CVMBS FY20 Annual Report by Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

CONTENTS FROM THE DEAN.................................................................................................. 3 COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING............................... 4 COLLEGE HALLMARKS........................................................................................ 8 OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT.................................................................................... 8 LEADING THE WAY IN GLOBAL ONE HEALTH................................................. 10 LEADING THE WAY IN VETERINARY INNOVATION........................................ 12 VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO)....................... 14 EXPENDITURES.................................................................................................. 16 DEGREES CONFERRED....................................................................................... 17 PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (DVM)................................................................... 18 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (BS IN BIMS OR USVM)..................................22 GRADUATE STUDENTS (MS + PHD)..................................................................24 RESEARCH..........................................................................................................26 FACULTY.............................................................................................................28 RESIDENTS & INTERNS.....................................................................................29 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION..................................................................................30 VETERINARY INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES (VIBS)...........................................32 VETERINARY PATHOBIOLOGY (VTPB).............................................................33 VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY (VTPP)................................34 LARGE ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VLCS)...................................................36 SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VSCS)...................................................38 VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL (VMTH)..................................39 SCHUBOT CENTER FOR AVIAN HEALTH..........................................................42 VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAM (VET)...........................................................43 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS & STUDY ABROAD..........................................45 INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY OF TOXICOLOGY (IFT)................................... 47 SUPERFUND RESEARCH CENTER......................................................................49 CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES (CET).......................................50 CVMBS COMMUNICATIONS ............................................................................ 51 PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION & RURAL HEALTH.......52 CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE)........................................................................53 TRANSLATIONAL IMAGING CENTER (TIC)......................................................54 EQUINE INITIATIVE............................................................................................55 STEVENSON COMPANION ANIMAL LIFE-CARE CENTER...............................56 DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................................57 OUTSTANDING ALUMNI & RISING STAR.........................................................57 FUNDING PRIORITIES.......................................................................................58 COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION............................................................................ 59 2 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

FROM THE DEAN My first year as dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) was certainly a memorable one, bringing us challenges unlike any I’ve faced in my 35 years in higher education administration. However, 2020 was also a year that put the excellence of the CVMBS on full display. We were defined by adaptability and initiative, and I am extremely proud of everyone at the CVMBS who allowed us to not only navigate these challenges but also to have another highly successful year. After moving to remote learning in March, quick action allowed us to be one of the first veterinary programs in the nation to bring our fourth-year students safely back for face-toface clinical instruction in June. Within the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), faculty and staff also adapted, ensuring that the hospital continued to thrive during the pandemic. Although the VMTH did not perform elective procedures for much of the year, the VMTH’s overall drop in total income and funding was only 4.5%, despite a drop of almost 12% in overall caseload. However, the VMTH has still remained profitable, with a net margin over $1 million through the first half of the year. That success was partially due to the rollout of the VirtualVet Telemedicine program, which launched in March. Over 128 appointments were completed in 2020 using the VirtualVet platform. A significant amount of headway also was made in our efforts in the Texas Pandhandle. COVID-19 may have delayed the grand Dean John R. August opening of the Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) and Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) buildings until this summer, but the two new buildings were opened, two additional faculty were hired (with plans to hire more), and applications were accepted for the first cohort of veterinary students who will participate in our 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Program at VERO. In addition, the first fourth-year veterinary students were able to begin clinical rotations at VERO. Both the VERO and TVMDL buildings sit on the newly named The Charles W. “Doc” Graham ’53 DVM, The Texas A&M University System Center, which makes up a significant portion of the West Texas A&M University campus. We also took the first few steps of our next major initiative, the construction of a new Small Animal Hospital by hosting two visioning summits that included some of the best minds from around Texas A&M, the state of Texas, and the country. With their help, we have envisioned a new next-generation Small Animal Hospital and are looking forward to sharing that vision with everyone in the near future. It was also a year in which our expertise was called on more than ever. Dr. Gerry Parker, the associate dean of Global One Health, was a trusted voice in the media throughout the pandemic, and the Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) not only used its expertise in emergency management to help our own VMTH adapt its operations to COVID-19, but VET director Dr. Wesley Bissett was called on by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to assist with COVID-19 contact tracing in the Panhandle, marking the first time the VET has assisted in a human medicine response. In all, 2020 was a challenging year, but as you’ll see in these pages, it was still a highly successful one for the CVMBS.

JOHN R. AUGUST Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 3

COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING This information comes from “Transition to Online Learning Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Undergraduate Programs,” by Courtney Adams, and “The CVMBS’s Graduate-level Adaptations to COVID-19,” by Ashli Villarreal.

Fourth-year veterinary students participating in the community connections rotation online.

Learning at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels looked much different as the CVMBS adapted to COVID-19.

Second-year veterinary students practice suturing on synthetic models as their professor watches via Zoom. 4 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

In the summer of 2020, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVMBS) Executive Committee was interested in documenting the impressive ways the college met the need to deliver online-only instruction throughout the spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19. To do so, emails sent out by Texas A&M, CVMBS, and the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) program; syllabi updates on Howdy; and a series of interviews conducted with instructors available to discuss their transition to online learning were collected and integrated to present a holistic picture of the CVMBS’ transition. Most communication about restrictions originated from the university-level and was reiterated at the college and departmental levels to include directions for adapting to the restrictions. These communications began at the end of February 2020 when it first became evident that COVID-19’s impact would reach the United States. By the middle of March, it was clear that to protect students, faculty, and staff, dramatic changes to the CVMBS’ operations would also be needed, quickly. During spring break, all university classes were postponed twice as faculty and staff transitioned to online-only instruction, electing to make their courses synchronous or asynchronous and to either virtually monitor exams or not. Students returned from spring break on March 23 to online classes. Although many courses have been offered predominantly online for years, a difference exists between designing a course for an online environment from the start and moving a traditional, face-to-face course online in the middle of a semester. This transition caused instructors to see a wider distribution of grades in their courses than usual. Despite encountering feelings of disconnect from students, having difficulty creating discussion among students, dealing with confusion about S/U grading, and teaching tactile components of courses remotely, the switch to virtual learning for the year went well overall.

COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING Instructors reported that the spring was an opportunity to reflect on teaching methodology, create community in their classes, and dabble in video editing and production to learn new skills they otherwise would not have the opportunity to explore. Some instructors felt that the students who were already going to perform well were able to adapt fine and performed as such; the students who were going to struggle were not able to adapt as well and struggled more. Dr. James Herman described the performance in his pharmacology course as a little worse than normal and said that it quickly changed to a bimodal distribution; he suspects that several students had more pressing things going on which diminished their motivation for his class. Dr. Kevin Curley explained that some students in his classes attributed performance challenges to stress, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. According to Dr. Michelle Pine, most of her students expressed mixed feelings about the transition while only one student was incredibly angry. Some liked the transition because, with nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, they were forced to study; others reported a need for an external motivator. To build community, some instructors relied on the rapport that they and their teaching assistants (TAs) had with students to keep them engaged and on track. Together, they used Facebook groups, Slack channels, and GroupMe chats that were either already in place or were set up after spring break. Many TAs recorded videos reviewing the material for students and answered questions quickly in these chat environments. Dr. Yasha Hartberg created a folder on his eCampus class site titled “Little Corner of Light.” Each morning, he would find a video, or other resource, that was uplifting or inspiring and link it in this folder. The purpose of this folder was two-fold; the resources were to benefit his students but they also were for himself. He received a lot of positive feedback from students saying they looked forward to viewing whatever he had chosen each day and now he is considering continuing the eCampus folder. Undergraduate instructors largely reported overcoming most of the challenges. Dr. Herman said it best when describing the transition as a responsive solution to the situation but not best practice. For some classes, especially lab-based classes, the challenges may have outweighed what went well, and many instructors look forward to returning to a face-to-face learning environment with students. The transition provided a chance to use online material as supplemental material for future semesters, an opportunity to self-reflect on one’s own teaching methodology, the opportunity to create a community, a chance to dabble in video editing and production, and realizing the notable resilience of students. Overall, Hartberg speaks positively about the transition to online learning because of the pandemic. “[It] adds another level to my teaching,” Hartberg said. Dr. Brad Weeks also echoed that same positivity. “The course ended up being rather well-received despite the confusion and upheaval,” Weeks said.

TIMELINE OF TEXAS A&M COVID-19 COMMUNICATION Feb. 28 - The first significant impact of COVID-19 on Texas A&M: the cancellation of Spring Break education abroad trips to Italy and the requirement for anyone returning from a Level 2 or 3 country to self-isolate for 14 days. March 2 - All undeparted education abroad trips to level 2 or 3 countries are cancelled and all programs in China, Italy, and South Korea are asked to return. March 9 - Texas A&M University-sponsored travel outside the U.S. is cancelled through May 1. The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) is called on to assist with the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital’s (VMTH) operations. With the VET’s help, the VMTH moved to curbside-only service in just a few days. March 12 - Classes cancelled for the week following Spring Break as faculty and staff work to move all classes to online delivery. Many faculty and staff cancelled their own vacation plans to help organize the move to online classes and online testing for the remainder of the spring semester. Advising and other staff offices move to remote work and virtual meetings only. March 19 - First positive COVID-19 case at Texas A&M identified in a student. March 20 - Two more Texas A&M-associated individuals test positive for COVID-19, including someone connected to the CVMBS. With tours cancelled, the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVMBS) ambassadors played a large part in the VMTH’s response to COVID-19. Starting in March, the ambassadors assisted with client check-in, parking lot coordination, and even worked as runners. They would later begin hosting virtual tours and Q&A sessions for prospective students and visitors. March 21 - Students allowed to elect whether their classes are graded S/U for spring semester.

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 5

COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING Graduate Courses

A graduate student taking an online course remotely.

Professors such as Dr. Yasha Hartberg changed their class structure after realizing their classes could not seamlessly transfer online; tactics included altering class flow or moving to project-based learning to improve student engagement.

Dr. Johanna Heseltine teaches fourth-year veterinary students about internal medicine from her home. 6 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

At the graduate level, BIMS program coordinator Dr. Ashley Gustafson Seabury and her team worked hard to communicate with the graduate students. The team put together three resources—emails, newsletters, and town hall meetings—to make sure the students received the material they needed. The other program coordinators—Dr. Christine M. Budke, Kim Daniel, and Dr. Barbara Gastel—all supported their graduate students throughout the transition, whether by encouraging them to conduct research safely, proactively checking their wellbeing, or helping them obtain much needed assistantships throughout the summer. The move to the online-only model had its ups and downs. Dr. Gastel reported that her classes transitioned fairly smoothly, but others experienced challenges adapting their class. One completely changed their class structure from exam-based to project-based to improve student engagement. Faculty and staff reported the need to constantly check in with students to ensure they were successfully transitioning. Daniel found herself asking more of the instructors rather than simply providing them with information during the transition. She asked the instructors to keep an eye on the students and, if the instructors thought a student was having problems, pass information along to Daniel who would take the appropriate measures. To gauge how the students in the program were doing, Daniel set up individual Zoom meetings early in the process of transitioning to remote teaching. “We were worried because many of them are separated from their families, as graduate students, and not able to go back to their homes,” she said. “We just wanted to be sure that everyone was mentally OK.” One of the main challenges at the graduate level was the research labs and when they were allowed to be open. The initial county-wide shelter-in-place order was vague regarding research, so Seabury sought answers for students who were unsure whether they were allowed to continue their research. When the state-wide shelter-in-place order was issued, Seabury sought for more answers, as this second order was more strict. Faculty were required to apply to keep their laboratories open so she facilitated them in this endeavor and kept track of which labs had been approved and which had not. When additional cleaning practices were required, she helped faculty navigate the wording of the order and determine what practices were required for them. Seabury and her team were especially concerned with the international students. “They have different stressors because they’re here, and they couldn’t go home even if they wanted to because of all the changing visa rules and closed borders,” she said. “So, we engaged with them and made sure to connect with them to see if they needed any assistance.” Because of the multitude of ways that Seabury reached out to students, she acknowledges that none of it would be possible

COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING without virtual meetings. She hopes that campus administrators recognize the value of virtual meetings and will keep offering virtual options after the pandemic. Dr. Weston Porter, professor in the Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS) department, had a unique solution to issues in his cancer cell biology course. Despite concerns, he first simply moved the class to Zoom. To minimize student stress, he did not require his students to leave their cameras on. However, he observed that students were not participating much and decided to stay online at the end of a lecture to see how many students did not log out of the session, an indication that they were not paying attention. “About two-thirds of the students pretty much walked away from their computers. It was then that I knew this wasn’t working. Nobody was engaged,” Porter explained. After this discovery, Porter brainstormed how he could adapt the class. He reflected on his enjoyment of listening to podcasts during a recent road trip he took with his family and he thought of a solution: creating a podcast-based assignment. He decided to assign three students to each remaining lecture and each group of students was required to “present” a podcast during their lecture. He emphasized that this was not meant to be a presentation but rather a conversation between the students about their lecture topic. The podcast format kept students engaged. They began asking questions at the end of the podcasts, and all the students logged off immediately at the end of class. Even more importantly, students said they liked the new format.

Conclusions Some of the biggest challenges were logistical. Even things as seemingly basic as student access to Wi-Fi proved to be an overarching issue. Other suggested improvements to create a more seamless online learning environment included providing CVMBS-tailored teaching resources for instructors and a streamlined method for instructors to consolidate answers to students’ questions. Faculty and staff also quickly learned that over-communicating can become as big of a problem as lack of communication, and that creating efficient methods of communication, which flow both directions, was vitally important. In addition, a central location for this information to be referenced was also of critical importance. At both levels, the transition to online learning went better than was reasonably expected but across the board, faculty, staff, and students seem eager to return to in-person learning and consider it the most effective means of instruction, especially at the CVMBS. Although some hurdles associated with online learning have yet to be overcome, the transition prompted the discovery of effective teaching methods that would otherwise remain unexplored - some of which instructors may continue to implement even after transitioning back to a face-toface learning environment.

No date - The worldwide community of veterinary colleges came together to support their educational efforts. For example, the Center for Educational Technologies (CET) shared online resources with 33 universities around the world. March 26 - Summer I classes directed to switch to online delivery. April 3 - All summer courses directed to operate online only. May 6 - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Graduation ceremony held virtually. May 8 - Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Graduation celebration held virtually.

