Alma mater, alumni group
honor CVM professor
Dr. Michael Schaer, a professor of small animal medicine and special assistant to the dean, has received the Dr. Erwin Small Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and its alumni association.
The award acknowledges distinguished Illinois graduates who have excelled in their respective fields and who have made significant contributions to the profession and/or college. The award was created to honor the late Dr. Erwin Small, a professor emeritus and former associate dean of alumni and public affairs at the college.
Schaer, who received his D.V.M. degree from the U of I in 1970, is board certified in both internal medicine and emergency medicine and critical care. He joined UF’s veterinary faculty in 1978 and has held many administrative positions, including continuously as associate chief of staff for the UF Small Animal Hospital from 1987 to 2009. He also led the small animal medicine service as chief for many years.
Although still active as a practicing clinician, Schaer now serves as special assistant to the dean, helping to advise veterinary students and working with the college’s development office. His has written three textbooks: Clinical Medicine of the Dog and Cat (first and second editions), and also Clinical Signs in Small Animal Medicine.