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Teacher, friend, colleague honored with plaque

Brian Anderson and Michelle LeBlanc, the late Dr. Kevin Anderson's brother and wife, stand next to a new plaque installed inside the anatomy laboratory inside the college's Veterinary Academic Building on Feb. 16.

A small gathering of family and closest colleagues of the late Dr. Kevin Anderson gathered  Feb. 16 inside the freshman anatomy laboratory, where he taught hundreds of students, to honor him and view the new bronze plaque recently installed in that space.

Inscribed on the plaque were the words many people think of when they recall Anderson and his contributions: great teacher, close friend, and anatomist extraordinaire.

Present for the informal gathering were nearly all faculty members of the college’s department of physiological sciences, in which Anderson had his academic affiliation; Anderson’s wife, Michelle LeBlanc; his brother, Brian Anderson; cycling partner and friend, Dr. Chris Sanchez; the anatomy lab’s biological scientist, Mike Sapper; Dean Glen Hoffsis and several students.

Longtime friend Dr. Tom Wronski, who took over teaching the freshman anatomy course this fall, noted that Anderson taught the first anatomy class in the laboratory after the Veterinary Academic Building opened in 1996 and said because of that and his outstanding teaching accomplishments, the lab seemed the perfect place for the plaque to be housed. He said he thinks of his friend every day as he continues some of the traditions they shared — attending athletic events together, for example, and playing poker with friends.

Dr. Rick Johnson, who teaches the large animal anatomy course, commented on the high scores that UF veterinary students have historically received in the anatomy sections of their national board examinations and said that was a direct testament to the role Anderson played in their education.

Anderson died on June 15, 2010, after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer. He taught gross anatomy to 22 classes of UF veterinary students and received many teaching and research awards at UF, including the C.E. Cornelius Young Investigator Award for his research on brain receptors, the College-wide Teacher of the Year twice, Basic Sciences Teacher of the Year three times and Freshman Teacher of the Year for the Classes of 1992, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2012.

He had many interests outside of his professional career, including Gator sports, fishing and volunteering as a guardian ad litem, serving children of the community.

Faculty members from the department of physiological sciences joined close friends and family members of the late Dr. Kevin Anderson inside the anatomy laboratory to remember him, and to view a new plaque recently installed in Anderson's honor. Shown kneeling in front row are: Dr. Don Bolser, Dr. Tom Vickroy, Dr. Roger Reep, Dr. Chris Sanchez and Dr. Paul Gibbs. Standing at rear are Dr. Paul Cooke, Dr. Rick Johnson, Dr. Tom Wronski, Dr. Audrey Kelleman, Dean Glen Hoffsis, Dr. Michelle LeBlanc, Brian Anderson, Mike Sapper, Dr. John Harvey, Dr. Paul Davenport and Dr. Floyd Thompson. Standing in front of Davenport and Thompson are veterinary students Stacey West and Jessica Coan. (Photo by Sarah Carey)