May 29 - Announcement to changes in the fall schedule. Classes are to begin a week earlier than normal, on Aug. 19, and end prior to Thanksgiving. June 1 - The CVMBS was one of the first CVMs in the country to bring fourth-year veterinary students back for face-to-face instruction, with students returning for clinics on June 1. June 9 - Face masks required on Texas A&M campuses starting June 15. July 20 - Texas A&M’s COVID-19 reporting process is implemented. July 27 - COVID-19 testing is available MondayFriday for students, faculty, and staff. Aug. 7 - Indoor spaces for reservations have a revised occupancy; outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people need mayoral/ county judge approval prior to consideration for Texas A&M approval. Remote meetings, speakers, and events are strongly encouraged.

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 7

COLLEGE HALLMARKS For more than a century, the CVMBS has served our state, nation, and the world. The college continues to: • • • • • • •

Serve Texas and beyond while advancing animal, human, and environmental health. Provide viable, diverse professional career paths for Texans. Support the state’s livestock and wildlife industries. Promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Contribute to the economic viability and job opportunities of local communities. Provide sophisticated disaster and emergency response support for animals throughout the state. Advance the veterinary medical profession.

Our strengths are many. In 2020, we were: • Ranked #1 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and ranked in a tie for #4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the nation’s best schools and programs. • One of the largest colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S., training over 600 DVM students each year, with an annual entering class of 162 students. As of May 2020, the CVMBS has graduated 8,487 veterinarians. • Ranked #2 in the number of graduate (MS/PhD) students at a U.S. college of veterinary medicine • The home of the Texas A&M Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) program, which is the largest degree-granting undergraduate major at Texas A&M and had a student enrollment of 2,616. • The undergraduate home of BIMS majors, which made up a large portion of Aggies that matriculated to Texas medical (55%), dental (45%), and veterinary (38%) professional schools. • Fostering partnerships with Texas A&M University System schools and other institutions of higher education around the state to provide Texans with new and innovative avenues to pursue degrees as professional DVM students and undergraduate BIMS students. • A proud recipient of the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine—our fourth consecutive year to be honored. • Continuing our collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston as the first recipient of a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Center grant at Texas A&M University—for the Center for Translational Environmental Health Research.

OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT Texas—the second most populous U.S. state—is a leader in many aspects of animal agriculture and companion animal care. It ranks first in the total number of cattle, at 11.8 million or 13 percent of the total U.S. inventory. When the tens of millions of livestock and the tens of thousands of companion animals are considered, the full economic value of animal health and well-being becomes apparent. Because Texas is a border state, a coastal state, and an air travel hub, its animal and human populations are threatened by emerging and zoonotic disease outbreaks with the potential for major economic impact.

TEXAS LEADS THE NATION IN ANIMAL INDUSTRIES:

$1.6 billion

Deer

$5.9 billion

Equine

$10.5 billion

$111.3 million

Cattle

Goat

$106.4 million

$3.85 billion

Veterinary

Medicine

8 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Sheep

$3.3 billion

Exotics

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TEXAS PET INDUSTRY

LEADING THE WAY IN GLOBAL ONE HEALTH

The Texas A&M Global One Health Program aims to make the world safe and secure from emerging infectious and neglected tropical diseases by emphasizing a One Health approach—the synergy of animal, human, and environmental sciences— to global health and security. Through Global One Health's national and international reach, collaborative advancements in zoonotic One Health research, and building of interdisciplinary learning environments, the program continues to make advancements in policy, research, education, and service. In fiscal year 2020, the SARS-COV2 outbreak brought operational challenges and demonstrated the relevance of One Health programming.

Leadership The program acts as Texas A&M University’s focal point and university ambassador for key state, national, and international organizations, including the Coalition of Universities for Global Health, the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium steering group, the One Health Commission, the BiPartisan Commission for Biodefense, and the Texas Task Force for Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response. The Associate Dean of Global One Health, Dr. Gerald W. Parker Jr., holds a joint appointment as Director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs within the Bush School of Government & Public Service that links the education, research, and service missions of the two colleges together. The Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program brings together global thought leaders on pandemic and biosecurity policies providing strategic direction and policy options to government, nongovernmental organizations, university, and industry leaders. Major emphasis is placed on the promotion and application of One Health as a national and global security imperative and seeks to elevate One Health into the lexicon of national policy leaders. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Wuhan and threatened regional and eventual global spread, Dr. Parker assumed an active response role on campus and at local and state levels. He was tapped as Chair of the Texas Emergency Management Advisory Group and to serve on the Texas A&M COVID Contingency Council and has provided strategic advice to Brazos County and Texas leadership. Dr. Parker was also asked to assist with the U.S. federal response to COVID-19 as a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, the Global One Health program began to host regular virtual situational reports and discussions with the University community answering concerns of colleagues and students alike. Local and national media coverage of the pandemic sought insight and guidance resulting in over 30 media spots in 20 different sources from The Eagle to The Wallstreet Journal.

Collaborations The Global One Health team continues to galvanize the University's dedication to One Health by growing the institution's stakeholder network and establishing itself as an emerging leader in global health security. The program provides strategic inputs for global health-related projects and proposals collaborating closely with the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, CVMBS 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 9

LEADING THE WAY IN GLOBAL ONE HEALTH International Programs office, the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, Global Health Research Complex, and the Center for Global Health and Innovation.

Learning Opportunities The Global One Health program also advocates for experiential learning and provides mentorship and guidance for students interested in careers in global health, global health security, biodefense, and related opportunities at the intersection of health, science, and policy. In November 2019, the Global One Health program co-hosted the Student Pandemic Simulation with the Scowcroft Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program bringing together students from across the University and subject matter experts to practice responding to a pandemic outbreak scenario. Through the Global Health Next Generation Seminar series, the program seeks to highlight for students the varied and rich global health expertise of scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and public servants both within and outside the University. This past year, the program hosted three key events in the series: a lecture by Dr. Martial Ndeffo linking mathematical modeling and the fight to control emerging and neglected diseases; a first annual Global Health Careers panel featuring five accomplished professionals from academia, national security, and defense sectors; and a lecture by Dr. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, lauded German immunologist and microbiologist. The program actively supports the MSC SCONA annual collegiate conference bringing public health and global health into the national affairs scholarly research and education discussions, giving delegates and other invited national premier academic scholars and industry leaders the opportunity to recognize the importance of One Health on the national security stage. The Global One Health Program is also a champion and supports the development of One Health-related undergraduate, graduate, and professional coursework at the CVMBS, The Bush School of Government & Public Service, and across campus.

Dr. Martial Ndeffo 10 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

LEADING THE WAY IN VETERINARY INNOVATION The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) is harnessing innovation through ongoing programming, research projects, and technological advancements, such as the development of a veterinary telemedicine program. 2020 Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy (VEA) Participants VEA was designed to expose students to opportunities through a 10-week summer program that combines virtual classroom learning with an internship at a veterinary startup company. This summer, five Texas A&M students, four of whom are from the CVMBS, participated in the VEA to expand their knowledge of business and entrepreneurship. • Anna Blick, a third-year veterinary student from College Station, was matched with Zomedica, a veterinary biotech company which makes feline and canine medical devices for clinical veterinarians. She spent time in each area of the company, from marketing to research to data analysis. For one project, she helped the company develop a plan for marketing its new adrenal diagnostic test. “I got to see the inner workings of (the company), which was huge for me because I don't think I would have ever gotten an opportunity to see that outside of the VEA,” Blick said. “Every other week, I met with the CEO and it was really surprising to me how much the company itself was invested in me and wanted me to get the most out of this as possible.” • Madelyn Newland, a junior pre-veterinary animal science major from Fort Worth, worked with drip.vet, an online continuing education platform that strives to help veterinarians reach financial success and, thereby, reduce veterinarian suicide rates. “I served as their pre-veterinary student ambassador this summer and worked with them a lot on reaching pre-veterinary students,” Newland said. “We revamped their social media, developed a presence on LinkedIn, and started reaching our hand into the preveterinary societies across the nation. Now, I feel that if I wanted to start a business, I could. I’m much more confident and I've lost so much of the fear that I wouldn’t be able to operate in such a competitive sector.” • Isamar Sanchez, a third-year veterinary student from San Antonio (who moved to the United States from Mexico City as a young child), was matched with PetHub, a company that specializes in digital pet ID tags. Sanchez spent much of her time doing market research and talking to veterinarians across the country about their thoughts on rabies tags. “The two major things I learned are that it's OK to ask for help and it’s OK to fail and try again,” said Sanchez. “Even if you don’t think you need any experience in business, you do. After this VEA internship, I honestly have the confidence and I feel like I do want to own my own business (like my parents).”

Anna Blick, Katie Zimmerman, Madelyn Newland, Gabriela Vega, and Isamar Sanchez 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 11

LEADING THE WAY IN VETERINARY INNOVATION • Gabriela Vega, a third-year veterinary student from El Paso, worked with Harbor, a networking platform like LinkedIn that is exclusively for veterinarians and veterinary students. After the 10-week internship, Harbor asked Vega to join their team as the director of student ambassadors, giving her the opportunity to continue working with the company as she finishes veterinary school. “My project was to reach out to create a student ambassador program at every veterinary school in the country,” Vega said. “I got to see the behind-the-scenes parts of the company and then, at the same time, understand the value of all those behind-thescenes pieces. I’ve learned so much about the business side of veterinary medicine and understanding every piece of the whole clinic.” From left, first-year veterinary student Chloe Bening and animal science sophomore Suzanna Borchgardt work on their prototype for an infrared sensor to detect illnesses in cows.

• Katie Zimmerman, a second-year veterinary student from Dallas, partnered with roo.vet, an online relief work platform for veterinarians. She helped them reach out to Texas A&M students and improve their familiarity with the concept of relief work (when veterinarians provide services to clinics on an as-needed basis). “I feel a lot more secure after the VEA, knowing that I don't have to have my path 100% solidified at any point,” Zimmerman said. “Getting through veterinary school is challenging, and I think when you expose yourself to so many different things in veterinary medicine, you can get closer to what you want to do. It was really cool to learn that I don't have to put myself in a box and that I can do other things and still be a veterinarian.”

2020 Veterinary Medicine Aggies Invent The CVMBS partnered with the College of Engineering to host the 3rd edition of the Veterinary Medicine Aggies Invent in January. Current DVM students and pre-vet undergrads form teams with students from engineering and other disciplines across campus to develop solutions for common issues and roadblocks facing veterinary professionals in a 48-hour hackathon.

Clinical Trials

In October, the Texas A&M team made their first visit to establish VCPRs in Brenham, Texas.

CVMBS faculty and staff pose with Gaetan Michael, chief executive officer, after Volition agreement signing. 12 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

The CVMBS, in partnership with VolitionRx Limited, has led in the research and development of Volition’s Nu.Q™ Vet Cancer Screening Test, the first accurate, simple, and affordable ELISA cancer screening test in veterinary medicine. The VMTH’s GI Lab recently became one of the first sites in North America to launch the test, which offers a simpler, quicker, and less invasive diagnosis, with the goal of providing an increased quality of life to pets and valuable information to inform the clinical decision-making process. The largest research data-gathering program of its kind, the Dog Aging Project has reached a number of milestones since its November 2019 launch, including more than 90,000 nominated dogs, more than 30,000 active Dog Pack members, the launch of a public data dashboard, and the start of a double-blind clinical trial of the immunosuppressant rapamycin. The 10-year, $23-million initiative is jointly operated by the CVMBS and University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Heather Wilson-Robles has worked with MD Anderson Cancer Center on a number of cancer related studies, including positive results with T-cell transfusions to fight lymphomas. Ongoing collaborations also include Texas Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as she continues to explore cancer treatments that could have implications in both human and veterinary medicine. A team including Dr. Beth Boudreau, Dr. Brian Porter, and Dr. Jonathan Levine has been working with the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center to explore the connections between canine and human gliomas. One related trial is looking at the efficacy of using a small molecule of a drug to stimulate the brain’s natural immune system against the glioma. Over the past decade, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

LEADING THE WAY IN VETERINARY INNOVATION has substantially increased the number of clinical trials being conducted and has established a trials core led by Dr. Heather Wilson-Robles, all with the hopes of improving the lives of animals and their humans. Current trials include: • The Cardiology Service is working to determine breed-specific cardiac biomarker blood levels that can be used to predict the severity of heart enlargement in asymptomatic Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with mitral valve disease. • Characterizing cardiac disease and developing screening recommendations for asymptomatic dogs seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi, Dr. Ashley Saunders is performing diagnostic tests to identify changes in the heart of apparently healthy dogs that test positive for Chagas disease in order to better describe the disease process and create screening recommendations. • The Orthopedics Team is studying the effectiveness of a new, natural antiinflammatory supplemental remedy for osteoarthritis in dogs. • Dr. Emily Gould is studying the possible anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties of common acid suppressant medications that are used in dog mast cell tumor (MCT) disease in order to decrease the negative side effects of tumor degranulation. • Led by Dr. Kate Creevy, the Dog Aging Project is testing the effect of rapamycin on the cognition, heart function, healthspan, and lifespan of approximately 500 middle-aged dogs to determine whether the common immunosuppressant can slow the aging process. • The Texas A&M Gastrointestinal (GI) Laboratory is investigating the efficacy of the medications prednisolone and cyclosporine for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis in cats, a condition for which there is currently no cure. For more information about clincal trials at the Texas A&M VMTH, visit tx.ag/CVMBSClinicalTrials

Dr. Ashley Saunders, Dr. Sonya Wesselowski, and team

Dr. Kate Creevy examines Patty

20 Current Small Animal Clinical Trials Cardiology 3 Internal Medicine 7 Neurology 3

Oncology 3

Ophthalmology 1

Orthopedics 4

*One trial exists in both Oncology and Internal Medicine areas.

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 13

VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO) In 2009, the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) began discussions to form a partnership with West Texas A&M University (WT) to recruit and mentor young people in the region seeking careers in veterinary medicine and to serve the livestock industries and the veterinary profession through teaching, research, and outreach programs.

West Texas A&M University

Tarleton State In 2015, the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) announced University partnerships to expand veterinary education, research, and outreach into several regions of the state through four TAMUS Texas A&M universities. These partnerships are between the CVMBS and University WT, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University–Kingsville, and Tarleton State University. These partnerships provide the Prairie View A&M expertise, leadership, and resources to meet the demand for veterinarians University throughout our state, while serving rural and urban areas, protecting our food supply, doing research that matters, providing cost-effective educational Texas A&M Universityand clinical services, and supporting a strong Texas economy. Kingsville These TAMUS universities, all within one hour of underserved areas of veterinary medicine and each has a unique livestock focus. Memorandum of Agreement (MOAs) signed with all four universities to admit up to five students from each into the veterinary curriculum each year to enhance rural and livestock veterinary medicine and diversity. The partnership with WT is the first of these to be developed, and it’s already producing results. Through the WT pipeline program, 27 West Texas A&M University students have recently entered veterinary school. In addition, WT is one of the largest producers of veterinary students in Texas, apart from Texas A&M. The Texas A&M Food Animal Track is also producing results and transforming veterinary education by producing more rural veterinarians.

