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Page 1: 2 Healing Hands - Kansas State University · Sharon Greene Alumni Affairs Coordinator Cheri Ubel Development Coordinator Laurie Ekart MAILING ADDRESS Dean’s Office College of Veterinary
Page 2: 2 Healing Hands - Kansas State University · Sharon Greene Alumni Affairs Coordinator Cheri Ubel Development Coordinator Laurie Ekart MAILING ADDRESS Dean’s Office College of Veterinary

2 Healing Hands

Contents

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Planning for Your Pets’ FutureThe College of Veterinary Medicine offers a unique program for people concerned about their pets outliving them

Innovative RenovationRenovations at the college include the ICU and emergency/discharge area in the teaching hospital, Practice Management Center and outdoor plaza

The Faces of Exotic Animal MedicineExotic animal veterinarians team up with specialists to remove ovaries from a genetically significant gorilla and treat the oldest known bear in captivity

Investing in the FutureFriends of the college and Republican activists A.J. and Sunny Scribante make a commitment to the future Equine Medical Center

Umbilical Cord Stem CellsK-State researchers find a new source of stem cells in the umbilical cord that are non-controversial, plentiful and inexpensive

A Pioneer in Veterinary MedicineAlumnus Dr. Ordella Geisler forged new territory and made history as the firstwoman licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Nebraska

June ConferenceA complete schedule for the 68th Annual Conference for Veterinarians

Alumni News/AwardsAlumni awards, news and memoriams

Veterinary Medical Alumni AssociationUpdates on the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association and a message from thepresident

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Page 3: 2 Healing Hands - Kansas State University · Sharon Greene Alumni Affairs Coordinator Cheri Ubel Development Coordinator Laurie Ekart MAILING ADDRESS Dean’s Office College of Veterinary

Winter 2006 3

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

ADMINISTRATION

Dean

Dr. Ralph Richardson

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Dr. Ronnie Elmore

Associate Dean, Research

Dr. Lisa Freeman

Associate Dean, Career Development

Dr. Bonnie Rush

Head, Anatomy and Physiology

Dr. Frank Blecha

Head, Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology

Dr. M.M. Chengappa

Director, Veterinary Medical

Teaching Hospital

Dr. Roger Fingland

Head, Clinical Sciences

Dr. Gregory Grauer

Director, Diagnostic Laboratory

Dr. Gary Anderson

Director, Continuing Education

Dr. Linda Johnson

Director, Veterinary Medical Library

Prof. Gayle Willard

Healing Hands is published by the Office of Development

and Alumni Affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.

Editor, Designer

Brennan Engle

Contributing Writer,

Graphic Design

Sarah Erskine

Photography

Brennan EngleDave Adams

Acting Director of Development

Chris Gruber

Marketing/Development Officer

Patrice Scott

Pet Trust Coordinator

Sharon Greene

Alumni Affairs Coordinator

Cheri Ubel

Development Coordinator

Laurie Ekart

MAILING ADDRESSDean’s Office

College of Veterinary MedicineKansas State University

101 Trotter HallManhattan, KS 66506-5601

TELEPHONE WEB ADDRESS(785) 532-5660 www.vet.k-state.edu

Message from the Dean

About the cover: Drs. Deryl Troyer and Mark Weissare researching newly-discovered stem cellsfound in human and animal umbilical cords. Theyare exploring the therapeutic benefits of the cellsin diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Cover photo by Dave Adams.

Dear alumni and friends,Allow me to pose a question: Could you successfully conduct your veterinary practice

or business the way you did 10 or 20 years ago? I doubt if many people in today’s worldcould. The College of Veterinary Medicine is no exception. I passionately believe that ifwe maintain the status quo, the world will quickly pass us by.

When I came to the college nearly eight years ago, almost 60 percent of our budgetwas funded by the state. Today, the state only covers about 25 percent. At the CVM, werecognize that we must be willing to change, take calculated risks, and find better waysto operate.

This issue of “Healing Hands” demonstrates several ways in which the college ischanging and progressing. Our stem cell researchers have discovered possibilities thatwe never knew existed. You will read about a true entrepreneur in A.J. Scribante, a per-fect example of someone who has taken calculated risks, worked hard and been success-ful. He and his wife, Sunny, have a passion for animals and have shared their successwith us. You will see how our teaching hospital is undergoing its largest renovation everso we can enhance clinical learning and service.

We are also interfacing with private and public agencies such as the Kansas Bio-sciences Authority to enhance our strengths in comparative medicine, disease surveil-lance, and animal health and productivity, particularly related to the beef industry. Weare striving to position K-State as the nation’s leader in food safety, biosecurity, andagro-security. We are actively supporting the Veterinary Workforce Expansion Act -pending federal legislation that is designed to better meet the nation’s public health,food safety and research needs.

One of the greatest areas of change in the veterinary profession is the unprecedentednumber of specialists going into private practice. Recruitment and retention of clinicaleducators and maintaining clinical teaching caseloads are some of the biggest challengesfacing veterinary education today. If we continue to function as we have, our teachingcaseload will dwindle away as private specialty hospitals meet local demands and casesare no longer referred to Manhattan, Kan. To help address thosechallenges, at the invitation of nearly 40 Omaha-area veterinar-ians, we will open a satellite referral hospital in Omaha, Neb.The MidWestVET specialty hospital for companion animalswill allow us to expand our clinical teaching program and ourstudents will have opportunities for rotations there.

As you can see, we are not conducting business like we diddecades ago, nor can we afford to. We are drawing on theheritage of the Land Grant system while being an entrepre-neur in veterinary education, research and outreach.

I invite you to be a part of the future by sending usaspiring veterinarians, providing job opportunities for ourgraduates, contributing to our fund-raising efforts, par-ticipating in alumni activities, and coming “home” tovisit whenever you can.

Sincerely,

Ralph C. Richardson, DVMDean, College of Veterinary Medicine

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4 Healing Hands

K-State offers long-term options should something happen to you

If an owner was suddenlyunable to care for a beloved pet,options for the animal can belimited. If a relative can not

care for the animal or the owner doesnot want it to be placed in a shelter, theanimal’s future can be uncertain.

However, the College of VeterinaryMedicine (CVM) offers an alternativeoption for pet owners concerned aboutthe future of their animals. The Perpet-ual Pet Care Program allows pet ownersthe unique opportunity to makearrangements for continuous care oftheir animals should their pets outlivethem.

Provided For In PerpetuityThe endowment program finds a

suitable home for the animal and pro-vides complete medical care for the restof the animal’s life.

I Finding a stable, loving home for thepet once the owner is unable to care fortheir animal is one of the most impor-tant aspects of the program. Unless theowner has identified an adoptive home,trained veterinary students and clinicalspecialists at the Veterinary MedicalTeaching Hospital (VMTH) attend toall the needs of each pet until an appro-priate adoptive home is located throughan extensive screening process. Thisadoption ensures the pet will bond withone owner. After the animal is adoptedand lives out the rest of its life with itsnew family, the remainder of thebequest goes to an initiative within thecollege as designated by the originalowner.

“The unique thing about our Perpet-ual Pet Care Program is we find a per-manent home for the animals outside ofthe hospital and college,” said Chris

Gruber, acting director of developmentfor the CVM.

Other institutions with similar pro-grams typically do not adopt out theanimals to homes, instead, the animalsare housed together for the reminder oftheir lives.

“Another element that makes ourprogram different is we do not havespace limitations on how many animalswe can take in,” Gruber said. “The ani-mals are adopted as soon as the screen-ing process is completed. Our goal is toreplicate the living environment as closeas possible to what the animal is accus-tomed to.”

A Cat Love Connection Peggy Potter, a business manager at

the CVM’s business office, is a con-cerned pet owner. She’s made long-termplans for her five cats and dog in the

By Sarah Erskine

PlanningFor

Your Pets’

Future

PlanningFor

YourPets’

Future

Page 5: 2 Healing Hands - Kansas State University · Sharon Greene Alumni Affairs Coordinator Cheri Ubel Development Coordinator Laurie Ekart MAILING ADDRESS Dean’s Office College of Veterinary

Winter 2006 5

abandoned dogs through our rescueprogram, and we didn’t want to seethat happen to our animals,” saidRobin, a procurement officer for theCity of Topeka. “Because we don’t haveany children and our relatives areunable to take our pets, we wanted tobe sure our pets have a secure, healthy,loving environment if we were gone,”Becky added.

In Their Own BackyardThe Roeckers searched the country

for a program that would provide for

the long term needs of their pets, butthe ideal program was closer then theythought. During a visit to the VMTHwith their two miniature horses for aroutine check up, the Roeckers saw abrochure for the Perpetual Pet CareProgram in the waiting room. Thestandard of care their animals havecontinually received at the VMTHhelped support their decision to getinvolved with the program.

“We had been looking for a way toprovide for them, should somethinghappen to us, but I could not find any-thing,” Becky said. “When we found thePerpetual Pet Care Program we knewthat it was the type of program wewanted.”

“We like the program because weknow our animals will receive the bestcare, and this program has a strongfoundation,” Robin said.

Gruber said the cost of enrollmentranges from $25,000 for small animalsto $50,000 for large animals and up to$100,000 for special needs animals.The enrollment fees may come in theform of land, life insurance, annuities,and/or securities or estate gifts such asland or property donations.

For more information on the Perpet-ual Pet Care Program, contact ChrisGruber at (785) 532-4378 or [email protected]. Visit the webat: www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/develop-ment/perpet/index.htm

event that she passes away or is sud-denly unable to care for them.

