A message from our dean
Greetings, all,
I would like to start by congratulating members of the UFCVM’s Class of 2023! These 117 new graduates, our veterinarians of the future, have already accomplished so much to have successfully completed our rigorous four-year degree program. We are so proud of them all, and can’t wait to see where their careers take them.
When I shared my remarks to the class during commencement, held May 27 at the UF Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, I talked about the phenomenon of the “fresh start effect,” which some of you may have heard of. It’s a term that researchers have given to the idea that people are better at tackling their goals when they start on time-based landmarks, such as the start of a new year or a milestone birthday, as an opportunity to reset goals and priorities.
In addition, I want to congratulate all of our new M.S. and Ph.D. recipients, who received their degrees May 4-5 in two separate ceremonies held at UF’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Our latest graduates include three Ph.D. recipients and one thesis-based M.S. recipient, along with many others who received M.S. degrees through our distance-education (non-thesis) programs in shelter medicine, veterinary forensic sciences and forensic toxicology.
For these new graduates, as for all of us, new beginnings represent a time for reflection on all that’s brought us to the point we are, which means holding on to important life lessons while also allowing oneself to let go of the past and move unhindered and optimistic into the future that awaits us.
At UFCVM, we are in the process of articulating our vision for a new strategic plan that will build upon our foundations, leveraging our existing strengths while allowing us to look toward the future with an action plan for where we wish to be. How are we teaching and how can we be better positioning our students to serve as the veterinarians of the future? What areas of biomedical research do we need to be concentrating on in order to move animal, human and environmental health forward? And how can we make use of artificial intelligence and big data to improve patient care across species?
It’s so important to always be learning, to always be growing, institutionally as well as personally, and I look forward to sharing more about the college’s vision as the months unfold.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer and find ways to stay refreshed amidst your busy schedules. And don’t forget that it’s just fine to “press reset” now and then to seek a fresh perspective and approach whatever lies ahead for you with a clean slate.
With gratitude,
Dana N. Zimmel, D.V.M.
Professor and Dean