TAMUS has invested substantially in veterinary education. • TAMUS invested $120 million for a new 2016, state-of-the-art Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC) to accommodate the needs of Texas for years to come, to support the best, most modern veterinary education in the nation. • The $22-million, 34,000 square-foot Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach (VERO) facility on the WT campus is complete and the first 2+2 class is scheduled to start in the Fall 2021. • To date, approximately $90 million has been invested in the Texas Panhandle on the WT campus to support WT agriculture programs, CVMBS veterinary education, the livestock industries, the veterinary profession, local communities, and the economic well-being of the region.

WT and the Texas A&M VERO have received a four-year, $243,500 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). • Project director Dr. Dee Griffin and co-director Dr. Dan Posey, both CVMBS faculty, relocated to WT to serve as founding faculty for the partnership between the CVMBS and WT. This funding will be used to support seven veterinary-centered programs, including: • Developing fourth-year student rural clinical training externships; • Developing summer working internships for students finishing their first or second years; • Supporting food animal student mentoring for those interested in food animal practice; • Supporting an annual rural practice and livestock operations tour for selected third-year students; • Practicing sustainability workshops for Texas Panhandle & Plains (TPH&P) rural veterinarians, including training for mentoring veterinary students and improved community communication skills; • Aggressively recruiting qualified students with rural backgrounds; and • Recruiting outstanding rural students from 4-H and FFA programs to consider a veterinary career. Rural TPH&HP areas have significant, capturable veterinary opportunities. The organization and necessary collaborative partnerships are in place at WT through VERO to achieve funding objectives, and for several to become self-sustaining. 14 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO) The CVMBS is establishing a robust, large animalfocused research program at WT with the addition of Dr. Paul Morely to the VERO team. Dr. Paul Morley joined the CVMBS's VERO as initiative Director of Research in early 2019. Collaborative research activities address important problems affecting livestock production and society, especially as they pertain to the stakeholders in West Texas. Partnerships with industry partners and scientists from Texas A&M entities such as WT, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL), and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are critical to the impact of VERO research.

Highlights from FY20 include: Opening of the VERO Building New Faculty • Dr. B. J. Newcomer joined the VERO program as the dairy production management veterinary expert. • Dr. Jenna Funk has joined the VERO program as the beef production management veterinary expert.

The Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach Building (VERO)

WT Students and Pre-Veterinary Activities • Dr. Dan Posey is the leader of the education effort in VERO. • Drs. Griffin and Posey received excellent evaluations from their WT undergraduate and graduate classes, their service on the WT Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) committee, and the WT animal units used for teaching and research (WT Nance Ranch, WT Horse Center, and WT Research Feedyard). • The "WT Pre-Veterinary Club," associated with improved educational activities such as career education and development, necropsy, large and small animal handling, etc., has increased in membership. Veterinarian-Related and Student Activities • The veterinary student summer internship program has been well-received and is growing. • Active annual outreach programs for veterinarians in addition to the area's workforce. These include a CE program, livestock workforce training to address the needs of feedlots and dairies, and communications workshops. Research • Dr. Paul Morley, VERO program Research Director, and Dr. Sarah Capik, a VERO research team member, have active research projects in epidemiology, respiratory disease, and other diseases affecting cattle production and public health. • Searches are ongoing to add faculty working in epidemiology, and infectious diseases/microbial ecology to the VERO team. • Multiple research projects funded by USDA, FDA, and other sponsors are ongoing to address control and prevention of respiratory disease, liver abscesses, and antimicrobial resistance in cattle.

Dr. Dan Posey and Hannah Wilson

#TeamVERO from left: Dr. Dan Posey, Jaye Hawkins, Dr. Dee Griffin, Dr. Sarah Capik, and Dr. Paul Morley 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 15

EXPENDITURES FY2020 CVMBS Expenditures by Percentage 1% Public Service 2% Facilities & Infrastructure 6% Institutional Support 7% Teaching Hospital 19%

Scholarships & Fellowships

30%

Research

37%

Teaching & Educational Support

FY2020 CVMBS Expenditure Categories Category

Explanation

Public Service

Expenditures to support programs such as the continuing education of practicing veterinarians and technicians and the Veterinary Emergency Team (VET).

Institutional Support FY2020 Degrees

Expenditures for clinical laboratories housed within the college. Many of these labs support

Conferred both the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) and research.

Scholarships & Fellowships

Expenditures that directly support our students.

28 PhD Facilities & Infrastructure

Expenditures for maintaining college facilities, landscaping, and custodial services.

Teaching Hospital

Operating expenditures for the VMTH.

Research

133

DVM

574

Teaching & Educational Support

16 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Expenditures directly supporting the research mission of the college. Expenditures directly supporting the teaching and education mission of the college.

DEGREES CONFERRED FY2020 Degrees Conferred 28 PhD 48

133

DVM

574

Degrees Conferred Over Time 500

Number of Degrees

PhD

400

DVM MS

300 200 100 0

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

FY2014

FY2015

FY2016

FY2017

FY2018

FY2019

FY2020

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 17

PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (DVM)

DVM Class of 2024 Orientation

Class of 2024 Underrepresented Students 0%

17%

2% 5%

75%

DVM Class of 2024 Demographics

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) has steadily expanded the size of the DVM class since the fall of 2017, and maintained class size in the fall of 2020 at 162 members. As one of the largest Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) training programs in the country, the CVMBS provides a four-year post-undergraduate curriculum based on building a solid foundation of scientific knowledge, experiential learning to master technical and professional skills, and development of competencies required for an entry-level veterinarian in any career path. Upon completion of the veterinary professional program, successful students will have demonstrated competency in each of the 37 domains outlined in the college’s New Graduate Outcomes (NGOs). The NGO document articulates the specific knowledge, skills, and attributes expected of students enrolled in our DVM program at the time of graduation. College faculty are dedicated to providing an inclusive and welcoming learning environment that provides state-of-the-art, comprehensive exposure to the art and science of veterinary medicine. Students begin their experience with the DVM program by participating in a threeday orientation program. The orientation program for the Class of 2024, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held in a combination of in person and virtual experiences. Orientation is designed to introduce students to the culture and expectations of the program through experiential learning opportunities during which they begin to know their classmates. The first two years of the curriculum provide a foundation in medical science, clinical skills, critical thinking, and professional skills. Students begin to have elective course options in the second year of the curriculum that encourage exploration into areas they may have previously had little exposure. These courses include, topics such as innovation and entrepreneurship, service-learning project development, rehabilitation both small and large animal, medical Spanish, and exotic and wild game medicine. The third year emphasizes diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The students also begin Hispanic/Latino structuring a personalized course selection to direct learning toward individual career goals, choosing between small animal Black/AA species, mixed animal species, large animal species, food animal Asian medicine, or alternate career tracks. The student will be assigned Other to clinical duties in the VMTH. The fourth year is a full 12 months Caucasian in length and includes rotations through the VMTH and other venues, including the Houston SPCA, as well as a four-week externship experience at a location of the student’s choice. Unique clinical opportunities in the curriculum include client

DVM Class Size Over Time 200 180

Number of Students (n)

160 140 120

132

142

152

162

Fall 2021 162 in College Station

100 80 60 40 20 0

Fall 2021 18 at VERO

Class of 2020

18 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Class of 2021

Class of 2022

Class of 2023

Class of 2024

Class of 2025

PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (DVM) communication training, rotations focusing on primary care medicine, specialty-intensive experiences, disaster preparedness, and shelter medicine. As of May 2020, the college has graduated 8,487 DVMs.

Special Collaborations 2020 marked the seventh full year of the CVMBS’s collaboration with the Houston SPCA to provide a clinical rotation for fourth-year DVM students in shelter medicine. The CVMBS also collaborates with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), providing not only hands-on training for DVM students, but also veterinary care for animals at TDCJ agricultural units. The CVMBS partnered with the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) in the fall of 2019 to host the third annual Veterinary Job and Externship Fair. A total of 135 practices representing all regions of Texas met with students to arrange externships, summer employment opportunities, and employment opportunities post-graduation.

2019 Veterinary Job and Externship Fair

Accreditation In 2016, the CVMBS received full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education for an additional 7 years.

Student Leadership CVMBS White Coats The CVMBS White Coat group continued to demonstrate Aggie core values through their community service activities. The mission of the CVMBS White Coats is to represent and promote the CVMBS while exemplifying the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. The group exhibits universal acceptance in the recruitment of new members of the veterinary profession, supports current students with a positive and resilient culture, and engages with alumni in pursuit of continuous excellence. The CVMBS White Coats will, under the direction of the Professional Programs Office, contribute to: • Veterinary Student Recruitment Events • Veterinary Student Interviews • Veterinary Student Orientation • The Veterinary Student White Coat Ceremony • Veterinary Student Graduation • Veterinary Student Alumni Events and other events to promote and support the DVM program and the college

2019 Veterinary Job and Externship Fair

SAVMA & TVMA Representatives Many current CVMBS students serve in leadership roles for state and national veterinary organizations. The current CVMBS national Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) representatives are: • Amina Karedia, Senior SAVMA Delegate • Abby Hickox, Junior SAVMA Delegate The current CVMBS TVMA representatives are: • Kimery Hankins, Senior TVMA Delegate & third-year DVM Student TVMA Representative • Morgan Gunn, Junior TVMA Delegate & second-year DVM Student TVMA Representative • Lani Kaspar, fourth-year DVM Student TVMA Representative

4VM clinical rotations during the pandemic 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 19

PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (DVM)

Second-year veterinary students practice suture patterns. DVM Class of 2020 Vet Oath The current CVMBS Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation representatives are: • Catherine Bristow, third-year DVM Student • Taylor Hood, second-year DVM Student

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Second-year veterinary students practice suture patterns.

Fourth-year veterinary student Rachel Bowles and Benelobe 20 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

In March of 2020, the DVM preclinical program transitioned to an entirely remote experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, faculty created very innovative strategies to provide hands-on learning opportunities for students. This included virtual surgical experiences which required students to perform surgical procedures on models, while being instructed via Zoom by faculty. Clinical students transitioned to COVID protocols which included mask wearing, social distancing, and conversations with clients in an exclusively remote format. The Class of 2020 celebrated graduation virtually on May 6th, 2020. Fall semester of 2020 included changes in seating, classroom setup, and scheduling to allow continuation of our DVM curriculum. Lectures were offered in both a face to face and remote formats with limited numbers of students allowed in the classroom in person. Laboratories were scheduled in a staggered format to reduce the number of students in each laboratory section and allow for social distancing.

DVM Class of 2024 Orientation

PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (DVM) 100

NAVLE Passing Percentage Over Time Texas A&M

National

Passing Percentage (%)

98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Exam Year

Mean DVM Student Educational Debt Texas A&M

National

$199,148 $151,311 $127,494 $90,350

Mean Educational Debt

Includes those with 0 debt

Excludes those with 0 debt

Mean DVM Student Total Educational Debt at Graduation Over Time

Mean DVM Student Total Educational Debt at Graduation Over Time $164,869

Texas A&M

$164,869 $150,025

$84,847

2016

$88,434

2017

$88,434

2017

$164,869

$150,025

$84,847

2018 Year Year

Texas A&M

National

$151,311 $169,742

$151,311

$84,847

2018

$90,350

2019

National

$90,350

$90,425

2019

2020

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 21

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (BS IN BIMS OR USVM) The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) offers a distinctive undergraduate program in Biomedical Sciences (BIMS). BIMS is a broad field of applied biology that is directed toward understanding health and disease. The curriculum provides a strong four-year education that emphasizes versatility of the graduate in the biological and medical sciences. A highly-effective academic counseling program helps students develop individualized course packages that orient and prepare them for entry into the medical, allied health, or graduate program of their choice. Such an approach enhances their educational experiences, improves their placement in professional and graduate programs, and facilitates their entry into the biomedical sciences job market. Our mission is to educate students who will create a healthier future for humans and animals through the medical professions, biomedical innovation and discovery, global service, and outreach.

Fall 2019 Percentage of Aggies Accepted to Professional Schools who are BIMS Graduates

55.55%

medical

45%

38.2%

dental

veterinary

(BIMS students accepted as a percentage of the Aggies who were accepted to professional school = BIMS accepted/Aggies, including BIMS, accepted) Highlights from FY20 include: • CVMBS undergraduate enrollment includes 2,616 BIMS students (73 of whom are from the McAllen Higher Education Center), 143 University Studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (USVM) and 6 NeuroscienceTPC students for a total of 2,765 students. • The total undergraduate enrollment was 70.2% female, 52% nonwhite (Hispanic students comprise 31.2% of the nonwhite students). 26% are first generation students. • The program enjoyed another record-breaking graduating class in the midst of the pandemic, exceeding the record high from the previous academic year. 501 BIMS students graduated and 70 USVM students graduated, for a total of 571 CVMBS Undergraduates who graduated. • The graduating seniors from the CVMBS were 30.35% Underrepresented minority students (NIH defines URM in the sciences as American Indian/Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.) • 27.8% were first generation students • 75 graduated with the Biomedical Research Certification • 40 graduated with the International Certificate in Cultural Competency and Communication in Spanish (Spanish Certificate) • Our staff has expanded. Ms. Kelli Cooks was hired as an Administrative Assistant. • We have 6 students in our first cohort of Neuroscience-Translational and Preclinical (NRSC-TPC) track students. • The translational and Preclinical Neuroscience track is administered by the CVMBS in collaboration with the Texas A&M Health Science Center. This concentration offers specialized coursework and research opportunities in health and medical treatment of diseases of the nervous system (from the website: Major – TAMIN (tamu.edu)). • Undergraduate scholarships. The Fall 20/Spring 21 cycle we gave away: $57,500 from foundation monies and $2,000 from the Biomedical Sciences Program undergraduate student club (4X $500). • December 2020 graduation. There were 147 degree candidates: 114 BIMS and 33 USVM. 22 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (BS IN BIMS OR USVM) FY20 Undergraduate Student Enrollment Ethnicity 0.1%

First Generation Unknown/Not Reported

0.2%

American Indian

0.4%

Native Hawaiian or Paciﬁc Islander

0.4%

International

3.5%

Multi-racial, incl. Black

2.8%

Multi-racial, excl. Black

13.7% 31.2%

27.8%

Yes

72.2%

Gender

Asian

29.8%

Male

70.2%

Female

Hispanic or Latino

48%

White

52%

Non- White

Number of Students

Ethnicity Over Time 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0

White Only Non-White

Fall 2009

Fall 2010

Fall 2011

Fall 2012

Fall 2013

Fall Fall 2014 2015 Semester

Fall 2016

Fall 2017

Fall 2018

Fall 2019

Fall 2020

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 23

GRADUATE STUDENTS (MS + PHD) Overview

Fall 2020 Graduate Student Enrollment Gender 34%

Male

The CVMBS houses the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Graduate Program, the Science & Technology Journalism master’s program, the Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology master’s program, and the Interdisciplinary Degree Program of Toxicology. The largest cohort of graduate students in the CVMBS belongs to the BIMS Graduate Program, through which students pursue a pre-professional master’s degree with a non-thesis concentration, a research master’s degree with a thesis concentration, or a doctoral degree.