In her bequest, Potter has set up theKATLUV Fund, which will help estab-lish an animal compassion home for allfeline members of the Perpetual PetCare Program while at the veterinaryschool during the transitional phase.

“My pets are my children and havealways been. They are an importantpart of my life and a great commit-ment,” Potter said. “Once I heard aboutthe Perpetual Pet Care Program, I knewit was not only something I wanted tobe a part of, but I also wanted to con-tribute to its success.”

The compassion home will be a sep-arate building located on the CVMcampus that will feature a comfortable,home-like setting.

Potter is one of the 18 families whohave a combined total of 65 petsenrolled in the program.

Saving Setters, Securing The FutureRobin and Becky Roeckers, Berry-

ton, Kan., have enrolled their twominiature horses, two cats and fivedogs. They have established a scholar-ship fund for a veterinary student andthe remainder of their bequest will goto the area of greatest need in theteaching hospital. “We want to help astudent who shares the same viewsabout helping animals. That is why weset up the scholarship,” said Becky, abiologist in theWaste Water Divi-sion Laboratory ofTopeka.

The Roeckershave always beenconcerned aboutthe safety of ani-mals. They aremembers of an Irishsetter rescue pro-gram called “SaveOur Setters” thathelps rescue andplace abandonedsetters in fosterhomes across thecountry.

“We see so many

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Peggy Potter at home with her Persian, Charity.

Left: Becky andRobin Roeckers ona visit to the Veteri-nary MedicalTeaching Hospitalwith their twominiature horses,Sunny and Stormy.Opposite page: theRoeckers with theirIrish setters, Kieranand Reilly, in thewaiting room atthe VMTH.

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6 Healing Hands

everal different areas around the CVM are cur-rently under renovation or have been renovated.The most significant is the expansion of the SmallAnimal Intensive Care Unit and renovation of the

emergency/discharge area in the Veterinary Medical Teach-ing Hospital (VMTH). This is the largest remodeling pro-ject to ever take place at the VMTH.

The ICU is being moved across the hall and will triple insize. It will occupy the space that has housed the cardiology,anesthesia and exotics rooms. For the first time, the isola-tion unit will be located adjacent to the ICU. This will allowhospital staff and students to monitor patients in both areasthrough special barrier windows, and there will be a pass-through box to allow for the safe transfer of medicine toprevent cross contamination.

To maximize traffic flow, the overall design of the ICUwill be open and organized with two entrances and a cen-tral work station. Placed near the workstation will be

mobile equipment carts and treatment tables. There will be18 cages for small animals, four large runs for dogs weigh-ing more than 45 pounds and an area to wash animals.Near the ICU an existing laundry facility has beenredesigned to accommodate physical therapy and anunderwater treadmill.

“The new plan was designed around having better accessto patients and closer proximity to supplies,” said Dr. RoseMcMurphy, professor of anesthesiology. “The students willstill receive the highest quality of education. Theseimprovements will reinforce that education while providingthe best environment for the patient.”

The current ICU area will undergo changes once therenovated space is operational. It will be divided in halfwith a new endoscopy suite on one side and a state-of-the-art Pfizer Dental Suite on the other. The area currentlyoccupied by dental service will become a surgical suite forexotics.

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Walls have been torn down, floors removed and new plumbing is being installed in the future ICU.

Concrete is poured for the new floor in the ICU.

Modifications are made to the area where the ICU’s central work station and adjacent isolation room will belocated.

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Winter 2006 7

The other area of major construction is the remodelingof the emergency room waiting room, office and dischargearea. The emergency window has been enlarged and adoorway was converted into a window for dischargingpatients. Finally, a wall was taken down in the emer-gency/discharge office area to allow for better access topatient records and more efficient traffic flow.

Another construction project begun in the college is therenovation of the Practice Management Center and libraryon the fourth floor of Trotter Hall. Seating space is beingenlarged and enhanced projection equipment is beingadded to the room. It will be re-named the “Mara Confer-ence Center” after Dr. Jack Mara, a long-time friend of thecollege who passed away in 2003.

“I feel fortunate that the people who planned our threebuildings had the foresight to envision facilities that arestill accommodating our needs, even today,” Dean RalphRichardson said.

“The buildings are nearly 30 years old, yet still veryfunctional and adaptable to meet the needs of our students,faculty, staff and clients.”

Outdoor renovation includes transforming the cementstepped area known as the “outdoor classroom” into theCentennial Plaza. Preparation for the installation of per-sonalized granite pavers and plaques has begun. The plazawill commemorate the first 100 years of the CVM celebrat-ed in 2005. Granite bricks will also pave the walkway andsurrounding area.

A space near the Centennial Plaza will become the“Whispering Garden.” This project, initiated through thecollege’s Pet Trust Program, will feature stone risers thatwill be lined with stainless steel panels displaying the pho-tographs of companion animals. A total of 69 panels withcomplete the Whispering Garden. The area will also belandscaped to create an atmosphere for reflection on ani-mal companions past and present.

With the office area enlarged, new windows under construction in the emergency/discharge area.

The emergency/discharge area on its first day in opera-tion after construction is completed.

Cinder blocks go up for the discharge window.

New sliding glass security doors separate the dischargearea from the emergency waiting room.

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8 Healing Hands

From bears to gorillas and everything in between, the K-State exotics team is busy at work treating wild animals from area zoos

By Brennan Engle and Sarah Erskine

he dental condition of aNorth American grizzlybear and the ovaries of agenetically unique gorilla

may not seem to have much in com-mon, that is unless you’re an exotic ani-mal veterinarian at the Veterinary Med-ical Teaching Hospital (VMTH).

The zoological medicine program atK-State provides advanced specialtycare to animals at three area zoos. Ani-mals from the Topeka Zoo and RollingHills Zoo are treated on a referral basis.The Sunset Zoo in Manhattan has acontract for routine medical and surgi-cal services ensuring each of the 300animals at the zoo get annual examina-tions.

Sometimes the exotics service mustcall on other specialists from theVMTH to assist on specific cases. A

prime example of such a team effortoccurred last fall when specialists com-bined their skills to treat Brownie, agrizzly bear at Sunset Zoo.

A Very Old BearAlthough his precise age isn’t known,

it is the opinion that Brownie is likelythe oldest bear in the world. He’s been apermanent fixture at the zoo since the1960s and before that had a career as acircus bear. “We’re not entirely sure ofhis birth date, but we’re convinced thathe’s in his 50s,” said Dr. Jim Carpenter,professor of zoological medicine. “Somebears make it into their late 30s or early40s, but that’s usually about as old asthey get, so he’s very old.”

During a recent routine exam, veteri-narians discovered that Brownie wassuffering from an infected canine tooth

with nerves exposed from an erodinggum line. Dr. Carpenter said it can bedifficult to determine how much pain awild animal is experiencing.

“Exotic animals, including wildlife,generally conceal signs of pain, becauseif they were in the wild and showed thesigns, it’s likely they would be attackedby a predator,” he explained. Dr. Car-penter said a combination of signs canreveal how much pain the animal is in.In Brownie’s case, zoo caretakers report-ed changes in his attitude, activity, foodconsumption, and the manner in whichhe ate.

Not Leaving Anything to ChanceThe risks and benefits of any major

medical procedure on an animal ofadvanced age must be weighed careful-ly. It was determined that if Brownie

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Winter 2006 9

K-State Exotic Animal Veterinarians

Dr. Jim CarpenterProfessor of zoologicalmedicine

Dr. Connie Ketz-RileyAssistant professor ofzoological medicine

Dr. Gretchen ColeIntern, zoological medicine

was not treated he would have to live inconstant pain. A major concern aboutan extensive dental procedure waswhether the bear could tolerate theanesthesia. Generally when a large exot-ic animal requires surgery, it is anes-thetized and brought to the teachinghospital; however, it was decided thattransporting Brownie was too risky.

“We would have to give him fairlyheavy doses of tranquilizing drugs tothe level that would be adequate fortransport from the zoo to the teachinghospital,” said Dr. Diane Mason, associ-ate professor of anesthesiology. “Withhis advanced age, we just didn’t want totake a chance.”

A Collaborative EffortThe time of year also has to be taken

into consideration because extremeweather conditions can add stress torecovery. The surgery was scheduled fora mild day in early November. Toextract the canine, the expertise of Dr.Matt Riegel, assistant professor of smallanimal dentistry, was called on.

Brownie was darted in his enclosurewith an anesthetic agent and fitted withan oxygen mask, which also deliveredan inhalation anesthetic agent duringtransport. It took the exotics, dental andanesthesia teams, zoo staff and group ofstudents to move the 600-pound bearon a large net to a truck that transport-ed him to the surgery room at the zoo.

Every attempt was made to anes-thetize Brownie as conservatively aspossible. Dr. Mason said once he wasbrought to the operating room where hecould be closely monitored, the level of

confidenceincreased. “Once wegot him into theexam room and gothim intubated, weknew we had reallygood control overhim. From that pointon, it was just a mat-ter of supportinghim well,” she said.

Brute StrengthDr. Riegel spent

more than an hourand a half extractingthe canine, some-thing he is notaccustomed to withthe dogs and cats hetreats. “I alwaysemphasize to mystudents propertechnique and not somuch brute strength.But it took all of mystrength to get thistooth out,” Dr. Riegelsaid. “The periodontal ligament thatholds the tooth into the bone is verythick and just has to be broken down.”

