This is such an exciting time for the college, and I’m thrilled to be able to share some important updates.

First, the new UF Veterinary Hospital at World Equestrian Center in Ocala is now officially open for business. We announced this important alliance between UF and the center last fall, and are beyond excited to see all of the planning and hard work involved in this huge project finally come to fruition. A Grand Opening Preview and ribbon-cutting event was held May 25, the day prior to the official opening, and we were delighted to see such a huge turnout. Area veterinarians, members of our Gainesville UFCVM family and the general public joined UF Health and UF/IFAS leaders and Marion County officials in celebrating the occasion, which will long be remembered as a milestone in the life of the college.

You’ll find a story about this important project in this issue, but you will be hearing more in the months to come about this incredible new facility and how we’re working to ensure access to leading-edge services for some of the world’s most elite equine as well as horses and small animals from the local community. The collaboration with World Equestrian Center is unlike any the college has ever embarked upon, and has been a learning opportunity for all — as well as a lot of work! There are so many people whose efforts helped to make this project a reality, and I can’t begin to thank them all. But I do want to first and foremost thank the Roberts family, WEC’s owners, for their commitment to this project and vision; Drs. David Nelson and Scott Angle of UF Health and UF/IFAS, respectively, for their ongoing support; our leadership team here
at the college, including Ms. Andrea Miller, Ms. Kelly Riggs-Hicks, Drs. Chris Sanchez, Ali Morton, Erin Porter and Gareth Buckley, for planning and oversight, and Rachel DiSesa, our client services manager for the UF Veterinary Hospitals, for her help in planning such a wonderful event.

In other news, in early April we announced the appointment of two associate deans for clinical services to oversee operations at the UF Veterinary Hospitals. Dr. Michael Mison is now associate dean for clinical services for small animal operations, responsible for the UF Small Animal Hospital in Gainesville, UF Pet Emergency Treatment Services in Ocala and the veterinary hospitals’ pharmacy. Dr. Chris Sanchez, who has led the UF Veterinary Hospitals as interim associate dean for clinical services since December 2019, will become associate dean for clinical services for large animal operations, responsible for the UF Large Animal Hospital in Gainesville, the UF Veterinary Hospital at World Equestrian Center in Ocala and the UF Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. Both Dr. Mison and Dr. Sanchez will be excellent in their respective roles and I am excited to have both permanently on board our leadership team.

In late April, four of our graduate students received M.S. or Ph.D. degrees during UF’s spring commencement. We wish them the best in wherever their careers in biomedical science take them.

On May 28, the 118 members of our Class of 2022 tipped their tassels to the left and received their D.V.M. degrees. Twenty-seven students graduated with high honors (3.75 GPA or higher) and 35 students graduated with honors (3.5-3.74 GPA.) Three of our graduates received M.P.H. degrees, and 68 students received professional certificates, with nine earning dual certificates, across our four certificate programs, in aquatic animal health, food animal, shelter medicine and veterinary business management. We are so very proud of our new UFCVM alumni, our veterinarians of the future, and all they have accomplished.

We have also now seated the Class of 2026, consisting of 150 veterinary students with bright futures ahead of them. We were able to expand our class size by 20 students this year in order to better meet the well documented national demand for veterinarians in the workplace, and I look forward to welcoming these students to UF and the Gator Nation later this summer.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing summer, and finds at least some time to reflect on whatever brings you meaning, in life and at work. While there is always more to do, and always the temptation to look back at whatever might remain undone — or could have been done differently — it’s important to step back now and then to remember that we’re all human, we do the best we can, and that by helping others succeed, as teachers, mentors, friends and family members, each one of us is capable of making the world a better place.

With gratitude,

Dana N. Zimmel
Dean and Professor