2020 Admissions Profile

66%

Female

Classiﬁcation 50%

Master’s (MS)

50%

Doctoral (PhD)

The BIMS Graduate Program and the additional master’s and doctoral degrees offered through the CVMBS have attracted a diverse applicant pool with 300 applications from prospective students hoping to enroll in our graduate programs throughout the 2019-2020 academic year. As the principal major with four research tracks and a separate pre-professional concentration, the BIMS Graduate Program welcomed 78 (78%) of the 100 new students who enrolled in graduate programs, including 51 Master of Science non-thesis option (MS-NTO), 5 Master of Science thesis option (MS-THO), and 22 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students. Among the newly admitted graduate students in all CVMBS graduate programs for 2020, Black students comprised 4% of the cohort of new graduate students, which is slightly more than the percentage for the graduate student population of Texas A&M University. Additionally, Hispanic or Latino/a students comprised 16% of the CVMBS graduate programs entering class for 2019-2020, substantially higher than the Hispanic and Latino/a Texas A&M graduate student enrollment.

Graduation

Resident Status 15%

Non-Texas, Non-U.S.

23%

Non-Texas, U.S.

62%

Texas

Ethnicity 1% Unknown 3.5% Multi-racial, excl. Black 3.1% Black 7.5% Asian 15.5%

Hispanic or Latino/a

19.4%

International

50%

White only

24 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

During the 2020 academic year, 76 students graduated with a master’s or doctoral degree from the CVMBS. The percentage of Black and Hispanic or Latino/a students who celebrated their graduation was 3.9% and 15.8% respectively, which generally matches the enrollment profile and reflects our vision for equity and inclusion that should lead to persistence and graduation of underrepresented minorities.

FY20 Graduate Mentoring Highlights: • Dr. William Murphy received the honor of a University Professorship from Texas A&M University. • Dr. Brian Porter received a Texas A&M Association of Former Students (AFS) Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching. • Dr. Raquel Rech received the 2020 American College of Veterinary Pathologists Mentor of the Year Award. • Dr. Stephen Safe received an AFS Distinguished Achievement Award for Graduate Mentoring. • Dr. Jӧrg Steiner received an AFS Distinguished Achievement Award for Extension, Outreach, Continuing Education, and Professional Development. • Dr. Kristin Chaney received an AFS Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching.

Impacts of COVID-19 As we all have navigated the impacts of COVID-19 throughout 2020, the CVMBS graduate student population has been confronted by some unique sets of challenges. In addition to immediate health concerns when the virus has affected themselves and/or their loved ones, our students have faced numerous changes in their educational experiences: periods of working remotely, research projects being paused, didactic coursework moved to virtual delivery. Despite these challenges, our graduate students have proven that they are resilient and adaptable; eager for the opportunity to demonstrate the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership,

GRADUATE STUDENTS (MS + PHD) loyalty, respect, and selfless service. Graduate Student Orientation Incoming graduate students to the college participated in a virtual orientation experience that provided the following comprehensive trainings: biosafety compliance, teaching, mentor-mentee relationships, diversity and inclusion, self-care and wellness, goal-setting and motivation, and university and program requirements. These students also participated in virtual team building exercises to encourage comradery and collegiality.

BIMS MS Non-Thesis Degree Program This pre-professional master’s degree serves an important segment of students who are close to their goal of being a competitive candidate for admission to a professional program. To best serve this student population, this program has had several exciting changes over the past year. The degree was reduced to 30 credit hours, which allows students to complete the program within a calendar year. Students benefit from a single faculty mentor instead of a committee of three, which encourages a stronger mentorship model with increased direct interaction. And lastly, a final examination was replaced by a capstone experience, which culminates in a professional portfolio that includes many of the elements that the student will submit in an application to a professional program. At the core of this capstone experience is one-on-one guidance by the student’s faculty mentor to identify and remedy weaknesses in the student’s biomedical preparation. In addition to successful completion of coursework in fundamental biomedical sciences, the student will be coached by the mentor to improve their competitiveness for both admission and success in their chosen professional program.

Alex Golden, a New Jersey native, received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University. After graduation, Golden decided to take a gap year and raise his GPA before applying to medical school. He was accepted into master’s programs all over the country but decided the CVMBS’ biomedical sciences (BIMS) master’s program was the best fit for him. He recognized the amount of comparative anatomy in the program, which would result in a well-rounded knowledge of traits persistent in the animal kingdom that could be extrapolated into human medicine. After completing the BIMS master’s program, he was accepted into medical school at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio and plans to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine and specialize as an obstetrician-gynecologist.

BIMS graduate students

Alex Golden

BIMS graduate students 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 25

RESEARCH CVMBS Research Enterprise The college’s research enterprise continues to grow and diversify. The CVMBS’s annual research expenditures for FY20 were over $35 million dollars, which is an 8% increase since FY13. This is a direct result of the success and quality of the faculty, whose research ranges from basic science to clinical applications. The faculty’s commitment to cutting-edge translational research seeks to bridge the gap between the basic and clinical sciences and the commitment to innovation is highlighted by an active pursuit of technology licensing and commercialization.

Research Funding Excellence in research at the CVMBS is evidenced, in part, by the millions of dollars obtained annually in extramural funding by our faculty members. College investigators have obtained significant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Interior (DoI), multiple private foundations, industry, and the state of Texas during recent years.

FY20 Research Highlights: • Dr. William Murphy received the honor of a University Professorship. • Colette Nickodem, a second-year PhD student in biomedical sciences at the CVMBS, was a recipient of the first USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Graduate Student Food Safety Fellowship. • Dr. Donald Brightsmith and his research team received a USDA grant to develop a new artificial intelligence-based wildlife monitoring system. • CVMBS Postdoctoral Researchers Dr. Keshav Karki and Dr. Alyssa Meyers have been recognized with 2020 Distinguished Graduate Student Awards from the Association of Former Students (AFS). • Dr. Greg Johnson received an AFS Distinguished Achievement Award for Research. • Dr. Lauren Lewis, a doctoral graduate from the CVMBS and Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology (IFT), was selected to receive the 2020 Texas A&M Association of Former Students’ (AFS) Distinguished Graduate Student Award in the category of Excellence in Research. • Toxicology faculty and trainees utilized an online format to replace some of the events that were scheduled for March in Anaheim, California, as part of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting.

CVMBS Patents and Invention Disclosures The CVMBS research enterprise is on the cutting-edge of licensing, commercialization, and patents. From 1989 through 2010, college researchers reported 114 invention disclosures, 269 patent applications, and 69 issued patents. Since 2011, CVMBS researchers have reported 78 invention disclosures, 145 patent applications, and 33 issued patents.

Colette Nickodem, a second-year PhD student 26 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Lauren Lewis, PhD graduate

RESEARCH FY20 Percentage of Research Funding by Source 0.09%

DOI

0.32%

Other within HHS

1.23%

Industry Funds

1.94%

NSF

2.16%

DOD

3.78%

FY20 Research Expenditures by School

$34.12M

Texas A&M

$19.8M

National Avg.

EPA

5.71%

USDA

11.51%

State Funds

18.27%

Private Funds

21.97%

Other Funds

33.02%

NIH

Colleges of Veterinary Medicine

$10M

$20M

$30M

$40M $35M

$35M

$30M

$25M

$20M

$15M

$10M

$5M

$5M 2014

2015

2016 2017 Year

2018

2019

2020

Proposed Research Funding Over Time

$70M

$80M

$90M

$100M

128

# of Awards 133

148 138

2019

2020

127 113 103

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017 Year

2018

Number of Research Proposals Over Time

$200M

450

$180M

400

$160M

350

$140M

Submitted

Pending

Awarded

300

$120M

250

$100M

200

$80M

150

$60M $40M

100

$20M

$60M

Research Funding Over Time $40M

2013

$50M Expenditures

Research Expenditures Over Time

$40M

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017 Year

2018

2019

2020

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017 Year

2018

2019

2020

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 27

FACULTY FY20 Faculty by Department & Title Non-Tenure Track

Tenure-Track & Tenured

Professional Faculty

Assistant Professor

Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS)

Department

Associate Professor Totals Professor

Small Animal Clinical Sciences (VSCS)

Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS)

Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB)

Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology (VTPP)

Totals

122

233

FY20 Faculty Demographics Professional Faculty

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

Professor

Totals

25-34

~12

35-44

~79

45-54

~51

55-64

~62

65 and over

~31

Unknown

~10

American Indian

Asian

~26

Black

Hispanic

Demographic

Age

Ethnicity

Two or More Races

Gender

White

100

186

Female

116

Male

118

Categories with less than five are masked with **.

Dr. Sara Lawhon (right) 28 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Dr. Michael Golding (right)

Dr. Mahsa Zarei

RESIDENTS & INTERNS The college offers one-year internship programs to newly graduated veterinarians and three- or four-year residency programs in several clinical disciplines for veterinarians seeking advanced training and board certification. Residents have generally already completed an internship. Residents and interns are exposed to numerous specialties and work side-by-side with experts in their fields. Residents may apply to one of several different areas of specialty, including anesthesiology, cardiology, emergency and critical care, equine theriogenology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, radiology, surgery, and zoological medicine. Interns in four areas (internal medicine, small animal, large animal, and zoological medicine) rotate through different specialties and spend about a fourth of their time on the emergency service. They also have some elective time to spend in an area of interest within the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). FY20 Clinical Residencies & Internships Specialty

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total

Large Animal Internships

—

Equine Practice

Equine Theriogenology

Internal Medicine

Radiology

Surgery

Large Animal Clinical Sciences Totals

Small Animal Internships

Anesthesia

Cardiology

Dermatology

Emergency/Critical Care

Internal Medicine

Neurology

Oncology

Ophthalmology

Surgery

Small Animal Clinical Sciences Totals

Anatomic Pathology

Cardiovascular Pathology

Clinical Pathology

Comparative Medicine

Parasitology

Pathobiology Totals

Totals

Candice Chu, Clinical Pathology Resident

Kira Bourne, Oncology Resident

Jeremy Evans, Internal Medicine Resident 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 29

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION (D&I)

4 ROOMS

LACTATION

WELLNESS ROOM DVM PROGRAM IS RANKED 7/30 FOR TOTAL URM in

Top Colleges for Diversity

TOP 5 CVMBS BOOK EVENT

STUDENT RECRUITMENT BIMS

THE MOMENT OF LIFT – MELINDA GATES BORN A CRIME – TREVOR NOAH FINDING ULTRA – RICH ROLL MY BELOVED WORLD – SONIA SOTOMAYOR PRACTICING PEACE IN TIMES OF WAR – PEMA CHODRON THE POWER OF TED – DAVID EMERALD BLIND SPOT: HIDDEN BIASES OF GOOD PEOPLE – MAHZARIN R. BANAJI & ANTHONY G. GREENWALD BECOMING – MICHELLE OBAMA SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE – IJEOMA OLUO THE STONEWALL READER – NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 30 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

52%

NON-WHITE

26%

1ST GENERATION

BIMS-MCALLEN

98% HISPANIC

61.6%

1ST GENERATION

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION (D&I) Diversity is a cornerstone value of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), an award-winning college, that both leads and collaborates in regards to climate, equity, and inclusion. A diverse and inclusive environment is essential for preparing veterinary leaders with an intentional, open, and global perspective. The CVMBS affirms diversity both broadly and specifically, and our community aims to be representative of our ever-changing state and nation. In order to maintain and grow our commitment, the CVMBS has developed a Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan. The CVMBS received 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Awards from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, one of only two veterinary programs to receive the award for four consecutive years. This award is a national honor recognizing U.S. health profession schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, assessed by national non-veterinary peers. Other notable highlights include faculty and students completing the Purdue Diversity Certificate Program, two CVMBS Excellence in D&I faculty and staff awards, national leadership in diversity and inclusion initiatives, publication of a monthly D&I Digest, and completion of a staff climate white paper and qualitative data collection.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (CVMBS) STUDENT RECRUITMENT MAP LEGEND

BIMS 2+2 Program

Graduate

BIMS at McAllen

DVM 2+2 Program

17 pipeline community college MOAs; chosen for diversity attributes; students seamlessly enter Texas A&M

DVM MOAs

Pipeline MOAs with four System Universities: WT University (Hispanic-serving institution), Texas A&M-Kingsville (Hispanic-serving institution), Prairie View A&M University (HBCU), and Tarleton State University

Completed first full year, Spring 2019; students principally Hispanic and first-generation

New PhD program at WT (Hispanic-serving Institution)

2+2 program at WT; two years in Canyon and two years in College Station

Paris Junior College

Dallas County Community College

(Brookhaven - Farmers Branch, Cedar Valley - Lancaster, Eastfield - Mesquite, El Centro - Downtown Dallas, Mountain View - Oak Cliff, North Lake - Irving, Richland - North Dallas)

West Texas A&M University (Canyon)

Western Texas College

(Paris, Greenville, Sulphur Springs)

Trinity Valley Community College

(Henderson County Campus - Athens, Anderson Valley Campus - Palestine, Kaufman County Campus - Terrell)

North Texas Community College (Mount Pleasant)

Weatherford College

(Snyder)

(Weatherford)

Cisco Junior College

Midland College

(Cisco, Abilene)

(Midland)

Tarleton State University

McLennan Community College Odessa College (Odessa)

(Stephenville)

Tyler Junior College

(Waco)

Temple College

(Main Campus - Temple, Texas Bioscience Institute - Temple, EWCHEC, Hutto, EWCHEC – Taylor)

Blinn College (Bryan, Brenham)