Zoo staff reported that Brownieresponded well to the inhalation anes-thesia and recovered from the surgeryquickly. Within an hour of beingreturned to his cage, he was up andwalking - his shortest recovery timeever.

Dr. Carpenter said despite some nat-ural effects of aging such as arthritis,Brownie still remains in good health.

Preserving Valuable GenesAnother example of a cooperative

effort occurred at the Topeka Zoo. Ateam of seven doctors and veterinarianscame together to retrieve the eggs fromTiffany, a 37-year-old Western lowlandgorilla. The objective was to transplanther oocytes into a different gorilla topropagate her valuable genes.

Tiffany’s genes are significant becausethey are not represented in the captivepopulation. She is the daughter of wild-born parents, who was hand-raisedwithout regular contact with othergorillas during her formative years.Therefore, she never learned essentialgroup behavior, and her lack of behav-ioral skills prevented her from taking amate.

Because of the link to her parentswho lived in the wild, her genes areunique to those in the captive popula-tion. True “wild” genes are not intro-duced into the zoo population for obvi-ous ethical reasons. “Tiffany’s genes areimportant to help prevent a genetic bot-tleneck of the genes already over-repre-

Dr. Connie Ketz-Riley places the anesthesia mask on Brownie, theoldest bear in captivity. Assisting are zoo curator Ryan Gulker, left,and Drs. Diane Mason and Gretchen Cole.

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10 Healing Hands

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Dr. Matt Riegel examines Brownie’s infected canine tooth before performing an extraction.

sented in the captive population,” saidDr. Connie Ketz-Riley, assistant profes-sor of zoological medicine.

A genetic bottleneck occurs whensimilar genes are continually propagatedin numerous offspring, which can causedeformities in subsequent offspring.

Because of her valuable genes,Tiffany was listed as a potential eggdonor to participate in a unique conser-vation research and breeding projectinitiated by the Henry Doorly Zoo inOmaha, Neb. The goal of this projectwas to obtain eggs from female gorillaswhich are not able to reproduce. Theeggs are then fertilized transplanted intoother female gorillas that have producedand reared offspring.

The K-State exotics team coordinatedthis complex and groundbreaking pro-ject. Due to changes in Tiffany’s men-strual cycle, Dr. Ketz-Riley suspectedthat she might have uterine or ovariancancer. It was decided that to minimizethe incision sizes, a laparoscopicsurgery would be performed to removethe uterus and ovaries.

A Diverse TeamPreparations for the project began

more than two years earlier. Tiffany hadto be trained to receive hormone injec-tions, which would help the eggsmature before they were removed. Shereceived only two hormone injectionsinstead of the standard regimen of 10 or11.

To perform the operation, Dr. Ketz-Riley enlisted a team of doctors fromboth human and veterinary medicineincluding a human surgeon, anOB/GYN and two anesthesiologists.“This was a well-established team,” Dr.Ketz-Riley said. “We had workedtogether on two other primate proce-dures previously.”

During the initial stages of thesurgery, doctors discovered that Tiffanydid in fact have uterine cancer. She alsohad adhesions from a previous appen-dectomy that required a larger incisionto remove the ovaries and uterus.

The team was able to retrieve matureviable eggs; however, when fertilizationwas attempted, Tiffany’s eggs did not

develop into embryos. The doctorscited Tiffany’s advanced age and previ-ous reproductive problems as likelycauses. Before this procedure, veterinar-ians had attempted in-vitro fertilizationat different times throughout her life,unsuccessfully.

“Although Tiffany’s eggs did notdevelop into embryos, it was a successin that she was able to produce morethan 20 mature, viable eggs,” Dr. Ketz-Riley said. “This showed us that we areable to do this project, and withyounger animals we will have a greaterchance of success.”

The Value of Proper CareThe clinicians who treated both

Brownie and Tiffany express a common

sentiment about treating wild or exoticanimals: they always find the experi-ence exciting. However, with theseunique cases comes a certain amount ofinherent risk, and the animal must berespected as wild, despite age or howtame it seems. This requires increasedattention to detail and carefully follow-ing precautionary measures.

The fact that Brownie and Tiffanyhave lived so long and remain in goodhealth is a testament to both the skillsof the specialists who administer com-prehensive medical care and to the zoostaff for providing quality care to theanimals. In turn, these animals play avital role in conservation education toveterinary students and zoo visitorsalike.

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Winter 2006 11

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Futurein

Investingthe

By Brennan Engle

Donors to the College of Veterinary Medicine, A.J. and Sunny Scribante,with their Yorkshire Terrier, Annie, at the K-State Alumni Center.

A.J. and Sunny Scribante are a couplepassionate about supporting causesthat are important to them. Some ofthose interests include animals, K-State and the Republican Party.

The Scribantes are supporting aneffort to build a state-of-the-artEquine Medical Center at K-State.

he Scribantes, of Sanibel Island, Fla., recentlymade a significant financial commitmenttoward the future Equine Medical Center(EMC) at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The EMC will be a world-renowned center for equine ser-vice and research at K-State.

The Scribantes have become strong supporters of theCollege of Veterinary Medicine and other K-State organiza-tions over the past 10 years.

A.J., a 1956 graduate of the College of Business Adminis-tration, grew up in the small town of Osage City, Kan. Aftergraduating from K-State, he embarked on a career in sales,founding a marketing information company that suppliesadvertising information to the grocery industry. In a recentbook entitled, “Shelf Life,” A.J. tells the story of how heturned his $500 dollar investment into a $65 million com-pany called MAJERS Corporation.

In the mid-1990s, A.J. became re-acquainted with hisalma mater when he returned for the 75th anniversary ofhis fraternity. On the same trip, he was invited to deliver the

keynote speech at the College of Business Administration’scommencement ceremony. “We started to develop a newsense of pride about Kansas State University. Since then ithas just grown,” A.J. said.

Around that time, the Scribantes made their first visit tothe Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) aftertheir thoroughbred race horse suffered a slab fracture in hisknee. “American Duke,” was special, and the Scribanteswere not ready to part with him. He was sired by thefamous “Seattle Slew,” the only undefeated Kentucky Derbyand Triple Crown winner.

“We had been told we may have to put him down, so wesent him to K-State and they operated on him. Thanks tothe doctors there, we didn’t have to put him down,” Sunnysaid. Although he would never race again, the Scribanteswere elated that American Duke would comfortably live outthe rest of his days in Texas.

This began a long relationship with the clinicians at theteaching hospital and the College of Veterinary Medicine.Since then, Sunny travels to K-State any time one of her

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12 Healing Hands

A.J. Scribante,right, with Dean

Richardson during a visit to

the CVM.Accompanyingthem are Scrib-

ante’s daughter,Chloe, and herdog, Stewie, a

service dog forhandicapped

children.

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animals requires the care of a specialist. “When a medicalsituation arises with one of our animals, we always come toK-State,” Sunny said. “Not only that, but so do all of ourfriends now. We feel secure knowing our animals are goingto get the best care possible.”

On a recent trip to the teaching hospital, clinicians dis-covered that Sunny’s 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Annie,had developed gum disease and decided some extractions

were necessary. “Annie had some teeth removed and she’sdoing wonderful now and feels great,” Sunny explained.

Sunny developed an affection for animals at an early ageon her family’s ranch in Weatherford, Texas. Her father wasa strong backer of many Republicans and encouragedRonald Reagan to run for president.

Sunny has carried on the family tradition. She has had anextensive history of civic involvement, including several

Presidential appointments. Shewas appointed by PresidentReagan to serve on the Presi-dent’s Commission on Medicaland Biomedical Ethics, thebody that wrote the “livingwill,” which was adopted by all50 states. “I feel very honoredand privileged to have theopportunity to serve my coun-try. It’s truly wonderful beingan American,” Sunny said.

She currently serves on theboard of trustees for the BarryGoldwater Scholarship andExcellence in Education Foun-dation. The board is responsi-ble for directing scholarshipsin science and mathematics.She is quick to point out theK-State has had more Goldwa-ter Scholarship recipients thanany other state university.

A proud Sunny stays close while Annie gets a thorough examination by Dr. Marjory Artzer, right, andfourth-year veterinary student, Maria Ramirez-Gorton.

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The future Equine Medical Center at K-State will be a state-of-the-art facility focused on diagnosing and treating lameness in horses.

It was their love for animals and admiration of the highstandards of the college that prompted the Scribantes tomake a gift to the EMC. Their gift will play a major role infunding the equine holding barn and consultation room inthe second phase of the project. This facility will be usedfor horses that are brought to the clinic on an outpatientbasis.

The $6 million equine center will include three otherbuildings including the clinical building, indoor/outdoorriding arena, andresearch/diagnostic facility. Itwill be a facility designed toevaluate performance horseswith an emphasis on lame-ness.

“It will have a therapeuticfocus as well as a diagnosticfocus,” said Dr. Bonnie Rush, equine section head and asso-ciate dean of career development.

The 100-by-150-foot riding arena will feature a 60-footlunging circle where horses can be evaluated in hand andunder saddle, something that is not currently possible atthe VMTH. “It will be a place where we can tack-up horsesor put them on a lung line, even during bad weather,” Dr.Rush explained.

In the diagnostic facility, investigative research and day-to-day analysis will be conducted in the diagnosis of lame-ness, airway function and lung pathology. It will also housea large treadmill with overhead safety harness and suspen-sion equipment. Adjacent to the treadmill will be a comput-erized data collection center.

