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College of Veterinary Medicine Advance Newsletter

The Longest Donors: Giving Back for 45 Years

In 1966 when Norm Rantanen (’67 DVM, ’71 M.S.) was in his third year of veterinary school, he signed up for the early commissioning program with the U.S. Air Force. When the time came for him and his wife Marlene to be stationed for his first assignment with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at the Walter Reed Army post in Washington, D.C., the young couple found they needed a little financial help to make the move. They applied for the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine student loan fund and received $300. “It meant a lot to us at the time to get that money,” says Marlene. “We paid it back at $10 a month and just never quit.” » More ...

WSU pilot study to address antibiotic resistance in children

In the lab looking at a sample.
Nearly 1,000 stool samples from halfway around the world may show how to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance in developing countries. Researchers at Washington State University’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health will analyze the samples from Bangladesh for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes. » More ...

Helping Future Veterinary Students: The Class of 2019 Gives Back

Student are performing a simulated surgery.
When the WSU’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class of 2019 was thinking about how they wanted to give back, the choice seemed obvious: The Clinical Simulation Center . “Our class wanted to support such a great program that we are lucky to have at our school,” says 2019 class president, Lida Gehlen. “The simulation center is a great resource that taught us new skills and helped us hone skills that we are now using in our careers.” » More ...

Where have all the frogs gone?

3D Illustration Esther Ng
It happened again that morning. During their rounds, zookeepers found another tank of dead blue poison dart frogs. The tiny azure amphibians, native to South American rainforests, had been enjoying a successful breeding program at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Now, inexplicably, they were dying from a mysterious skin disease and the cause remained elusive. » More ...

A Veterinary Couple’s Commitment to End Rabies

Rachel Clark standing in the middle of about 3 dozen children
John and Rachel Clark are driven to prevent rabies in Africa, a disease that kills tens of thousands of children worldwide each year. So driven, in fact, for the past two years they have packed up their now 4- and 8-year-old children to host canine rabies vaccination clinics in Malawi, East Africa, where John was born and raised. “I saw an article about Rabies Free Africa in the HuffPost featuring Dr. Guy Palmer,” says John. “I sent a note to Rachel that said, ‘This is what I want to do!’” » More ...

Volunteers Matter: Using innovative education to train tomorrow’s veterinary students

Mike Burdette talking with students.
On a crisp fall morning, volunteers from 10 states came to WSU to participate in something unique to the College of Veterinary Medicine: The Diagnostic Challenges. During one week in October and a second week in November, 60 volunteers helped 130 second-year veterinary students hone their diagnostic and communications skills. Mike Burdette (’73 DVM) began volunteering eight years ago after reading about the program in the college’s Advance newsletter and from recent graduates who shared how much they learned during their own Diagnostic Challenges. » More ...