Austin Community College

(Cypress Creek Campus - Cedar Park, Eastview Campus - East Austin, Elgin Campus - Elgin, Hays Campus - Kyle, Highland Campus - Central Austin, Northridge Campus - North Austin, Rio Grande Campus - Downtown Austin, Riverside Campus - Southeast Austin, Round Rock Campus - Round Rock, San Gabriel Campus - Leander, South Austin Campus - South Austin)

(Main Campus - Tyler, TJC West - Tyler, TJC North - Lindale, TJC Jacksonville Jacksonville, TJC Rusk - Rusk)

Prairie View A&M University

Climate, Wellbeing & Inclusion Programming • Basic mediation course (182 administrators, faculty & staff) • Aggie Ally (60+ faculty and staff) • Question, Persuade & Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention training for faculty, staff, and students • DVM Student Wellness Cart • Yoga classes • Stress Reduction & Management • Community service projects • College Diversity Committee (C-IDEA) • Publication of extensive wellbeing resources Inclusive Facilities • 28 gender neutral bathrooms • Four lactation rooms • VBEC Exercise Room

Student Programs DVM Students • 4 MOA Texas A&M System partnerships • 2+2 DVM program at VERO • Food Animal Track developed to serve rural Texas communities • Diversity Scholarships Graduate students • Graduate Diversity Fellows • Diversity PhD Scholarships • Graduate program extends communication and conflict management trainings • New Graduate Program at VERO BIMS undergraduate students • 17 BIMS 2+2 community college programs • New BIMS degree in McAllen and first-generation students • High number of URM students

(Prairie View)

Palo Alto College (San Antonio)

Lone Star College

Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (Kingsville)

McAllen (McAllen)

(LSC-Cyfair - Cypress, LSC-Houston North - Houston, LSC-North Harris - Houston, LSC-University Park - Houston, LSC-Kingwood - Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery - Conroe, LSC-Tomball - Tomball)

South Texas College

(Mid-Valley Campus - Weslaco, Pecan Campus - McAllen, Technology Campus - McAllen, Nursing & Allied Health - McAllen, Starr County Campus - Rio Grande City, Regional City for Public Safety - Pharr)

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 31

VETERINARY INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES (VIBS) VIBS carries out teaching, research, and service across a wide spectrum of biosciences. Biomedical sciences represents a vital component of the foundation of medical knowledge and includes investigation at molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. The faculty teach anatomy and public health courses in the DVM curriculum, as well as core and elective courses in the undergraduate and graduate curricula. Faculty and students are engaged in biomedical genetics, neuroscience, reproductive biology, toxicology, epidemiology, and public health. VIBS is also home to one of the few programs in science and technology journalism in the country. Through various outreach programs, faculty engage local, regional, and international communities.

Highlights from FY20 include: New Faculty • Dr. Todd O’Hara joined the CVMBS in January 2020 as a professor and head of VIBS. Dr. O’Hara’s training includes a DVM from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology. Dr. O’Hara joins VIBS from the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he was the first Associate Dean for the Department of Veterinary Medicine and DVM training program (2+2) in collaboration with Colorado State University. Dr. O’Hara’s main research interests are in environmental and wildlife toxicology. Welcome, Dr. O’Hara! Program Review • The MS in Science and Technology Journalism (STJR) program underwent a very successful academic program review. Awards • Ms. Courtney Adams - CVMBS Outstanding Master’s Student Award (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Barbara Gastel) • Dr. Kristin Chaney - Association of Former Students University Level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching • Mr. Joseph Dubie - Texas A&M University Montgomery Award (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Vaishali Katju) • Dr. Greg Johnson - Chancellor EDGES Fellowship • Dr. Greg Johnson - Association of Former Students University Level Distinguished Achievement Award for Research • Dr. Lauren Lewis - Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Awards in Research (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ivan Rusyn) • Dr. Bill Murphy - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow • Dr. Bill Murphy - University Professorship • Dr. Bill Murphy - Chancellor EDGES Fellowship • Dr. Alyssa Myers - Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Awards in Research (Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sarah Hamer) • Dr. Weston Porter - Director’s Superior Grantsmanship Award • Dr. Ivan Rusyn - Director’s Superior Grantsmanship Award Grants • Dr. James Cai - Awarded a grant from the Data Resource Development Program (funding source: Texas A&M Institute of Data Science) • Dr. Ivan Rusyn - Texas A&M University: Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity in Biomedical Sciences (funding source: NIH) • Dr. Martial Ndeffo - Collaborative project on modeling community-level transmission and control of COVID-19 in the US (funding source: NSF) • Drs. Nicola Ritter and Molly Gonzales of the Center for Educational Technologies (CET) - Awarded a grant to expand online distance learning efforts (funding source: USDA)

Dr. Todd O’Hara 32 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Dr. James Cai and Dr. Ivan Rusyn

Dr. Martial Ndeffo

VETERINARY INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES (VIBS) • Drs. Nicola Ritter and Molly Gonzales of the Center for Educational Technologies (CET) - Awarded a grant to develop online resources for veterinarians on foreign animal disease outbreaks (funding source: Farm Bill) Appointments • Dr. Vaishali Katju - Selected to serve as a permanent panel member of the National Institute of Health’s study section on Genetic Variation and Evolution Faculty Promotions • Dr. Monique Rijnkels to Associate Research Professor • Dr. Jordan Tayce to Instructional Associate Professor

A horse is sampled by a public health trainee for infectious disease studies.

VETERINARY PATHOBIOLOGY (VTPB) Faculty in VTPB, in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), study mechanisms of disease to improve the health of animals, humans, and the environment. Specialty areas in the department include wildlife health, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, genetics/genomics, neuroscience, cardiovascular science, and immunology.

Highlights from FY20 include: New Faculty • Dr. Tibor Farkas, Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases • Dr. Jessica Galloway-Pena, Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases

Awards/Honors/Activities Faculty • Dr. Jim Derr: Texas A&M Association of Former Students (AFS) Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching - College Level • Dr. Laura Bryan: Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) Clinical Service Award • Dr. Sara Lawhon: Students of the American Veterinary Medical Association: Teaching Award • Dr. Mark Johnson: Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award • Dr. Yava Jones-Hall: Named as one of the top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America • Dr. Brian Porter: AFS Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching • Dr. Raquel Rech: Mentor of the Year - American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) • Dr. Artem Rogovskyy: 2020 Bay Area Lyme Foundation's Emerging Leader Award • Dr. Sargurunathan Subashchandrabose: Montague - Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Scholar Award • Dr. Albert Mulenga: Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship

Dr. Tibor Farkas

Dr. Jessica Galloway-Pena

Staff • Robin Callahan: Pearl Enfield Staff Leadership Award • Alen Merdzo: CVMBS Staff Award • Keely Young: CVMBS Staff Award Graduate Students/Trainees • Candice Chu: Harold W. Casey Scholarship Award • Carmen Lau: L.P. Jones Pathology Award • Alycia Fratzke: Young Investigator Award - ACVP • Caitlin Older: Outstanding PhD Student Award • Liao Yifei: John Paul Delaplane Award

Dr. Yava Jones-Hall 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 33

VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY (VTPP) VTPP is a multidisciplinary basic science department that strives to shape the future of research and education in human and veterinary medicine. Research in VTPP is expansive and incorporates excellence in toxicology, reproductive and developmental biology, cardiovascular biology, regenerative sciences, bone biology, and pharmacology. The high level of cooperation among the various departments within the CVMBS and the Texas A&M University scientific community produces an unparalleled research and teaching environment. VTPP faculty are integral to many of the leading research centers both on and off the Texas A&M University campus. The department contributes to the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Reproductive Biology, as well as being home to the Michael E. DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Science and Biomedical Devices. VTPP maintains a scientific community that fosters excellence in teaching and research in an effort to train the next generation of biomedical professionals through the efforts of faculty, students, and staff. Collaboration is the essence of the VTPP faculty and drives our commitment to excellence in a highly interactive, collaborative, and multidisciplinary teaching and research environment. There were 65 faculty peer-reviewed publications and 44 external grant submissions with 5 awarded in 2019.

Highlights from FY20 include: Promotions • Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Clinic Associate Professor to Clinical Professor New Faculty • Dr. Marissa Cisneros, Lecturer • Dr. Charity Cavazos, Instructional Assistant Professor • Dr. Margarita Stankova, Adjunct Associate Professor • Dr. Luciana Relly, Adjunct Associate Professor • Dr. Guichun Han, Adjunct Assistant Professor • Dr. Marcel Brun, Adjunct Assistant Professor New Staff • Ms. Mille Mattox, Research Specialist IV

Dr. Ivan Ivanov

Study Abroad • VTPP continues excellence in study abroad with the Bonn Germany physiology program continuing as the premier study abroad program at Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Jeremy Wasser. VTPP also launched the new Bulgaria study abroad program in 2019, led by Dr. Ivan Ivanov. International • VTPP faculty member Dr. Charles Long (Indo-US GETin visiting fellow ICARCentral Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB), Hisar, Haryana, India, through Nov 2019) represented Texas A&M University at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Association (AAVMC) and Association of Public and Landgrant Universities (APLU) symposium in Washington D.C., on “Gene Editing in Livestock: Looking to the Future.”

Dr. Charles Long 34 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

National • Dr. Michael Golding, PI, was awarded an NIH R01 (1R01AA028219-01) entitled “Heritable, epigenetic effects of paternal alcohol use on FASD phenotypes.” This is an innovative new award that will unravel the unknown mechanism(s) of alcohol use by fathers on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). • Dr. Jayanth Ramadoss, PI, was awarded an NIH R01 (2R01AA023520) entitled “A novel mechanistic framework for FASD etiology” to continue research on FASD and will identify novel etiological molecular pathway(s) for FASD cardinal outcomes using integrative physiologic approaches. • Dr. Charles Long and his former MSc student Carlos Pinzon- Arteaga (now PhD student at UTSW) had studies published in Scientific Reports. In this breakthrough work, Dr. Long’s team was able to use the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to correct an autosomal recessive mutation responsible for Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED) in the horse. The disease is an

VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY (VTPP) inheritable glycogen storage disease that affects American Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses. Approximately 9% of all Quarter Horse and Paint Horse lineages are heterozygotic carriers of the mutation. GBED carriers have only 50% of the normal Glycogen Branching Enzyme activity and appear asymptomatic. The homozygous mutation is the cause of second and third-trimester abortion and significant foal mortality in the American Quarter Horse. The human form of the disease is called glycogen storage disease type IV. In the reported studies, the causal mutation (GBE1102C>A) was corrected in primary fibroblasts derived from an affected stallion. The next phase of the work will involve generation of a cloned animal that maintains the genetic merit of its predecessor and is free of the GBED mutation. College Three VTPP trainees received awards for outstanding presentations (voted on by CVMBS Faculty): • Trevor Self (Dr. Cristine Heaps, mentor) on outstanding poster. • Yu-Lieh (Ray) Lin (Dr. Ken Muneoka, mentor) on outstanding poster. • Yudi Bedi (Dr. Michael Golding, mentor) for a stellar platform presentation. Departmental • Dr. Steve Safe, Distinguished Professor, was announced as a 2020 Texas A&M Association of Former Students (AFS) Distinguished Award Recipient. • Dr. Katrin Hinrichs was VTPP Faculty Mentor of the Year. • Raine Lunde-Young was VTPP Graduate Student of the Year. • Cathy Green was the inaugural winner of the VTPP Staff Member of the year. • The Aggie Research Program (ARP) (Developed by VTPP faculty member Dr. Christopher Quick) serves 6.4% of all Texas A&M students and accounts for 24% of all undergraduate (UG) researchers, at a cost of $75/student. The program currently has 2,061 UG research opportunities created by the ARP since it started four years ago. It has been growing 33% per year. The goal is to grow ARP so that 50% of all UG researchers participate, making team-based research the norm at Texas A&M University and our UG research program the largest in the nation. • The DeBakey Executive Leadership Program provides elite leadership training across campus and is entering its second semester. • Drs. Virginia Fajt and Shannon Washburn are 2 of the 10 campus-wide recipients of the inaugural Provost Academic Professional Track Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards. These are the first installments of the awards that recognize and celebrate faculty who provide students with meaningful learning experiences, embrace effective teaching approaches and value student-centered learning. • VTPP sponsors two awards (for the past 5 years) named after Dr. J.D. McCready for the best VTPP student presentations. Winners were: • Rebecca Harlow (Dr. Ranjeet Dongaonkar, mentor) • Kalen Johnson (Dr. Cristine Heaps, mentor) • Pierre Ferre (Dr. Tracy Clement, mentor) • Presidential Transformational Teaching Grant (PTTG) awards to VTPP: Dr. Jayanth Ramadoss’ proposal entitled “Sophomore Success Program” and Dr. James Herman’s proposal entitled “Development Of An Open-Source Learning Resource For Students In Biomedicine” were both funded. Congratulations to both PI’s and their VTPP Co-Investigators (James Herman grant: Drs. Shannon Washburn, Carly Patterson, Amanda Davis) (Jayanth Ramadoss grant: Larry Suva). • The beloved CC, the world's first cloned cat, passed away at the age of 18. CC was a major milestone for Dr. Duane Kraemer and our faculty colleagues. • VTPP was in force at the Darwin Day celebration in February informing the people of Bryan-College Station of the importance of physiology and science! • Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon was a part of the VET deployment to Polk County, Texas, following the April 23, 2020, tornado.

Dr. Christopher Quick

Darwin Day Celebration at the CVMBS

Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 35

LARGE ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VLCS) The VLCS is focused on four primary areas: preparing students and house officers for a future in rural medicine, serving our equine and livestock industries and maintaining a safe food supply, pursuing cutting-edge research essential to equine and livestock populations and industries, and providing excellent care through our Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) and partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). These four focus areas align so each benefits from advances in the others.