The main clinical building will feature a state-of-the-artdigital imaging suite that will offer magnetic resonanceimaging, shockwave therapy, ultrasonography, digital radi-ography and endoscopy services. This building will alsohouse a farrier station, laboratory, waiting and examinationrooms, holding stalls and receiving area.

Dr. Rush said the EMC will complement the skills of K-State’s renowned equine clinicians while providing cutting-edge technology and services to horse owners in the Mid-

west. “We have an experiencedfaculty who are broadlytrained,” she said. “We need allof the tools available to maxi-mize their abilities they have todiagnose and treat horses.”

Dean Ralph Richardson saidthe Scribantes and other donors

will be pivotal in helping the EMC vision become a reality.“The Scribantes were very generous in making their gift,and we hope it will encourage others to give. The projectisn’t going to happen overnight; it will happen brick bybrick,” Dean Richardson noted.

Undoubtedly the standards of the clinicians at the VMTHalong with and the compassion and professionalism withwhich they treat animals will prompt others to get involvedas well.

“We’re very proud to be a part of the equine project,”Sunny said. “We hope other people will get involved, visitthe school and see what extraordinary facilities the veteri-nary college has. To me, it’s so special to be part of theschool because that’s where our hearts are: with animals.”

“We hope other people will getinvolved, visit the school and seewhat extraordinary facilities the

veterinary college has.”

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The Discovery This new type of stem cell research

occurring at K-State is based on thepioneering work of Drs. Troyer, Weissand Kathy Mitchell at the College ofVeterinary Medicine, and Dr. DuaneDavis in the College of Agriculture. Dr.Mitchell has since gone to the Universi-ty of Kansas.

These scientists discovered an abun-dant source of primitive stem cells inthe cushioning material, or matrix,within the umbilical cord known asWharton's jelly. These cells can be easilyobtained in large numbers and havebeen shown to possess promising thera-peutic effects.

This finding could dramaticallychange the scientific and social land-

scape regarding stem cell researchbecause few other researchers havebeen able to find a non-controversial,virtually inexhaustible source of stemcells that can be acquired at low cost.

The initial discovery was made in thelaboratory by Drs. Troyer and Davis,who had some experience working withbovine and pig bone marrow stem cells.They noticed Wharton's jelly had someinteresting properties. “We had workedwith stem cells and knew these lookedand acted like stem cells. It turned outthey were,” Dr. Davis said. “It's one ofthose discoveries that you don't antici-pate, but when it happens it's reallyamazing.”

Matrix cells - found in the umbilicalcords of both human and animals -

exhibit the characteristics of all stemcells: the ability to become a specifictype of cell and to divide and renewthemselves.

Waste NotMatrix cells have been proven to dif-

ferentiate into neural cells and all cellsof the three germ layers. “We now real-ize that the umbilical cord and placentaare important sources of stem cells. Nolonger are they seen as biological wastematerial following birth,” Dr. Weissnoted.

The researchers knew they haduncovered something fascinating butneeded to determine exactly what kindof stem cells they were dealing with. Dr.Weiss took a year sabbatical to study

hen Dr. Deryl Troyer asked his colleague Dr. Mark Weiss if he could borrow a microscope to look at some cells, a unique collaboration was born.

What Dr. Troyer saw under the microscope and showed to Dr. Weiss appeared to be neuralbrain cells like the one above. “I’ll never forget the expression on his face when he looked into thatmicroscope,” Dr. Troyer recalled. He had captured Weiss’ attention because the cells they observed werederived from a stem cell taken from the umbilical cord of a pig.

Five years later this small, but unique collaborative effort has resulted in the formation of a stem cellinstitute and positioned K-State at the forefront of stem cell research.

WBy Brennan Engle

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matrix and other stem cells at theNational Institutes of Health.

The team found that matrix stemcells are very similar to mesenchymalstem cells, generally found in bone mar-row. Although matrix cells are adultstem cells - as opposed to those derivedfrom embryos - they are primitive. Dr.Weiss said this is beneficial because itmeans the younger cells are more stable,can be divided more times and are easi-er to extract.

“Traditionally, in order to collectstem cells from the body, you have todrill into the back of the hip bone. It'sinvasive, painful, and you don't get alarge number of cells. With these stemcells we have been able to avoid thoseproblems,” Dr. Weiss said.

Another similarity matrix cells sharewith mesenchymal cells is that theyhave immuno-suppressive qualities thatallow them to be more readily acceptedby host tissues. They also appear to pro-liferate at a controlled rate and do notform cancers, a problem with someembryonic stem cells.

Everything seemed very promis-ing…the possibilities endless.

Saving Existing CircuitryDrs. Weiss and Troyer

made their first major breakthrough in 2004 during an experiment on rats with Parkinson's disease.In laboratory trials, undif-ferentiated matrix cells from a

Dr. Deryl Troyer adds new growth media to a flaskof umbilical cord matrix stem cells. The cells havebeen shown to differentiate into neural, bone, fatand cartilage cells.

A cross section of an umbilical cord shows the Wharton’sjelly, or matrix, between the blood vessels where the stemcells are found.

Below: In his hands, Dr. Mark Weiss holds the future ofstem cell research. Dr. Weiss and the stem cell team havesuccessfully treated rats with Alzheimer’s disease.

Matrix stem cells after isolation from the umbilical cord. This virtually inexhaustible supply of stem cells are presentin humans and animals.

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There are other areas where theresearchers are confident matrix cellscould be useful, such as tissue and bonehealing. “The cells seem to facilitate thebody's own reparative mechanisms,” Dr.Troyer said. “And since we can collectthem in large numbers, they should beperfect for that.”

The vast quantity of matrix cellscould also lend to their potential use as“feeder layers” on which blood-formingstem cells and bone marrow cells couldbe grown, expanded and banked.“That's something that begs to beexplored because it could be an imme-diate application that would have majorimplications,” Dr. Troyer said.

Dr. Davis is working with the cells onthe animal sciences area, hoping theycan be used to prevent disease in live-stock, create more effective vaccines andincrease efficiency of food production.He's also trying to track down and learnmore about the precise origins of thematrix cells in food animals. Dr. Davismaintains that in modern science,understanding cell-based processes willbe just as important as genetic engineer-ing.

“Recent progress in understandinggene functions has been tremendous,but the cell is almost becoming moreprominent because to get genes to func-tion, they have to be in cells. The cell

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Shuman umbilical cord were transplant-ed into the brains of rats with Parkin-son’s disease. Over the course of a fewweeks, between half and three-fourthsof the rats showed a reduction inParkinson's symptoms, and one ratexperienced a 90 percent reduction insymptoms. Analysis showed that thematrix cells were doing something tosave the rats’ dying neural brain cells.

“Our cells are not making new neu-rons and forming new connections;they are doing something to rescueexisting neurons,” Dr. Troyer explained.“We’re enamored with this idea becauseit’s much easier to restore function tocells before they die because the circuit-ry is already in place.”

The researchers hope this will pro-vide the first step in the treatment ofneurodegenerative diseases, spinal cordinjury and stroke.

Matrix Cells and CancerThey are also conducting experi-

ments to find out if the cells could havean effect against cancer.

Dr. Troyer is trying to see if matrixcells could be the "magic bullet" for can-cerous tumors by engineering themwith a gene that makes anti-cancer pro-teins. “The idea is that the cells couldact as mini-pumps to home specificallyto the tumor and deliver a therapeuticpayload that otherwise would be toxicto normal cells,” Dr. Troyer said.Although that research is still prelimi-nary, the cells have been sent into lungtumors in mice without spreading intohealthy tissue.

Dr. Weiss is pursuing a slightly dif-ferent avenue with cancer and stemcells. He believes the cells may havesome natural benefits in treatingleukemia when bone marrow trans-plants are needed.

This idea is based on the fact that theclosely related mesenchymal stem cellsare known to interact well with blood-forming stem cells. Dr. Weiss hopesmatrix stem cells and blood-formingstem cells can be co-transplanted torepopulate healthy bone marrow cells inLeukemia patients.

Using a microcentrifuge, Dr. Duane Davis separates matrix stem cells from culture medium.

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has to respond to signals in the rightway,” Dr. Davis said.

Creation of a Stem Cell Institute Collaboration among researchers

and institutions will be an importantpart of the success of the researchadvancing to the point of clinical trials,which will hopefully lead to treatinghuman and animal disease.

The magnitude of the stem cell dis-coveries caught the attention of univer-sity administrators. Last fall the officeof the research vice provost togetherwith Colleges of Veterinary Medicineand Agriculture at K-State joined forcesto establish the Midwest Institute forComparative Stem Cell Biology. Theinstitute will help further stem cellresearch and discovery through educa-tion and commercialization. It consistsof 25 scientific collaborators from K-State, the University of Kansas and theKU Medical Center.

“Having the entrepreneurial,research and educational efforts underone umbrella will provide for a morecoherent framework in which to fur-ther stem cell research,” said Dr. JimCoffman, former K-State provost andinterim director of the institute.

Finding ResourcesOne major hurdle facing the institute

will be to find strong sources of fund-ing to take research to the next level.“The institute needs to get enough seedmoney together for more initialresearch that will put us in a betterposition to get more substantial federalmoney from places like the NationalInstitutes of Health,” Dr. Coffman said.

The research so far has been con-ducted on a very limited budgetthrough a smattering of small grantsand departmental funds. Although thisis a testament to the ease with whichthe cells can be worked, the team isbeginning to feel the frustration of lim-ited resources. “You can have the fastestcar in the world, but if you can't fill thetank with gas, you're not going any-where,” Dr. Weiss noted.

