establish the Ruth Allen Veterinary Medicine Scholarship for students in veterinary medicine, as well as the Ruth Allen Veterinary Medicine Endowment to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The endowment funds research that encourages standardized client work to train veterinary students and research that explores the human-animal bond.

Raising Standards

Standardized client work is a particular passion for Allen. These activities allow students to practice doctor-patient (or doctor-client) communication skills in a simulated environment. Allen herself has served as a standardized patient, acting as someone who has a heart attack, and is intrigued by the idea of standardized clients for veterinary students to interact with.

“I’ve done a lot of work at MSU in the College of Human Medicine with standardized patients and it was really fascinating and I enjoyed doing that,” Allen says. “I said ‘Well, let’s see if we can get them to work with animals in the same way.’ They were starting to think about it at the time and so it just meshed.”

A student might meet with a standardized client who is having difficulty paying a bill, or facing the death of a pet, for instance, she says. “So they have a practice session and learn how to deal with the problems that they will encounter with future clients, as well as perfecting skills on examination of animals and care of animals.”

While she understands that standardized clients may currently be the stronger focus for the CVM, she hopes in the future her gift will also fund research regarding the bond between humans and their pets.

“As you know, that’s a very powerful phenomenon and if we could figure out what that is and how it works, couldn’t we use that with the human-to-human bond and maybe slow down on war somehow?” she asks.

Sparking Passion for Education

Allen earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1959 and her master’s degree in biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1961. Just one year after earning her master’s she was bound for Malaysia with the third group of volunteers selected to serve with the Peace Corps. She envisioned working in research labs in the capital city.

“When I arrived, they handed me a train ticket. I said, ‘What do you mean, a train ticket?’ and they said ‘Well, you’re going 200 miles upstream to teach girls chemistry and physics.’ ”

Allen was surprised because she didn’t know how to teach, a fact that she shared with the Peace Corps coordinators, who reassured her that she had ample time to learn— a whole 24 hours! Allen spent nearly three years teaching, and discovered that she enjoyed education.

Upon her return to the United States, Allen planned to pursue a doctorate in biochemistry but soon realized that she had a true passion for education. She changed her academic course and completed a doctorate in education with a focus on medical education at the Office of Medical Education, Research, and Development. She used her biochemistry background to help engage in education in the health care field. The Peace Corps had a huge impact on this decision. “My whole life changed and it was a great adventure. I loved it,” she says.

A Career Dedicated to Learning

In 1971, she earned her doctorate from MSU with a major in instructional development and technology. Her career, which spanned several decades, includes work as a professor at several universities. In addition, she served in administrative roles such as the director of a learning resource center and an associate dean of academic and student affairs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Twice, she has been a visiting professor in China. She credits MSU for setting her on a path toward health care education and so it is important to Allen to bring some of what she’s earned back to the university.

“They’re the ones who taught me how to carry out my career and allowed me to earn the money that I’m now able to give back to them,” she says.Allen describes herself as having “terminal travelitis” and has visited South America, Africa, China, and recently returned from the Maritimes in Canada.

She’s planning a visit to Albania during the winter holidays. She is comfortable with Arkansas as her home base and enjoys growing orchids in her backyard, but she does miss Michigan.

“I miss not being closer to East Lansing and miss not being able to attend various functions that I get invited to there, but it’s a little far to hop on a plane for a half a day,” she says.

She’s planning a springtime trip to campus. “I’m hoping next time to come in May when everything is starting to bloom, or maybe June when things are really in blossom and to visit some of the gardens,” she says. A trip to the Dairy Store is also on the agenda.

“I miss the ice cream,” she says.

Posted: October 2012