Highlights from FY20 include:

Dr. Joanne Hardy

Education The department continues to provide innovative educational programs intended to develop large animal veterinary medical skills in our students, a vital component in addressing the lack of available veterinary medical support in the more rural parts of Texas and fundamental to those students whose future is based exclusively in serving the equine, livestock, or food-producing industries. Our faculty are actively engaged in this exciting new curriculum which extends through students’ senior clinical year and focuses on providing the best veterinary medical graduates. The TDCJ partnership provides unapparelled opportunities for students to learn individual medicine, population medicine, and the inextricable link between animal health and welfare to production. VLCS faculty, working through the Veterinary Emergency Team and VERO, have partnered with the Texas Cattle Feeders Association to develop Secure Beef Supply Plans, providing the opportunity to immerse our students in the cattle feeding industry and produce a safer and more resilient food supply. House officers engaging with VLCS faculty teaching interns and residents in Equine Medicine, Equine Surgery, Food Animal Medicine, and Theriogenology are destined to become the educators and specialists of the future. Awards and recognitions: • Dr. Joanne Hardy - Texas Veterinary Medical Association Teaching Award • Dr. Dan Posey - 2020 Instructional Responsibility Excellence Award from West Texas • Dr. Andra Voges - Honors & Awards Bridges Teaching & Service Awards • Dr. Andra Voges - AFS College-Level Teaching Award • Dr. Jennifer Schleining - Juan Carlos Robles Emanuelli Teaching Award

Dr. Dan Posey

Research VLCS faculty are actively engaged in research efforts focused on health and production issues in the large animal species important to our state and nation, specifically: equine infectious diseases, impacts of the microbiome on health and well-being, food animal infectious diseases and production, equine reproduction, and spatial factors in the development of disease. These efforts, in addition to providing answers to pressing problems, create a robust graduate student education experience and the training ground for tomorrow’s researcher. Awards and research grants: • Dr. Michelle Coleman received the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Research Award and is continuing her work in equine obesity and other diseases affecting horses. • Dr. Noah Cohen has received grants from the Grayson-Jockey Club, Morris Animal Foundation, and Boehringer-Ingellheim and is working in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine on Rhodococcus equi, an important infectious disease in the horse population. The Equine Infectious Disease laboratory has also developed an improved diagnostic test for Streptococcus equi.

Dr. Jennifer Schleining 36 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

LARGE ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VLCS) • Dr. Angela Bordin also works on Rhodococcus equi and is pursuing additional funding for equine infectious diseases. • Dr. Canaan Whitfield-Cargile is continuing his work on the microbiome’s impact on health and exploring how non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alter the microbiome. • Dr. Ashley Watts is continuing her research in stem cell therapy and is funded by the American Quarter Horse Foundation to study the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy in horses. • Dr. Paul Morley is performing a USDA-FDA-funded multi-university research project on the use of Tylosin in the prevention of liver abscesses in cattle. Dr. Morley’s position on the VERO campus will support future research directly impacting the food-producing industries of Texas. • Dr. Jamie Thompson is continuing his work in spatial analysis focusing on human health outcomes. Patient Care VLCS faculty have worked through the COVID-19 pandemic to continue providing cutting-edge veterinary medical care through the VMTH. Our caseload has remained robust despite many challenges associated with ensuring that faculty, staff, students, and clients are protected as much as possible from this novel human disease. Patient care opportunities represent the “capstone” of the educational process and we continually strive to provide the best care while simultaneously producing the nation’s best entry-level veterinarian.

Dr. Kari Bevevino

Awards: • Dr. Kati Glass - Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Clinical Service Awards • Dr. Kari Bevevino - Advanced Clinical Training Fellowship (Cardiology)

Dr. Noah Cohen, Angelica Allegro, Dr. Natalie Rodriguez, Brennan Tobias, Alec Lucas, Dr. Angela Bordin, Madi-Brooke Roberds, and Garrett Wehmeyer 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 37

SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VSCS)

Dr. Sonya Gordon

VSCS has three major missions: innovative education, leading-edge veterinary care, and clinical research and therapeutic trials. Each of these activities is intended to improve the quality of life for companion animals and their owners. The VSCS department provides clinical education in canines, felines, and exotics. The department’s researchers study health issues common to both humans and animals in areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, aging, and oncology. VSCS has dedicated space for clinical trials and biobanking, and is focused on innovative teaching through collaborations with the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Center for Educational Technologies, and through departmental grants for the scholarship of teaching. VSCS offers the following one-year internships and three-year residency programs: • • • • • • •

Internal Medicine Internship Ophthalmology Internship Surgical Oncology Internship Surgery Internship Anesthesiology Residency Cardiology Residency Emergency & Critical Care Residency

• • • • • • •

Dermatology Residency Internal Medicine Residency Neurology Residency Oncology Residency Ophthalmology Residency Surgery Residency Clinical Trials Fellowship

Highlights from FY20 include:

Dr. Erin Scott

Research • We have received endowments that will help us expand our biorepository and clinical trials core to be a college-wide resource that will facilitate clinical trials. • The Dog Aging Project, led at Texas A&M University by Dr. Kate Creevy and funded by the National Institute of Aging, has identified over 100,000 potential participants and has begun enrolling. The study will assess factors associated with aging and will also conduct a multi-center therapeutic trial. • Our gastrointestinal laboratory has continued to generate impactful new diagnostics and have created assays to detect pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal tract of dogs and cats. Patient Care • Dr. Ashley Navarette joined our primary care service in June 2020, to support student learning and patient care. • We have adjusted our hospital protocols to minimize risks associated with COVID-19, while still allowing our clinical team to provide outstanding patient care. • Our neurology team performed life-saving pituitary removal surgery on animals this past year, becoming one of the first centers in the United States to do so. Teaching • The department is planning to expand the surgical education of fourth-year students, with the help of a chair established by the Dr. William A. Roach ’55 and his family. • Our faculty have dramatically expanded hybrid and online curricula, to address challenges associated with COVID-19.

Dr. Nick Jeffery 38 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL (VMTH) The VMTH at the CVMBS provides leading-edge compassionate care for animals while ensuring that our students receive the highest standard of veterinary medical education. The VMTH was the first teaching hospital to receive the prestigious American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Referral Practice Accreditation, is certified as a Level II facility by the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society (VECCS), and has been awarded the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Cat-Friendly Practice (CFP) – Gold Level designation. The VMTH shares a unifying mission and vision and a set of core values with Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. These shared standards align our missions of teaching, research, and service, and serve as a foundation for strategic objectives that will propel our teaching hospital forward as a leader among academic veterinary medical centers. Mission: A better life through compassion, innovation, and discovery. Vision: To be the premier veterinary teaching hospital in the world. Core Values: Excellence, integrity, teamwork, communication, respect, and service.

Highlights from FY20 include: The VMTH treated 21,540 patients in the Small Animal Hospital and 5,288 patients in the Large Animal Hospital. The Hospital has re-invested resources into both personnel and equipment. Over the past year, we have acquired state-of-the-art anesthesia monitors with the capacity for telemetry; a telemetry unit in our small animal intensive care unit that will allow for superior monitoring; and ultrasound units to support radiology and the capacity to delivery locoregional anesthesia. We have also purchased an electronic treatment sheet system that will help our students learn best practices in a digital age. We continue to invest in our personnel, with a focus on safety, wellness, and morale. The Hospital has partnered with both the CVMBS and the Division of Student Affairs to fund a professional counselor position dedicated to our professional veterinary students, interns, and residents. A second professional counselor position is being actively recruited to provide compassionate support while advocating for clients by facilitating client decision-making about their pets’ medical treatment, quality of life, and end-of-life issues. The VMTH entirely restructured its operations in the spring of 2020 as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted what is most important to the VMTH– educating our students, caring for clients and patients, and supporting clinical innovation. The following are some of the changes currently in place as a result of the pandemic: • Hygiene and mask-wearing are organizational requirements. • We receive our patients curbside, through a tailored admissions process that reduces physical contact between clients and staff. • The VMTH has increased its telemedicine footprint through VETNOW, to meet client and referring veterinarian needs. • Our fourth-year students get their clinical experience through a hybrid model, which uses in-person and remote educational methods. • Critical lynchpin services are supported through flexible staffing to ensure continuity of patient and client care. • We have made key hires in our ICU and ER services to support increases statewide in clients seeking these services.

Large Animal Hospital

Small Animal Hospital

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 39

VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL (VMTH) Shaping tomorrow’s veterinarians while providing an unmatched patient and client experience is how the VMTH operates. The entire team of clinicians, staff, and veterinary students are committed to providing state-of-the-art care and making the CVMBS's teaching hospital a model for excellence in Texas and beyond.

Small Animal Hospital The Small Animal Hospital is home to 16 services. Patients have access to the full spectrum of veterinary care—from annual preventive medicine through the Primary Care Service to comprehensive cancer treatment through the Oncology Service.

Large Animal Hospital The 14 services of the Large Animal Hospital provide the best medicine available for horses, cattle, goats, sheep, swine, and camelids. Patients receive the total package of veterinary care both in the hospital through a variety of clinical services and athome or on-farm through Equine and Food Animal Field Services.

FY20 Large Animal Hospital Caseload by Species

FY20 Small Animal Hospital Caseload by Species

16 Avian (Bird)

83 Canine (Dog) 89 Exotic

106 Ovine (Sheep) 199 Porcine (Pig) 419

Bovine (Cattle)

3,509

Equine (Horse)

Exotic

2,720

Goat

867

Avian (Bird)

Feline (Cat)

18,767 Canine (Dog)

Hospital Caseload*

Number of Visits

30,000

Small Animal Caseload

Large Animal Caseload

Total Hospital Caseload

25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 *Caseload: Each discharged case record is counted as one case. A case record may have multiple animals. Example: a Year mare/foal, litter, or herd are on a single case record. **Animals treated by VLCS at TDCJ agricultural units.

Hospital Visits

Number of Visits

30,000

Self-Referred Visits

Referral Visits

Total Visits

25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0

2011

40 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Year

2017

2018

2019

2020

VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL (VMTH) FY20 Clinical Service Activity: Large Animal Hospital

FY20 Clinical Service Activity: Small Animal Hospital

Clinical Service Name

YTD Sales

YTD Caseload

Clinical Service Name

Emergency & Critical Care

$ 340,269

160

Equine Community Practice

$171,375

Equine Field Service

YTD Sales

YTD Caseload

Cardiology

$932,252

870

406

Critical Care

$461,881

272

$152,756

441

Dental

$372,772

415

Equine Internal Medicine

$521,513

353

Dermatology

$273,532

499

Equine Orthopedic Surgery

$700,052

383

Emergency

$4,064,702

5,098

Equine Soft Tissue Surgery

$625,120

454

General Surgery

$112,758

331

Equine Sports Medicine & Imaging

$716,749

572

Internal Medicine I

$1,889,914

1,633

Equine Theriogenology

$184,519

184

Internal Medicine II

$504,521

557

Farrier

$50,963

260

Neurology

$2,088,424

1,235

Food Animal Field Services

$44,481

148

Oncology

$2,774,782

3,395

Food Animal Medicine & Surgery

$616,411

1,360

$351,590

830

Ophthalmology

$135,270

159

$2,166,834

1,724

$24,422

$683,102

2,548

$133

293

$5,318

$2,539

$111,815

1,036

Gross Sales

$4,286,571

Total Caseload:

$1,766,785

1,082

Net Revenue

$4,054,414

5,178

$8,321

Gross Sales

$18,469,302

Total Caseload:

Net Revenue

$17,401,815

21,540

Research TDCJ Ultrasound

Ophthalmology Orthopedic Surgery Primary Care Radiology Rehabilitation Soft Tissue Surgery Zoological Medicine

VMTH Net Revenue + College Support Area

FY11

FY12

FY13

FY14

FY15

FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19

F20

Large Animal Hospital

$3,016,966

$3,274,152

$3,738,209

$3,663,623

$4,253,080

$4,450,376

$4,393,072

$4,854,500

$4,806,704

$4,054,354

Small Animal Hospital

$9,375,873

$10,104,491

$11,123,191

$11,991,528

$13,270,547

$14,533,673

$14,710,375

$16,305,727

$18,162,040

$17,403,172

$180,917

$256,422

$176,772

$169,442

$150,382

$169,983

$209,244

$218,936

$206,139

$136,693

$3,105,457

$2,738,019

$2,987,781

$3,140,390

$3,358,220

$3,623,372

$3,436,451

$3,728,422

$3,923,069

$15,679,213

$16,373,085

$17,776,191

$18,812,373

$20,814,400

$22,512,252

$22,936,063

$24,815,614

$26,856,186

$25,517,288

Other State Funding Total Revenue

Gina Jones, Customer Service Associate III

Fourth-year veterinary student Jacob Boehnke, Reveille IX, and Dr. Stacy Eckman, chief medial officer

Fourth-year veterinary students (right to left) Emerald Rodriguez, Ciera Johnston, Sophia Rychener, and Taylor Smith 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 41

SCHUBOT CENTER FOR AVIAN HEALTH The Schubot Center for Avian Health is an academic center within the CVMBS. Our mission is to conduct research into avian health and conservation issues, spanning pet, wild, and exotic birds. Our research spans disease ecology, parasitology, genetics, behavior, toxicology, pathology, and more. We are also involved in diagnostic test and vaccine development research. Our members teach undergraduates, graduate students, and DVM students about avian health and conservation issues. Our Avian Health Complex—with aviaries, isolation facilities, a laboratory, a clinic, and a classroom—is the largest and best equipped of its kind in the United States, currently housing over 200 birds used for teaching, outreach, and research.

Highlights from FY20 include: The Schubot Center membership is growing with over 60 Texas A&M University members including faculty and staff, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, DVM students, and undergraduate students from eight different departments across three colleges. Members contribute to member meetings, research presentations, outreach events, and provide a collaborative support network throughout the year spanning diverse avian topics.

Dr. Sarah A. Hamer, with her African Gray parrot, Togo

In the inaugural year of the Schubot research mini-grant program, we awarded up to $2,500 in research funds to each of 8 successful applicants, including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty across five different departments and three colleges. Additionally, we also started a new travel grant program, providing up to $1,000 to defray costs of presenting avian research at conferences; three winners were selected. We were proud to recognize three trainees on being selected as the 2020 Schubot Avian Health Director’s Award in honor of Dr. Ian Tizard (Schubot Director from 1999–2017). The award recognizes avian research accomplishments and contributions to the Schubot Center. The 2020 recipients include: Spencer DeBrock (MS student in Veterinary Integrative Biosciences), Amanda Beckman (PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), and Skye Sneed (DVM student). We have continued our successful Schubot Seminar Series, bringing in external and internal speakers each semester for seminars. This past year, we hosted several external speakers including Dr. Sonia Hernandez of the University of Georgia to discuss urban White Ibis and the human health interface; Dr. Jeb Owen of Washington State University to discuss avian immunology; Barbara Heidenreich, an animal behaviorist who gave workshops on positive reinforcement methods to train our birds in the aviary; and Dr. Judilee Marrow, veterinarian at the Houston Zoo, who discussed the conservation of Attwater’s prairie chickens. Schubot Center members were given the opportunity to interact with each speaker to discuss collaborations and careers.