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback

introduced a $2.5 million appropriationin the 2006 federal Budget for stem cellresearch at K-State, but it became vic-tim of the heated debate over the size ofthe proposed budget. Senator Brown-back is expected to re-introduce theappropriation next year.

In the meantime, traditional grantswill be applied for and the researchersare hoping to find private donors will-ing to step forward to help the science.They recently had their first small pri-vate donation. “We are very grateful forthis gift. It will contribute to needed

Dr. Jim Coffman, interim director of the Midwest Institute for Comparative Stem Cell Biology,discusses strategies to further stem cell research through collaboration and partnerships.

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laboratory supplies,” Dr. Troyer said.The private sector is also taking

notice of the matrix cells and is becom-ing eager to license the use of the cellsfor various applications. Two use-spe-cific licenses have been issued to com-mercial entities to date, one in humanmedicine and one in equine medicine.

Scientists in a laboratory in Switzer-land are using the matrix cells in a tis-sue engineering study. The matrix cellshave been grown on artificial scaffold-ing to create a new heart valve.

Changing the World One Cell at a Time

The researchers believe than eventhough stem cell research is in its infan-cy, the future of finding cures for can-cer, neuro-degenerative diseases, andheart disease will lie with stem cells. Dr.Weiss likens current stem cell researchto the discovery of antibiotics in theearly 1900s.

“Antibiotics began as a lab idea thatbacteria could be killed on a plate withmold. I think we could be at that sameplace with stem cells,” Dr Weiss said.“We're learning how to use these cellsand take that next step to save lives. Ithink in 20 years we'll look back andwonder what life was like before stemcell therapies.”

These two views show how stem cells havebeen grown around an artificial scaffoldingto create a new blood vessel.

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r. Ordella Geisler was oneof the first female gradu-ates in veterinary medi-cine from K-State and in

1947 became the first woman licensedto practice veterinary medicine inNebraska. She has set an example ofdignity and professionalism for genera-tions of veterinarians.

“Giz,” as she is referred to by friendsand family, broke tradition by pursuinga career in veterinary medicine at atime when there were virtually nowomen practicing in the profession.Although it wasn't always easy, the roadDr. Geisler chose led her to a successfuland rewarding 40-year career.

She grew up the second oldest of fivechildren in the small town of Hebron,Neb., where her father was the sheriff.Times were lean, but Dr. Geisler's workethic and an intense desire to learnserved her well. Although she had nocareer in mind, she began taking col-lege classes at Hebron Junior Collegeduring the 1930s and transferred to theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1940.Dr. Geisler could not afford to go tocollege full time, so she worked part-time as a bookkeeper for Dr. GrantAckerman's veterinary clinic in Lincoln.

This event would shape the rest of herlife. “That was serendipitous because Ihad no interest in veterinary medicine,”she recalled. “I just needed a job, anyjob. That was still partially during thedepression and the drought.”

Over time, her duties in the clinicexpanded from bookkeeping to admin-istering anesthetic to the animals andpreparing them for surgery.

Dr. Ackerman encouraged Dr.Geisler to pursue higher education andwas willing to schedule her hoursaround her classes. “His primary con-cern was that I get an education. Thatwas very important to him,” she said.

In 1943, at the age of 27, she appliedto the two veterinary schools closest toNebraska, Iowa State University and K-State. She soon realized the challengeshe was up against. “Iowa State wouldn’teven look at my transcript. They justdidn’t take women at all,” Dr. Geislersaid.

The veterinary program at K-Statehad accepted women since 1928. Dr.Geisler began veterinary school there inMay, 1944. There were 41 men andthree women in her class.

She got along well with her class-mates and professors; however, therewas one well-known instructor, Dr.Edwin Frick, who believed she waswasting the resources of the publicly-funded university. “He said to me,‘Ordella, you’ll never repay the taxpay-ers,’” Dr. Geisler recalled. Fortunately,those comments did not deter her fromachieving her goals and may have evenbeen inspirational.

The curriculum was accelerated dur-

By Brennan Engle

D

A Pioneer in Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Geisler with retired thoroughbread caval-ry horse “Romany” in Lincoln, Neb., circa1940.

Left: Dr.OrdellaGeisler at herhome in Lin-coln, Neb.Inset: Dr. Geisler inanatomy andphysiologyclass at K-State in the1940s.

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PHOTO COURTESY ORDELLA GEISLER

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dents took three semesters of classeseach year. Dr. Geisler remembers taking27 hours of laboratory class one semes-ter in the summer months with no airconditioning. It seems she encounteredmany extremes while in veterinaryschool. One winter Burt Hall caughtfire and destroyed the area where class-es congregated each day. “It was Febru-ary and we ended up sitting outside inthe middle of winter getting our ordersso we could treat the animals,” she said.

In February 1947, Dr. Geislerreceived her DVM and returned to Lin-coln to join Dr. Ackerman as an associ-ate.

She treated mainly small animalswhile the men handled large animals.She has many memories of unique casesthat she handled over the years. Oneinvolved a farmer whose cow was downone night with a mineral deficiency, or“milk fever.” When Dr. Geisler arrivedto treat the animal, the farmer told hershe was “a hell of an excuse for a veteri-narian” because she was female. But sheheld her ground. “I said to him, ‘It’s Sat-urday night, and I don’t know whereyou can do any better,’” Dr. Geislerrecalled. She treated the cow and itmade a full recovery.

She refers to the techniques of herearly practicing years as “old fashionedmedicine.” That was before the adventof modern anesthetics, vaccines and

antibiotics. “It was a godsend whenantibiotics came on the market, you justcan’t imagine what we did withoutthem.”

Over the years she learned to treat avariety of exotic animals for three zoosin the Lincoln area. Whether it was per-forming a cesarean section on a chin-chilla, alleviating ulcers in a snake’smouth, or treating a kangaroo withfrostbitten ears, she always found thiswork challenging and exciting.

In 1972, Dr. Geisler purchased thehospital from the Ackermans andrenamed it the “Geisler Animal Hospi-

tal.” Each day broughtdifferent animals andunique cases. “Ienjoyed it very much.It was hard work butvery satisfying. Therewere never any dulldays.”

In 1978, at the ageof 62, Dr. Geislermarried WendellHoffman, an award-winning CBS newscameraman. Fiveyears later, Dr. Geislerretired and sold herpractice after 40 yearsin the veterinaryfield. They were mar-

ried for 20 years before Hoffman passedaway in 1998.

Today Dr. Geisler looks back on herveterinary career with a deep sense ofpride and an unassuming humility. “Iwas just doing my thing. It didn’t realizeI was being different. It was just workand I loved it.”

In March, Dr. Geisler celebrated her90th birthday. She lives in an apartmentin Lincoln where she enjoys cooking,sewing, reading and collecting art. Shestill attends class reunions at K-State toreminisce with friends. It was at onesuch reunion several years ago that sheran into her former instructor, Dr.Frick, when he was in his nineties. Heacknowledged the error in his predic-tion made years earlier. He told Dr.Geisler she had in fact repaid the tax-payers.

Just as others had encouraged Dr.Geisler to pursue her dreams, she hasbeen a mentor to younger people. Dr.Rebecca Arnold, CVM ‘90, a veterinari-an and owner of the “All-feline Hospi-tal” in Lincoln, cleaned kennels andprepared equipment for Dr. Geisler inthe early 1980s. Dr. Arnold remembersDr. Geisler’s work ethic and high stan-dards, which inspired her to go to vet-erinary school.

“She was a role model for me becauseshe was the first woman veterinarian inNebraska, and one of the very fewwomen veterinarians who owned herown practice, which is what I wanted todo. And she did it well,” Dr. Arnoldsaid.

During her lifetime, Dr. Geisler hasseen significant changes in attitudestoward women in her profession, espe-cially as veterinary care progressed inthe area of companion animals. Today,two-thirds of veterinary students at K-State are female, which further punctu-ates the contributions made by the firstwomen to enter the field. She says shehas no regrets about her life or thecareer she chose.

“I certainly have had a good life. Itreally has been wonderful,” she said. “Iam fortunate that I have been happyand healthy, and I'm still living a goodlife.”

Dr. Rebecca Arnold (left) visits with her mentor and friend, Dr.Ordella Geisler, at a reception at the Nebraska Veterinary MedicalAssocation’s conference in January. Dr. Geisler was honored at thereception by the CVM for her outstanding career.

Dr. Geisler at her hospital, 1972.

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Dr. Lisa C. Freeman has been appointed associatedean for research and graduate programs at the KansasState University College of VeterinaryMedicine.

A faculty member in the Department ofAnatomy and Physiology since 1994, Dr.Freeman was named to the position onSept. 15.

Dr. Freeman earned her DVM and mas-ter's degree in reproductive physiologyfrom Cornell University in 1986 and adoctorate in pharmacology from The OhioState University in 1989.

She has served as a research mentor androle model for post-doctoral students, clin-ical residents and young faculty members. In 2002, shewas named Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of theYear by the Association of Women Veterinarians.

In 2001, she became director of Mentored Training,which included administering the Research ScholarsProgram at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Herefforts were instrumental in obtaining funding for the

program through the National Institutes of Health andMerck-Merial Foundation.

Dr. Freeman believes researchers from K-State can play an even larger role in theresearch of diseases that affect humans andanimals. “The veterinary college will be amajor contributor to the Kansas City Area LifeSciences Institute initiatives in companion ani-

mal health and food animal production,” Dr.Freeman said.

She said collaborating with other researchand health institutions will be a crucial step forthe College of Veterinary Medicine to meet theneeds of a changing society.

