A message from our dean
Greetings,
The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity here at UFCVM! Here are a few highlights:
- Effective October 17, Dr. Chris Adin has assumed his duties as the college’s new executive associate dean, and I am thrilled to officially welcome him to this new role on our administrative team. Previously, as most of you know, Dr. Adin was chair of our department of small animal clinical sciences, or SACS, serving in that role since 2016. We have a story about his appointment in this issue. Additionally, Dr. Caryn Plummer took the reins at SACS as interim chair while the college conducts a national search for Dr. Adin’s replacement.
- Representatives from the Council on Education, the American College of Veterinary Medicine’s accrediting body, conducted a site visit at the college during the first week of October. The purpose of the site visit is to verify and supplement information presented in the self-study report we submitted in July as part of the re-accreditation process. I would like to thank everyone who helped with the site visit, whether in the planning process, by meeting with or providing tours to council members, assisting with transport, or in other ways. I am so grateful for the effort everyone made, particularly in light of the fact that Hurricane Ian had hit Florida only days prior, and the ramifications of that had ripple effects on all of us here in Gainesville, even though we were not directly affected by the storm.
- The UF Veterinary Treatment Service team deployed to Fort Myers on October 3 at the request of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ agricultural response team. I could not be prouder of what UF VETS was able to do as a part of this mission, helping 422 animals and leveraging networks of volunteers to increase our bandwidth in order to serve the hard-hit community of Fort Myers and surrounding areas. Team members consisting of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, support staff, and students participated in the UF VETS effort, demonstrating such passion and commitment in everything they did. We have a story about their work in this issue as well.
- Finally, October 16-22 was National Veterinary Technician Week. We’ve made every effort to show our veterinary nurses the appreciation they deserve, but it’s never enough! Please join me in remembering and appreciating our wonderful technical staff, not just this month, but every single day. Without them, we could not do what we do to care for the animals entrusted to our care.
As we approach November and the holiday season, please know how much I appreciate the many ways that you contribute to the college’s success. In the busiest of times, it’s often difficult to remember to carve out time to care for ourselves, but it’s during these times that self-care is most important. I hope all of you will try to make space for whatever it is that renews your energy and your passion. I will if you will!
Sincerely,
Dana
Dana N. Zimmel, D.V.M.
Dean and Professor