The new graphic element for the Schubot Center for Avian Health features the Whooping Crane, the Scarlet Macaw, and the Monk Parakeet.

Our members organized several outreach activities, including bird banding events at local parks, aviary tours, ‘Darwin Day’ annual biology celebration, and workshops for visiting teacher and student groups, although group activities are now stopped with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Center members show local children how to safely trap, identify, process, band, and release wild birds at a local park.

Center member Kiera Merrit uses positive reinforcement techniques to train birds at the aviary.

42 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Schubot Center members educate other students about bird science with handson demonstrations at a local park.

VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAM (VET) The Texas A&M VET serves our state and nation every day through deployments of the largest and most sophisticated veterinary response team in the country. We provide service-oriented educational opportunities for veterinary students through collaborations with Texas agencies and jurisdictions, and build regional preparedness/response capabilities through partnerships with other Texas A&M University System universities and private-sector veterinary medical professionals. We continue to support the Texas Task Forces by providing veterinary medical support to their canine teams during trainings and deployments. We also help Texas communities develop emergency plans for animals.

Overview 2020 was the busiest year yet for the VET, with COVID-19 solely responsible for two deployments and making other deployments more difficult. However, while difficult, the year was exceedingly productive.

2020 Deployments Butte County California Wildfire Deployment • 28 days • 18 members including Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agents • Three shelter locations: two small animal and one large animal • Over 500 total animals The 2020 wildfire season was one of the most active in U.S. history, and the North Complex Wildfire in Butte County, California, covered an area about twice the size of Austin, resulting in an extended duration of animal sheltering and veterinary medical support requirements. Operational needs overwhelmed local and regional response capabilities, with the primary problem being inconsistent animal shelter leadership and inconsistencies in veterinary medical support. VET members assumed leadership roles at three existing emergency animal shelters. A particular challenge of this deployment included containment and elimination of pre-existing disease transmission cycles (Bordetella bronchiseptica infections at two household pet shelters and Parvovirus infections at one household pet shelter).

Butte County, California, deployment

California deployment

Oregon Wildfires (October 2020) • Dr. Debra Zoran deployed to Oregon to provide medical support for 24 urban search and rescue dogs during wildfires. Jefferson County (August 2020) • 21 team members • One of the first times that a county has used an emergency plan to request help in anticipation of a storm. Ultimately, the team was not needed, as impact was less than expected, but the short deployment showed the advances in preparation by Jefferson County. 72 volunteers had already been contacted and were standing by, if needed. Texas Panhandle (May 2020) • Dr. Bissett deployed to serve as the operations section chief for the epidemiology unit working to trace how COVID-19 was circulating in the region. First deployment dealing mostly with human impact. Dr. Bissett oversaw 85 people per shift who dealt with over 5,000 contacts and 1,500 cases.

Dr. Deb Zoran with Scout and his handler Chad Matchel from Washington Task Force 1. 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 43

VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAM (VET) Polk County Tornado (April 2020) • 5 days • 84 animals • 22 team members An F3 tornado impacted Polk County during the night of April 22, and the VET arrived on-scene early in the morning on April 25 after local veterinarians that had initially dealt with the injured animals were reaching the point of being overwhelmed and requested assistance. This was a unique response given that it was the first with additional PPE requirements due to COVID-19.

Counties – Deployments Counties – Deployments & Emergency Planning Counties – Emergency Planning Cities, Universities, or Other Entities – Emergency Planning as of October 2020

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) (March 2020) This deployment was a new experience, as the call for aid was from within. The mission was to help maintain clinical operations at the VMTH at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a daunting task given the complexity of the VMTH and the interconnectedness of the different clinical services. The VET’s experience in training for and responding to high-consequence infectious diseases proved valuable to the process and the VMTH was able to maintain operations throughout. This map of Texas details VET deployments, as well as counties and cities In an additional role, the VET was providing personal where the team has helped develop emergency preparedness plans for animals. protective equipment (PPE). The team trains for, and is prepared to respond to, high-consequence infectious disease incidents at the state and national levels. As a result, the team had developed a cache of PPE. The team was able to provide N-95 respirators and Powered Air Purifying Respirators to Texas A&M-affiliated human health care providers. Brazoria

Polk County deployment 44 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS & STUDY ABROAD The CVMBS International Programs office encourages faculty and students to look beyond our borders and to be problem solvers on an international scale through education and research. Under the leadership of Dr. Linda Logan, the office facilitates ongoing and new education abroad opportunities, international student and faculty exchange, and CVMBS contributions to international development projects. The program also provides mentorship and guidance for students interested in international experiences and careers. As for many parts of the college, this year has presented several unique challenges to International Programs including several programs being canceled as part of the University-wide response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 28 of the expected 85 students traveled as part of faculty-led education abroad programs and one group of those students had to return home early from a semester-long program in Germany. Despite these setbacks, the CVMBS continued to participate in international development projects and hosted a number of international visitors from South Africa, Mali, Italy, and Burkina Faso bringing the world to Aggieland.

International Program Advisory Committee (IPAC) Composed of faculty members from across the CVMBS, the IPAC manages a number of annual travel awards for students and faculty and provides strategic inputs for strengthening ongoing international programs. With the Dean’s concurrence, department heads appoint two faculty members per department for three-year terms. IPAC members then elect the committee chair annually. Currently, Dr. Jan Suchodolski holds the chair position. In FY20, the IPAC issued travel awards enabling 19 students to attend facultyled programs in Costa Rica, Taiwan and Germany; two students to defray costs for independent education abroad programs to China and Spain; and two faculty members to build upon international research collaborations in South Africa and Mexico.

Dr. Ko with dolphin at Yehliu Ocean World

Study Abroad Opportunities Since 2013, the number of BIMS, DVM, and CVMBS graduate students enrolled in study abroad opportunities has increased. A 2020 milestone, Dr. Gladys Ko took her first Aggie cohort to Taiwan during the winter break. In addition to CVMBS students, our faculty-led programs served students from major programs across the university including Animal Sciences, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Marine Biology, and Biology.

2020 Aggie cohort on the beach in Taiwan

The following international programs were offered this year: Costa Rica Biomedical Science Semester (Fall) During this semester-long experience, BIMS students live and study at the Soltis Center in Costa Rica under the guidance of Dr. Donald Brightsmith. The trip includes coursework in genetics, microbiology, ecology, Spanish, and biomedical writing. The students also live with host families for three weeks improving their cross-cultural understanding and communication skills. Taiwan Marine Mammal Anatomy (Winter) Dr. Gladys Ko offers this program during the winter break for students interested in marine mammal anatomy and physiology. In addition to cultural excursions, students get hands-on experience at the Taipei Zoo (Taipei City), Yehliu Ocean World (Yehliu), and Marine Biology & Cetacean Research Center, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU; Tainan City), Taiwan. Germany Biosciences Semester (Spring) Led by Dr. Jeremy Wasser, this program is offered to biomedical science and bioengineering majors. In addition to coursework, the program includes a semesterlong biomedical science/bioengineering project in collaboration with a German biotechnology company offering real-world experience in research and design. It also

Students in Costa Rica 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 45

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS & STUDY ABROAD includes many field trips to museums, research institutions, medical and veterinary medical schools, and other sites of historical and cultural importance throughout Germany and neighboring EU countries. Other programs led in previous years:

Dr. Jeremy Wasser, costumed as a 17th-century plague doctor, leads students on a medical history tour of Vienna.

Peru Veterinary Field Experience (Winter) Led by Dr. Donald Brightsmith and Dr. Sharman Hoppes, the program immerses veterinary students in a long-term research program studying the health, conservation, and natural history of large macaws and other psittacines in the lowland rainforests of southeastern Peru. Students work with veterinarians, biologists, foresters, and other researchers collecting health and conservation information on macaws and parrots. Food Safety from the European Perspective (Summer) Hosted by the University of Padova, Italy, veterinary students interested in learning about food safety and public health participate in a summer short course led by Dr. Christine Budke. Students learn about the European Union’s food safety regulatory system and interact with peers.

2019 Bulgaria Biomedical Sciences cohort with Dr. Ivanov & Dr. Stankova

Bulgaria Biomedical Sciences (Summer) Led by Dr. Ivan Ivanov, undergraduate students study the neurobiology of developmental disorders while immersed in Bulgarian culture. The international location of this program will help the students to understand the differences and similarities between the Eastern European and the American perspectives of developmental disorders. Providing a specific global perspective on developmental health issues, this program aims to serve as a catalyst in their international health career development. Barcelona Global Health (Summer) Undergraduate students interested in careers in veterinary medicine, human medicine, and public health can attend this immersion program focusing on how to communicate about global health within the context of both Spanish language and culture. History of Medicine in Europe (Summer) Dr. Jeremy Wasser leads this program designed to introduce undergraduate students to the historical development of human and veterinary medicine in Europe. It includes visits to museums, medical schools, hospitals, research institutions, and sites of general cultural and historical importance throughout Germany and neighboring countries. The program maximizes the international impact for students interested in pursuing careers in human or veterinary medicine or in biomedical research.

2019 African Wildlife Conservation and Health cohort at the Tropic of Capricorn in South Africa 46 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

South Africa Conservation Medicine (Summer) Led by Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, veterinary students visit the Eastern Cape Province to observe the management of African species at wildlife parks and games preserves.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS & STUDY ABROAD Students will become familiar with certain aspects of hoofstock medicine including common diseases and preventative medicine. Students gain direct experience with many aspects of chemical immobilization including skills needed, drugs, and darting equipment. African Wildlife Conservation and Health (Summer) Led by Drs. Jim Derr, Walter Cook, and Linda Logan, this program takes students to Limpopo Province, South Africa, and Botswana to study the role of veterinarians in large landscape wildlife conservation medicine and develop skills to apply to wildlife health and sustainability issues across the State of Texas. Wildlife experts guide participants through activities including animal restraint, administering drugs, field surgery, and darting. Other experiential learning can include interaction with crocodiles, buffalo, and rhinos. Thailand Global One Health (Summer) This program led by Michelle Yeoman is a hybrid study abroad experience, incorporating four weeks of study abroad instruction with six weeks on campus in College Station. In this course, students use case studies to explore the connection between human, animal, and environmental health. The course is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in veterinary or human medicine, including public health, and wish to explore Global One Health issues. The students work with elephants, rescued sea turtles, and other exotic species at a sanctuary.

Students and faculty visited the Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Current Research Projects A number of CVMBS faculty have projects with international components. Each year, the CVMBS enters into new agreements with universities and research institutes around the world. CVMBS faculty collaborate on international programs with Texas A&M faculty from the Norman Borlaug Institute of International Programs and Development and the Institute of Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD), as well as international organizations such as the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in addition to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Faculty have diverse sources of funding for their research projects, educational endeavors, and capacity development projects from private foundations, federal agencies, and international organizations that promote development, food security, and public health.

INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY OF TOXICOLOGY (IFT) The IFT is a degree-granting graduate program that is composed of faculty from twenty Texas A&M departments in five colleges, three divisions of the Health Science Center, and three associated laboratories. Since 1989, the IFT has awarded over 50 MS degrees, nearly 200 PhD degrees, and two DVM/PhD degrees. In addition, well over 100 postdocs have trained in toxicology at Texas A&M University. The IFT is housed administratively at the CVMBS. Training future generations of toxicologists in novel scientific discoveries should go hand-in-hand with ensuring that trainees develop a broad set of complementary competencies that span multiple disciplines from basic biology to exposure science, biostatistics, and epidemiology. In addition, trainees must understand how these data and knowledge are translated into decisions and policy. Areas of research include: Regulatory Toxicology & Public Health, Cellular & Molecular Toxicology, Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology, Behavioral & Neurotoxicology, Environmental & Veterinary Toxicology, and Applied Toxicology & Food Safety.

Highlights from FY20 include: Awards/Accomplishments • CVMBS PhD student, Hadil Al Muhisen, and alumnus Ziad Naufal establish Arab Toxicologists Association. • Texas A&M Wins $1.2 Million Diversity Grant. • Lauren Lewis was selected for a 2020 Texas A&M Association of Former Students (AFS) Distinguished Graduate Student Award. • Dr. Stephen Safe and Dr. Alexei Sokolov are recipients of the AFS Distinguished Achievement Award. • CVMBS Postdoctoral Researchers, Dr. Keshav Karki and Dr. Alyssa Meyers, have been recognized with 2020 Distinguished Graduate Student Awards from the AFS. 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 47

INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY OF TOXICOLOGY (IFT)

Dr. Keshav Karki

Dr. Alyssa Meyers

Research and Service Features • Dr. Weihsueh Chiu talks about chemicals released during Intercontinental Terminals Companies (ITC) fire not harming humans. • Dr. Ivan Rusyn completed service as chair of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs working group on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans (Volume 125): “Some Industrial Chemical Intermediates and Solvents.” • Dr. Ivan Rusyn was appointed to the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST). • Dr. Stephen Safe has developed a family of pharmaceutical compounds known as C-DIMs, which could become a treatment for a variety of diseases. • Dr. Ivan Rusyn and Dr. Weihsueh Chiu, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, have developed the Pandemic Vulnerability Index (PVI) Dashboard to map the global spread of COVID-19. • Dr. Weihsueh Chiu uses data science to bridge disciplines and protect health. Video • Alina Roman-Hubers, a toxicology graduate student, is featured in the Graduate Programs at Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M video. https://youtu.be/0kSMKOyrWpE

Dr. Robert Burghardt, Dr. Weihsueh Chiu, Dr. Ivan Rusyn, and Dr. Arum Han examine a tissue chip.