“This is a time when K-State can alsobecome a major player on the national scene in research.The ability to create connections and collaborations in ahorizontal fashion will be vital in conducting research dur-ing the next couple of decades,” Dr. Freeman said.

She plans to improve the recruitment, training and reten-tion of students pursuing research careers in biomedical sciences.

A K-State veteri-nary student won theannual Nestle PurinaCollege Challenge inJanuary at the NorthAmerican VeterinaryConference (NAVC)in Orlando, Fla.

The champion,Shelly Adrian, Classof 2007, won $3,000in prize money and a$3,000 matchingdonation to K-State’sStudent Chapter ofthe American Veteri-nary Medical Associ-ation (SCAVMA).

She competedagainst 25 studentdelegates from each of the veterinary colleges, chosen bytheir deans to attend the conference. The Challenge formatwas similar to a quiz bowl with competitors amassing pointsthrough four rounds of questions until two contestants facedoff in the fifth round.

Questions ranged from topics on small and large animals

to anatomy and criticalcare, and incorporatedmaterial covered in allfour years of veterinaryschool.

Adrian, who competedlast year, attributes herwin to the knowledge shehas gained during thepast year. “Between yoursecond and third yearyou learn so much, and itall becomes relevant,” shesaid. “Some of the ques-tions were easy, but themajority of them werereally tough.”

Adrian said sheenjoyed the competitivespirit among the dele-

gates who became good friends. “All the representativesknew each other from last year, and we just had fun cheeringeach other on,” Adrian said. “But the money was nice too.”

Along with the competition, the student delegates work abooth at the NAVC and promote the NAVC at their respec-tive schools through out the school year.

CVM Student Wins College Challenge

Dr. Lisa Freeman Named Dean of Research

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Spring/Summer 2005 21

68th Annual Conference for VeterinariansThe 68th Annual Conference for Veterinarians will begin a new century of

excellence for our college. Join us for a flurry of activities including continuing

education sessions, alumni reunions, veterinary medical trade show, scholar-

ship golf tournament, wellness screening, vaccination clinic, contests, auction,

dinners, as well as camraderie with colleagues.

Last year we focused on the college’s centennial celebration. June 2006

finds us preparing to unveil the Centennial Plaza and Whispering Garden. We

are also planning for the celebration of 100 years of graduating veterinary

medical classes in 2007.

Calendar of EventsJune 3rd begins with K-State class reunions for the classes of graduating years

ending in 1 and 6. The alumni affairs office is busy working with class representatives

in organizing these reunions as well as tours of the campus and college.

June 4th kicks off with:

Alumni/conference brunch

K-State welcome from Dean Ralph Richardson

Keynote presentation from Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald from Animal Planet’s “Emer-

gency Vets.”

Other activities include continuing education sessions, evening dinner and

entertainment

Recognition of the new Centennial Plaza and Whispering Garden

June 5thConcurrent small animal, exotics, equine and food animal sessions

Wet labs will be offered too

Vendor trade show

Twelfth annual scholarship golf tournament

Wellness screening and vaccination clinic

Auxiliary events

Heritage Evening dinner

Veterinary Medical Alumni Association awards

June 6thConference continues with educational sessions and labs

Vendor trade show will conclude in the afternoon

A luncheon recognizing referring veterinarians

Sandwiches and ice cream social

Practitioner Practice Tips

June 7thBuffet breakfast followed by educational sessions.

Sharpen your skills on historical veterinary instruments for the “Name That

Instrument” contest. There will be a first place prize!

Conference officially adjourns at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact:

(conference) Linda Johnson, [email protected], 785-532-5696

(alumni reunions) Cheri Ubel, [email protected], 785-532-5643

(golf tournament) Chris Gruber, [email protected], 785-532-4465

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22 Healing Hands

1952Dr. Dan Upson received the LifetimeService Award from the Kansas Veteri-nary Medical Association at the annualKVMA conference on Jan. 22, 2006.

1961Dr. Cap Dierks received the NebraskaRural Radio Association Service toAgriculture Award. Dr. Dierks spoke onpolitics in Nebraska agriculture at theNRRA’s annual meeting, Nov. 14, 2005.

1971Dr. William Brown, Wamego, Kan., wasawarded the Howard Dunne MemorialAward by the American Association ofSwine Veterinarians. The award, pre-sented at the association’s annual meet-ing in Toronto, Canada, recognizes anAASV member who has made impor-tant contributions and provided out-standing service to the association andthe swine industry.

1987Dr. Eric Weigand was installed as presi-dent of the California Veterinary Med-ical Association on June 25, 2005 at theAnaheim Marriott Hotel in Anaheim,California. The installation took placeduring the CVMA’s 2005 Annual Con-ference.

1986Dr. Curt Mann was named USDADeputy Under Secretary for Food Safety.

1994Dr. Todd Burnett: “Although my prac-tice and several in the Pensacola areahave survived the recent hurricanesplease remember those non-KSU alum-ni that practice along the Gulf Coastand their patients. Our animal sheltersand rescue groups are overloaded withpet family members and need moresupport than ever.”

1997Dr. Chad Johannes accepted a positionas assistant professor of small animalinternal medicine at the MississippiState University College of VeterinaryMedicine.

2000Dr. Jeff White recently moved back toKansas City. He has a 1-year-old daugh-ter named Kate.

2001Dr. Matt Steven Wright and his wife,Laura, welcome their new baby daugh-ter, Madison Leigh on Jan. 12, 2006.

2003Dr. Philip Martin has completed twoyears of Anatomic Pathology Residencytraining at the University of California,Davis and will continue his residencyand Ph.D. training at the National Insti-tutes of Health Molecular PathologyPost-Doctoral Training Program at theNational Cancer Institute.

Alumni Class News

http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/library/research.

services.htmVeterinary Medical LibraryKansas State University

408 Trotter Hall

Animal behavior is a topic that inter-ests veterinarians as well as animal andnon-animal owners.

With the rise of pets as substitutes forchildren, many people are dealing withanimal behaviors in their homes andapartments that are not always in the bestinterest of either the animals or their own-ers.

The Veterinary Medical Library at K-State has materials that can aid in search-ing for answers to why animals act theway they do. A new book by TempleGrandin entitled, “Animals in Translation:Using the Mysteries of Autism to DecodeAnimal Behavior” provides revealinginsights into the animal mind.

We currently have 396 entries in ourlibrary catalog under the subject heading,“Animal Behavior.” These entries rangefrom highly scientific works to populartitles that can be read by children as wellas adults.

If zoo animal behavior is of interest, atitle such as “Beastly Behaviors: A ZooLover’s Companion” by Janine Benyusmight provide entertaining reading.

Many of our materials are in non-printformats such as videos, CDs, or DVDs.Periodical or journal indexes such as theNational Library of Medicine’s freePubMed database at www.pubmed.govcan be searched from your home computer.

Animal-human information can also befound at www.medlineplus.gov, which isa free consumer health index from theNational Library of Medicine. If visitingour library is not a possibility, publiclibraries can often provide similar titlesthrough their collections or through theirinterlibrary loan services.

Mark your calendar to attend the fourth annual Sam Kelsall Memorial Hunt, Oct. 29-30, at Ringneck Ranch in Tipton, Kansas. If interestedin attending, contact Chris Gruber at the College of Veterinary Medicine at

785-532-4465 or e-mail [email protected].

Sam Kelsall Memorial Hunt

Save-the-Datefor the

RESEARCH TIPS RESEARCH TIPS & ASSISTANCE& ASSISTANCE

by Carol Elmore

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Spring/Summer 2005 23

support of the Trilateral Experts’ Committeefor biological weapons negotiations. Duringthese missions Dr. Franz visited cities in Russiawhere team members learned of the exis-tence of undisclosed biological warfare facili-ties.

Dr. Franz said collaboration with othercountries will be crucial in preventing diseaseoutbreaks in the future. “The rest of theworld is learning that we've got to worktogether across the species,” he said.

Dr. Franz said he has found that science canbe a “common language” in bringing peoplefrom different nations together to engage inpeaceful negotiating.

He advised CVM students to volunteer forthings they wouldn’t normally because it willopen up new opportunities to them. “I thinkthat is something that has done more for methan anything,” he said.

Dr. Franz holds an adjunct appointment as professor forthe Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology atthe CVM and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Dr. David Franz CVM’s 2006 Alumni Fellow

Henry J. W. Osterholtz, DVM 1934,Greenwood, Mo., died June 16, 2005

Irvin P. Irwin, DVM 1937, Rockport, Texas, died Oct. 8, 2005

Glen S. Remsberg, DVM 1939,Arkansas City, Kan., died March 2, 2005

Richard W. Swart, DVM 1941, Rock Round, Texas, died April 5, 2005

Stephen J. Roberts, MS 1942, Bath, N.Y., died Jan. 21, 2005

Max S. Sheehey, DVM 1943, Tyler, Texas, died May 26, 2005

Clyde E. Brown, DVM 1944, Danville, Calif., died May 28, 2005

John P. Woodbridge, DVM 1946, Pierson, Iowa., died Oct. 31, 2005

Alvah R. McLaughlin Jr., DVM 1947,Madison, Wis., died Dec. 3, 2005

Joseph T. McGinity, DVM 1949,Columbia, Mo., died April 10, 2005

Lester J. Barger, DVM 1950, Merced, Calif., died June 26, 2005

Busch Meredith, DVM 1951, Olathe,Kan., died Oct. 27, 2005

James J. Lewis, DVM 1952, Saint Paul,Neb., died May 24, 2005

Joseph F. Lyons, DVM 1953, Concord,Calif., died Feb. 5, 2005

Joanne F. Pfeffer, DVM 1953, Jacksonville, Ill., died June 29, 2005

Winston K. Goering, DVM 1954,Nampa, Idaho, died Oct. 8, 2005

Melvin U. Pettit, DVM 1955, Wymore, Neb., died April 17, 2005

Eugene Rizek, DVM 1955, Hebron, Neb., died Dec. 10, 2005

Raymond L. Ganoung, DVM 1958,Hoisington, Kan., died July 16, 2005

Farrel R. Robinson, DVM 1958, WestLafayette, Ind., died Aug. 6, 2005

Ronald N. Dale, DVM 1959, Ithaca,N.Y., died April 25, 2005

Gordon L. Rasberry, DVM 1959,Kenesaw, Neb., died May 1, 2005

Roy M. Craig, DVM 1959, Lebanon,Ore., died Jan. 20, 2006

Robert F. Torrence, DVM 1961, Topeka, Kan., died Sept. 16, 2005

Richard J. Connell, DVM 1961, Harper, Kan., died Nov. 18, 2005

Raymond D. Askey, DVM 1965, Tucson, Ariz., died Jan. 1, 2006

Edward P. Miller, DVM 1966,Oskaloosa, Kan., died Nov. 21, 2005

Mark Williams, DVM 1969,Omaha, Neb., died Feb. 15, 2006

Supriya Ganguli, Ph. D. 1976, Springfield, Ill., died Aug. 16, 2005

Deborah Barber-Axthelm, DVM 1979,Hillsboro, Ore., died Aug. 28, 2005

In Memoriam

Dr. David Franz, CVM ‘69, ‘70, was theCollege of Veterinary Medicine’s 2006Alumni Fellow. On Feb. 27, Dr. Franzaddressed the college in a lecture entitled,“Veterinary Medicine: A World of Oppor-tunities.”

Dr. Franz is director of the NationalAgricultural Biosecurity Center at KansasState University.

As Chief Biological Scientist of MidwestResearch Institute, he develops businessactivities in the areas of biodefense, non-proliferation, cooperative threat reductionand biosafety.

Dr. Franz served in the U.S. Army Med-ical Research and Material Command for23 years. He also commanded the U.S.Army Medical Research Institute of Infec-tious Diseases (USAMRIID). In the 1990s,he was chief inspector for United Nationsbiological warfare inspection missions to Iraq and served astechnical advisor on long-term monitoring. Dr. Franz wasalso a member of the first two teams that visited Russia in

Dr. David R. Franz

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24 Healing Hands

Dr. Alfred Poindexter (‘45) a KansasCity, Mo., native, attended the KansasState Teachers College at Pittsburg,Kan., and received his DVM from K-State in 1945.

Before his retirement in 2004, Dr.Poindexter was the oldest practicingAfrican American veterinarian in theUnited States.

In 1947, he became a professor anduniversity veterinarian at Prairie ViewA&M University in the College of Agri-

culture and HumanSciences. Dr.Poindexter held thisposition for 59 yearsuntil his retirement.During his time atPrairie View A&M,Dr. Poindexter taughtclasses on anatomy and physiology, dis-eases and sanitation, animal health, ani-mal breeding and reproductive physiol-ogy.

In 1947, Dr. Poindexter became oneof the first two African American mem-bers of the Texas Veterinary MedicalAssociation. In 1992, he was selected bythe Texas commissioner of agricultureas one of the four most outstandingblack agriculturalists in the state.

In 1996 he received the GeorgeWashington Carver Award for PublicService from Tuskegee University. Alsothat year, he was inducted into theTexas Heritage Hall of Honor.

Dr. Dale Sorensen (‘46) has had along and distinguished career as a pro-fessor and specialist in large animalinfectious disease.

He earned his DVM from K-State in1946 while serving as a private firstclass in the United States Army.

From 1946 to 1947, he was a veteri-nary consultant for the United NationsRelief and Rehabilitation Administra-tion.

Dr. Sorensen has been principal

investigator, or co-principal investigator,in research projectsinvolving bovine andmurine leukemia, hogcholera, and variousbovine diseases.

Dr. Sorensen alsoconducted investigations on large ani-mal disease problems in the state ofMinnesota.

In 1959 he began a 34-year teaching

career in veterinary medicine at theUniversity of Minnesota. He held sever-al department head positions and even-tually attained the rank of associatedean for academic affairs and research,a post he held from 1980 to 1987.

In the 1960s, Dr. Sorensen was amember of veterinary medical teamsthat evaluated the state of veterinarymedical education and service in thePhilippines, Denmark, Malaysia andTaiwan.

Dr. Marvin Samuelson (‘56) earnedhis DVM from K-State in 1956 andentered the United States Army Veteri-nary Corps as a food safety officer. Sta-tioned at Ft. MacArthur, Calif., his unithelped maintain the safety of the foodsupply of the armed forces.

Following his military career, Dr.Samuelson owned a small animal prac-tice in San Pedro, CA., from 1958-1973.

A chance encounter with Dr. JakeMosier, a long-time professor at the

CVM, led him back toK-State for a 15-yearteaching career. Dr.Samuelson served ashead of the small ani-mal section at the Vet-erinary MedicalTeaching Hospital andtaught classes on dermatology.

In 1987 he took a position at TexasA&M University as director of the teach-ing hospital and assistant dean for public

programs. Five years later, Dr. Samuel-son returned to Kansas where he openeda referral-only clinic in Topeka calledAnimal Dermatology and Allergy Asso-ciates.

In recent years Dr. Samuelson hasbeen a consultant for the VeterinaryAllergy Reference Laboratory in Pasade-na, Calif., as its Midwest affiliate.

In 1998, he took his part-time con-sulting businesss on the road as he traveled the country for seven years.

Dr. Sam Graham (‘59) joined theUnited States Army Veterinary Corps,after receiving his DVM in 1959. Heserved as the officer in charge of theanimal colony’s division of laboratoryand surgery at the Army Chemical Cen-ter in Maryland.

In 1961, Dr. Graham returned toKansas where he operated a large ani-mal veterinary practice in Kingman for27 years.

Since 1988, Dr. Graham has been

employed by theKansas Department ofAnimal Health. As astate field veterinari-an, he is responsiblefor investigatingreports of livestockdisease and workswith county officials to quarantine andeliminate the disease.

He received foreign-animal diseasetraining at Plum Island, New York,

where he studied major livestock dis-eases.

During Dr. Graham’s tenure with theKansas Department of Animal Health,the three primary animal diseases –brucellosis, tuberculosis and pseudora-bies – were eradicated from the state.

Dr. Graham is also the editor of aquarterly newsletter informing statelivestock producers of regulations relat-ing to the industry on state, nationaland international levels.

College of Veterinary Medicine’s

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Winter 2006 25

Dr. Jay Merriam (‘69) graduatedfrom K-State with a bachelor's degreein chemistry in 1967 and his DVM in1969.

He was an instructor of equinesurgery at K-State, the University ofMissouri and Auburn University. In1974, he began providing his surgicalservices to horse racetracks in RhodeIsland. At the time, his practice was theonly equine surgical facility in southernNew England.

Fifteen years ago,Dr. Merriam becameinvolved in interna-tional relief work, apassion that he pur-sues today. Whileserving as president of the MassachusettsVeterinary Medical Association, Merri-am felt outreach was needed to otherparts of the world. To meet this need,he created an outreach program called

“Project Samana.” Through this pro-gram, Dr. Merriam and others havetaken veterinarians and students to asmall jungle community in the Domini-can Republic to provide medical andsurgical services to thousands of largeand small animals.

Dr. Merriam's current practice, theMassachusetts Equine Clinic, treatsshow horses, event horses, jumpers andsport horses. Many of his clients haveparticipated in the Olympics.

Dr. Alexander Hogg (‘50), a nativeof Borgue, Scotland, immigrated to theUnited States in 1926. After highschool he joined the United StatesNavy and served in World War II. Withthe help of the G.I. Bill, Dr. Hoggattended Kansas State University Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine, graduatingwith his DVM in 1950.

Dr. Hogg was a Nebraska SwineExtension veterinarian and a professorat the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

During his time therehe was internationallyrecognized as anexpert in swine dis-eases and presented atmany conferences inEurope. Dr. Hogg ini-tiated exchange pro-grams with several European universi-ties and other institutions.

He also developed state-wide Exten-sion programs like “Problem Pig Clin-

ics” and “Farrowing Schools forWomen” that were important in deliv-ering science-based information thathelped producers resolve health andproduction issues on thousands offarms.

Dr. Hogg retired from teaching in1990 and became a technical servicesconsultant for MVP Laboratories inRalston, Neb.,

He was also instrumental in eradicat-ing hog cholera from the United States.

Dr. Ordella Geisler (‘47) or “Giz” asshe is referred to by friends and family,has enjoyed a long, unique, andrewarding career as a veterinarian.

Dr. Geisler entered the veterinaryprofession at a time when there werevirtually no practicing female veteri-narians.

She graduated with her DVM in1947 and returned to her home town,Lincoln, Neb., where she became thefirst woman licensed to practice veteri-

nary medicine inNebraska.

She worked as anassociate in Dr. GrantAckerman’s animalhospital until purchas-ing the practice in1972 and renaming itthe Geisler Animal Hospital. She treat-ed mainly small animals and a varietyof exotic animals for the three zoos inthe Lincoln area.

During her career, Dr. Geisler hasseen significant changes in attitudestoward women in her profession, espe-cially when veterinary care progressedin the area of companion animals.

Dr. Geisler also served assecretary/treasurer of the Nebraska Vet-erinary Medical Association from 1950to 1952 and from 1959 to 1960.

In 1983 she sold her practice andretired after an extraordinary 40-yearcareer in veterinary medicine.

Dr. Bruce Keene (‘65) has had acareer in small animal veterinary medi-cine spanning 40 years.

Dr. Keene graduated with a bachelor’sdegree in animal nutrition from the Uni-versity of Arkansas in 1961 and receivedhis DVM from K-State in 1965.

After graduating from K-State, hemoved to Miami, Fla., to work at theYarborough Animal Hospital, one ofthree clinics in the city. In 1968, alongwith a colleague, Dr. Keene opened the

Howell Branch andLake Howell AnimalHospitals. He stillpractices at LakeHowell Animal Hos-pital today.

More than thirtyyears ago, Dr. Keene,along with 15 veterinarians, started theVeterinary Emergency Clinic of CentralFlorida. This was the first clinic of itskind in the area and is now one of the

largest in the country.Dr. Keene is a Pet Fair judge for an

annual fundraiser benefiting the Orlan-do Science Center. During this event hebrings in veterinarians from around thestate to give health examinations to com-panion animals. Dr. Keene uses theevent to promote community educationin veterinary medicine.

In 1980, he served as co-chair for theFlorida Veterinary Medical AssociationConvention's 50th anniversary.

‘05-06 Alumni Recognition Awards

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26 Healing Hands

Frey Family Honored at KVMA ReceptionThe Frey family was presented a 2006

Alumni Recognition Award by the Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine and its Vet-erinary Medical Alumni Association atthe Kansas Veterinary Medical Associa-tion’s gala brunch on Jan. 22, 2006, inTopeka, Kan.

The family tradition of veterinarymedicine began with Dr. Jesse Frey,who graduated in 1914. Jesse moved toCalifornia and was instrumental ineradicating anthrax, bovine tuberculosisand foot-and-mouth disease outbreaksin the 1920s. He also had a 30-yearcareer with the Golden State Milk Com-pany. Jesse passed away in 1987 at 93.

Jesse’s nephew, Dr. Russ Frey,received his DVM in 1952 while servingin the U.S. Air Force Veterinary Corps.He returned to K-State in 1963, wherehe taught for 40 years including 15years as head of the Department ofAnatomy and Physiology. Russ retiredfrom teaching in 2001 and passed awayin 2003. He is survived by wife, Patricia,of Manhattan.

Russ’ brothers, Merwin and Martin,who are twins, earned their DVMs1956.

Merwin worked as a livestock inspec-tor for the USDA and in the U.S. AirForce Veterinary Corps. In 1966, Mer-win became a professor at the Veteri-nary Medical Research Institute at Iowa

State University. He later taught atOklahoma State University and the Uni-versity of Nebraska-Lincoln. Merwinand wife, Jo Ann, reside in Story City,Iowa.

Martin served as an instructor atOklahoma State until 1963. He andwife, Demarious, also a veterinarian,opened a private practice, which theymoved to Padre Island, Texas, in 1972.Now retired, Martin and DemariousFrey live in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Dr. William Griffing, another of JesseFrey’s nephews, graduated from K-State

in 1944. Dr. Griffing worked in a pri-vate practice in Indiana and later as aveterinary pathologist for Eli Lilly andCompany Pharmaceuticals, where hepioneered study in electronmicroscopy. Dr. Griffing resides inGreenfield, Ind, with wife, Ann.

Dr. Robert Hentzler, a cousin of theFrey brothers, graduated in 1943. Heserved in the U.S. Army Reserve andwas co-owner of Hentzler PackingCompany in Topeka. Dr. Hentzlerpassed away in 2003. He is survived byhis wife, Jeanne, of Topeka.

The Frey Family was honored at the annual conference of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association at K-State’s alumni brunch, Jan. 22 . Six members of the Frey family have earnedtheir DVMs from K-State.

Development Director Takes Principal Gifts PostTim Chapman, senior director of

development, is leaving the CVM buthe is not leaving Kansas State Universi-ty. Chapman has taken a position at theK-State Foundation as senior directorof principal gifts.

He will be working with the topdonors of the university and will beinstrumental in the fundraising process.He will manage relationships with top-level donors by serving as prospectmanager or working with other profes-sional staff assigned to these donors.

Chapman has been with the CVMsince 1999.

“For the past sixyears it has been myprivilege to workwith the staff,administration, fac-ulty and clinicians.It is through theirdedication andfriendship that myexperiences here atthe college wereabsolutely the best,” Chapman said.

“I would like to thank all of the alum-ni and friends I have met and had theopportunity to get close to. I’m thrilled

that my new position at the KansasState University Foundation will enableme to continue to work with the Col-lege of Veterinary Medicine and withmany of you on a personal level.”

During Chapman’s tenure at theCVM, a capital fundraising campaignwas initiated to raise $35 million forthe CVM. That goal is expected to bemet within the next calendar year,before the campaign ends in 2008.

The search to fill Chapman’s positionis under way. Chris Gruber will serveas acting director of development untila replacement is found.

Tim Chapman

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Winter 2006 27

Dear Alumni,It’s been an exciting year at our alma mater, and there

appears to be no end in sight to the progress the K-StateCollege of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Medical AlumniAssociation continues to make.

Not only has our university become a leader in veterinarymedicine for the Midwest, but we are recognized as aleader in veterinary medicine and research throughout thenation as we continue to serve the profession. For these rea-sons, coupled with theoutstanding performanceof our past alumni presi-dents, I am humbled toassume the president’schair. I’m calling on thelife blood of the VMAA –our alumni – to becomeactive participants in ourgrowth by joining myselfand the rest of our alum-ni board in actively sup-porting our vision.

There’s never been abetter time to become anactive alumnus. A longjourney begins with a sin-gle step, and I’m hopefulthat I can continue toassist our university onthat journey towards greatness. We have multiple opportu-nities for you to interact with K-State and the veterinary col-lege that have served so many well. Please take time to joinus in collegial fellowship as we enter a new year. It promisesto be an exciting time. It seems like only yesterday that Istarted my service with the alumni board. I’ve learned manythings and made many new friends during that time. I’velearned that our alumni have gone on to accomplish greatthings both personally and professionally, and it is that lega-cy of excellence that will sustain us as we continue to striveto meet the goals that have been set before us. You, as a K-State alumnus, will be instrumental in helping me and therest of the alumni board facilitate the meeting of thosegoals. I welcome your input and thoughts.

My door is always open to you, although, since I travelfrequently, you may find that door to be on an airplaneheaded toward some remote section of the country. Youmay also need to discuss your thoughts with me on ableacher at a softball complex. That is normally where youwill find me, watching my daughters play the game theylove. Either way, I want to hear from you. I’m honored to bea member of the board and an alumnus of K-State. Pleasejoin me in the coming year and enjoy our centennial and allthat comes with it.

- Dr. Todd McCracken CVM ‘93Veterinary Medical Alumni Association President

Veterinary Medical Alumni AssociationMembership Participation

10% 1%10%

79%

Lifetime Membership1/2 Lifetime Membership2006 Annual MembershipNon-Participating Alumni

Veterinary Medical Alumni Association

$-

$5,000.00

$10,000.00

$15,000.00

$20,000.00

$25,000.00

$30,000.00

$35,000.00

1 2 3 4 5 6

Year Annual Membership Dues Were Receipted

Am

ount

Of A

nnua

l Mem

bers

hip

Due

s

Dr. Todd McCracken

Message from VMAA President McCracken

The Veterinary Medical Alumni Association (VMAA)membership dues were incorporated into the associa-tion by-laws and constitution in 2000.

The executive board of the VMAA established anendowment in February of 2003. Money from associa-tion membership dues are placed in this fund to gen-erate earnings that support alumni events, initiativesand activities in perpetuity. The VMAA endowmentcurrently has $161,251 in its principal balance.

200620052004200320022001

PresidentDr. Todd McCracken CVM ‘93

Dr. Gregory Bogue CVM ‘91

Dr. William Brown CVM ‘71

Dr. Michael Moore CVM ‘68

Dr. Alan Lewis CVM ‘72

Dr. Pete Sherlock CVM ‘80

President ElectDr. Richard Mohney CVM ‘74

Secretary/TreasurerDr. Howard Erickson CVM‘59

Members At Large

VMAA Board Members

Page 28: 2 Healing Hands - Kansas State University · Sharon Greene Alumni Affairs Coordinator Cheri Ubel Development Coordinator Laurie Ekart MAILING ADDRESS Dean’s Office College of Veterinary

Development and Alumni OfficeCollege of Veterinary MedicineKansas State University103 Trotter HallManhattan, KS 66506-5604

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit OrganizationUS POSTAGE

PAIDPermit #525

Manhattan, KS 66502

The College of Veterinary Medicine is the place to be June 4-768th Annual Conference for Veterinarians

Don’t miss the dedication of the Whispering Garden and Centennial Plaza

between Trotter and Mosier Halls on the CVM campus

To commemorate the first 100 years of veterinary medicine at K-State, theCentennial Plaza will feature personalized granite plaques and pavers

The Whispering Garden will honor animal companions past and presentwith stainless steel panels displaying the photos of many beloved pets.

For complete details on the conference and a list of scheduled activities, see page 21.