High Profile Publications • Bhandari S., Lewis P.G.T., Craft E., Marvel S.W., Reif D.M., and Chiu W.A. HGBEnviroscreen: Enabling Community Action through Data Integration in the Houston–Galveston–Brazoria Region. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(4), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041130 Primary author Sharmila Bhandari is a recent T32 Postdoctoral Fellow. This tool aids in identifying vulnerable communities and providing insights into which areas would most benefit from improved planning, policy, and action. • Grimm F.A., Klaren W.D., Li X., Lehmler H-J, Karmakar, M., Robertson L.W., Chiu W.A. and Rusyn I. Cardiovascular Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Their Major Metabolites. Environmental Health Perspectives 128:7, https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7030 This study demonstrated a strategy to help fill data gaps and characterize human health risks from PCBs and their metabolites. • Tissue-Engineered Bone Tumor as a Reproducible Human in Vitro Model for Studies of Anticancer Drugs (Sakolish and Rusyn). Paper was published as a ToxSpotlight in Toxicological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz220

Toxicology students Alina Roman-Hubers and Alex Cordova lead the session with Dr. Thomas McDonald.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Vulnerability Index 48 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Texas A&M Toxicology Group at the Lone Star Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (LSSOT) ’19

SUPERFUND RESEARCH CENTER The Texas A&M Superfund Research Center, with scientists from across campus, will conduct four environmental research projects funded by a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Established in 1987, the NEIHS Superfund Research Program is a highly competitive, grant-based program that funds a network of 16 university-based multidisciplinary research teams that study human health and environmental issues related to hazardous chemicals, with a goal of understanding the link between exposure and disease. Texas A&M Superfund Center researchers, led by Dr. Ivan Rusyn, professor in VIBS at the CVMBS, and Dr. Anthony Knap, professor of oceanography and director of the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group in the College of Geosciences, will work to translate science into the practice of mitigating the health and environmental consequences of exposure to hazardous chemical mixtures. The ultimate goal of the program is to create packages that will serve as “how-tos” for affected areas during any form of environmental emergency situation, from weather-related disasters, to chemical spills, to industrial accidents.

Highlights from FY20–– include: • Researchers at Texas A&M developed a tool called HGBEnviroScreen that makes data reporting environmental and social risks more accessible to community members and community-based organizations (CBOs). • Dr. Rusyn and Dr. Chiu, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, have developed the Pandemic Vulnerability Index (PVI) Dashboard to map the global spread of COVID-19. • Texas A&M University Superfund Research Center and Galveston Bay Foundation collaborate to address community concerns following chemical fires at the Intercontinental Terminals Companies (ITC) facility. • NIEHS Trainee Spotlight: Fabian Grimm Explores New Approaches to Understand Chemical Toxicity. Tim Phillips and SRP trainees Sara Hearon (left) and Meichen • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Wang (right) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Certification (8 trainees). • Project 2 researchers Tim Phillips and Superfund Research Program (SRP) trainees Sara Hearon and Meichen Wang were featured in NIEHS Global Environmental Newsletter (April 2020). https://tinyurl.com/yc578pbp • A case study on a new comparative approach to better determine trade-offs in remediation scenarios to maximize benefits while minimizing risks. • Texas A&M researchers using innovative technology to develop new chemical safety testing method. Publications • Dr. Chimeddulam Dalaijamts, uses Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to predict the variability factors in perc metabolism, leading to a better understanding of population variation of adverse effects of perc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2020.115069 • Dr. Weihsueh Chiu and colleagues at the University of Michigan were highlighted in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) Science Selection news article, Unbalanced Burden? Potential Population-Level Health Risks & Benefits of Superfund Cleanup. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7050 • Asuka Orr, @tamusuperfund Project 2 trainee, and her colleagues show how computational and experimental methods, combined, can characterize clay binding and sorption of toxic compounds, paving the way for future investigation of clays to reduce Bisphenols A (BPA) and S (BPS) exposure. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2020.107063 • Project 2 researchers, Drs. Meichen Wang and Tim Phillips, developed a dietary sorbent strategy for shellfish to reduce exposures to PCBs. This strategy significantly reduced PCB residues in oysters in a dose & time-dependent manner. Patent pending on this acid processed clay sorbent. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13530-020-00058-2 • Project 3, Data and Decision Science cores collaborate on a study showing that rapid hazard characterization of chemicals can be achieved using only 5 human cell types from different organs. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2002291

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 49

CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES (CET) CET’s mission is to advance education by developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative educational tools and resources. The CET continues to serve our state, nation, and world through various research, teaching, and entrepreneurial endeavors – all of which are centered on providing engaging online educational resources. For more information on our educational resources, go to: tamucet.org.

Research ~$750, 000 in new awards ~$710,000 in grant expenditures

Instruction 20 trainings held and 30 educational resources developed

Enterprise ~$250,000 in new contract, educational resource, and hosting services revenue

The CET works collaboratively with other university entities, state, federal, and international agencies, other colleges of veterinary medicine, non-governmental agencies, and industry to provide access to innovative and engaging educational resources anytime and in any place. The approach has led to the CET’s international reputation for excellence in curriculum development and resource hosting services.

The CET partnered with the USDA and USAID to develop an international training program on animal health.

In response to COVID, CET shared online veterinary resources to 33 universities around the world.

SPS Pest Identification Workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 2020 50 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Key Collaborators

Institutions Using CET Resources

• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

West Texas A&M University Prairie View A&M University Cornell University Colorado State University Oklahoma State University University of Georgia Iowa Department of Land Stewardship and Agriculture • VetFolio • Partners for Healthy Pets (PHP) • Primary Care Veterinary Educators (PCVE)

With partnerships and learners from all over the world, the CET’s work has a growing global impact.

• • • •

VetFolio USDA-APHIS USAID University of California, Davis Cornell University University of Illinois Kansas State University University of Missouri The Ohio State University Colorado State University Oklahoma State University University of Tennessee Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life sciences PHP Texas A&M Medical Sciences Library Texas A&M AgriLife PCVE

CVMBS COMMUNICATIONS CVMBS Communications supports the college through the implementation of strategic marketing and communications services that range from branding and identity, media and public relations, graphic design, and printing and copying to digital marketing, web and digital communications, photography and videography, and merchandise sales.

VOLUME 21, NUMBER 1 // SPRING 2020

Communications The communications team writes and distributes college news through press releases, the weekly Pet Talk column, the CVMBS Annual Report series, and the semiannual CVMBS Today magazine. In 2020, CVMBS Communications created two new enewsletters—News from Veterinary Way replaced Dean's Corner as an internally focused newsletter that shares news, publications, events, and other celebratory information and CVMBS Impacts, an externally focused newsletter that focuses on the college's most impactful news. Read our news stories and publications online at vetmed.tamu.edu/news. Our team also coordinates all media interaction with CVMBS faculty, staff, and students. We provide graphic design, photography and videography, digital marketing, and website support for the CVMBS Dean's Office, departments, centers, hospital services, research units, and college events. We also provide services to other entities on the Texas A&M campus, including Mays Business School and The Bush School of Government & Public Service. We coordinate the digital signage within CVMBS buildings and the official social media channels for the college. We also provide undergraduate BIMS and professional DVM students with notes for classes taught by college faculty. Members of our team are Texas A&M adjunct faculty, active in professional communication organizations, give presentations and seminars within the college, university, and at local and regional conferences, deploy with the VET, and design the merchandise sold in the CVMBS Marketplace.

CVMBS Today, Spring 2020

CVMBS Ambassadors The CVMBS Ambassadors are an important part of the welcoming and inclusive environment the CVMBS provides to visitors. As the public face of our college, Ambassadors welcome guests to campus, share information with visitors, assist with special functions, and offer tours that showcase our teaching spaces. In 2020, the CVMBS Ambassadors played a major role in the college’s response to COVID-19. Within weeks, they helped CVMBS Communications get virtual tours of the college online and quickly shifted to giving daily virtual tours and Q&A sessions to the public. Information on these sessions, videos, and tours can be found at tx.ag/cvmbstours. The ambassadors also played a large part in the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) response to COVID-19. Starting in March, the ambassadors assisted with client check-in, parking lot coordination, and even worked as runners. The extraordinary efforts show that they are dedicated to serving the college by building and strengthening the CVMBS’s relationship with prospective and current students, faculty and staff, alumni and donors, and other guests. The program comprises veterinary students, BIMS graduate students, and undergraduate BIMS majors who demonstrate the Aggie Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect, and Selfless Service.

CVMBS Communications produces the 2020 graduation ceremony.

CVMBS Ambassadors

Marketplace CVMBS Marketplace is the place to purchase college merchandise. From apparel to pet items, if you're looking for a special gift with a CVMBS or veterinary theme, it is the place to shop. Order from us online at tx.ag/CVMMarketplace.

CVMBS Marketplace 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 51

PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION & RURAL HEALTH The Partnership for Environmental Education & Rural Health (PEER) Program provides multifaceted outreach for science and veterinary medical education. Middle and high school curricula, video presentations by veterinary professionals and students, scientists, and college students, and outreach events for K-12 students stimulate career interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The PEER Program’s current focus is the utilization of the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds, in developing a standards-based, student centric, on-line curriculum. These lessons frame academic content in terms easily identifiable to middle and high school students—namely, their own health. Classroom ready modules include Cell Biology, Stress (nervous & endocrine systems, homeostasis, and feedback mechanisms), Infectious Diseases & Vaccinations, Ecology, and Clinical Trials. Additionally, PEER has redesigned its website to provide a more user-friendly experience as well as updated existing curricular resources. Most notable, are the “Biology & Environmental Sciences” lessons, which now utilize the Google Suite of tools (Drive, Docs, Slides, etc.) to enable a student-driven lesson format. PEER ensured continued K-12 student and teacher outreach throughout the spring and summer months by providing virtual workshops, camps, and learning experiences.

Direct Contact Interactions (Veterinary Student & K-12 students) • Direct, virtual contact with over 500 K-12 students • One time presentations or recurring “camps” for: Texas State Aquarium-Corpus Christi, Baylor Camp Med-Houston, Aggie STEM Camp-statewide, Bryan Girl Scouts, Veterinary Medical Applications Program-statewide, Midland 4-H, Girl Scouts of USA, Middle School One Health Summer Learning Experience-statewide • Facebook Live Events – veterinarian and vet student interviews – 945 people “reached”

Direct Contact Interactions (PEER Staff & Teachers) • Three Teacher Workshops reaching 40 teachers

Impact Measured by the Numbers PEER at Texas A&M YouTube Channel Analytics from 09/01/2019 to 08/31/2020 • Total views of all videos • New subscribers • Total subscribers

159,800 945 2,287

Dr. Larry Johnson, Director of PEER

Dr. Johnson shares a clip from his YouTube Channel 52 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Dr. Johnson with PEERS

CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) FY 2020 brought many changes to the Office of Continuing Education. The year got off to a rousing start with the very popular Emergency and Critical Care Conference followed by a new international collaboration with the European Commission for the Control of Foot And Mouth Disease (euFMD) that took participants to Uganda for a real-time training course in FMD identification, surveillance, and diagnostics. Wetlabs continue to be a popular CE opportunity for veterinarians looking for small group learning and more one-on-one time with instructors. The Canine Abdominal Ultrasound and RECOVER CPR Advanced Life Support Certification courses are two examples of small group CE opportunities that occurred in 2020 prior to COVID-19 bringing an abrupt halt to the CE calendar. Besides turning most everyone’s lives upside down, COVID-19 interrupted our plans for the highly anticipated inaugural Texas A&M Veterinary Conference, the ever-popular Veterinary Technicians Conference, and other small group-focused CE. But, luckily, Aggies are a resilient group, and three scheduled summer events were brought online in short order to provide CE to practitioners that rely on Texas A&M CVMBS for their continuing education needs. The virtual interactive lectures that made up the Food Animal Online Conference and the Small Animal Online Conference received high marks from participants who were grateful for the opportunity to still receive high-quality CE from the comfort of their own homes or offices. Additionally, an online Veterinary Opioid course was created to meet the state requirements for opioid training. This course is ongoing and available year-round. The Office of Continuing Education is actively planning in-person small group workshop opportunities, hybrid (virtual and in-person) conferences, and virtual-only coffee-hour rounds for FY 2021. So stay tuned! Other news at the office was the retirement of long-time faculty member, Dr. Allen Roussel, in September. Stepping in to fill the big boots left by Dr. Roussel are Drs. Jennifer Schleining and Jordan Tayce, faculty members within the departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, respectively. They, along with assistant program coordinator Millie Chodorow, are up for the challenge of the new era of virtual delivery of continuing education and look forward to an exciting future.

Hands-on experimental learning

Associate Directors of Continuing Education, Drs. Jennifer Schleining and Jordan Tayce

FY20 Continuing Education Conferences Statistics Conference/ Seminar

Chair(s)

Dates

Participants

Total Hours

Emergency and Critical Care Conference

Drs. Christine Rutter & Justin Heinz

October 2019

203

EuFMD Real Time Training Course

Dr. Elizabeth Parker – AgriLife

February 2020

Canine Abdominal Ultrasound Course

Drs. Lindsey Gilmour & Andra Voges

February 2020

RECOVER CPR Advanced Life Support Training Course

Dr. Christine Rutter

February 2020

Online Opioid Training Course

Drs. Carly Patterson & Amy Savarino

Ongoing

Food Animal Online Conference

Drs. Glennon Mays & Jennifer Schleining

July 2020

Small Animal Online Conference

Dr. Johanna Heseltine

August 2020

Totals

424

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 53

TRANSLATIONAL IMAGING CENTER (TIC)

Reconstructed computed tomography (CT) image of the whole body of a sheep

Positron emission tomography (PET) images with computed tomography (CT) attenuation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of a pig’s heart

TIC is a CVMBS unit located within the Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies (TIPS) building with the vision “To be a world class research center for all imaging needs”. TIC was established to cater to the imaging needs of large animal translational research studies in a wide variety of medical/scientific disciplines including surgery, biomedical engineering, pathology, interventional cardiology, neurology, and chemistry. We support some small animal imaging as well. Our Siemens Magnetom Verio 3T MRI system has a 70cm wide bore diameter and imaging capabilities include routine MR (with/without contrast), cardiac-gated, vascular, angiographic, perfusion, spectroscopic, and echo-planar. Our advanced imaging supports functional MRI (fMRI). Our Siemens Biograph mCT includes both CT and PET capabilities. The CT scanner is 128-slice and has a 20cm field of view (FOV) time-of-flight PET scanner. Imaging capabilities include routine anatomic CTs (with/without contrast), cardiacgated CT angiography, CT perfusion, and medical device imaging. PET imaging capabilities encompass use of a variety of radioisotopes for biodistribution and kinetics analysis. Our Philips Allura Xper FD20 C-arm cardiac catheterization lab with 3D reconstruction fluoroscopy is housed within an operating room and offers high resolution imaging support for advanced cardiovascular and interventional radiological applications. Our range of imaging modalities also includes a GE Vivid E9 4-dimensional ultrasound, a Siemens Avantic Arcadis portable fluoroscopy system, and a Fujifilm computed radiography system. TIC has dedicated Siemens 3D workstations, a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and other specialized software to support data processing and analysis needs of various imaging studies. In addition, TIC staff also offer assistance with all Institutional Animal Care and Use Protocol-related paperwork, expertise on planning imaging scan protocols, facilitation of pilot studies, as well as advanced veterinary care pre, during, and post imaging. TIC is involved in collaborative research studies with several different user groups within the CVMBS, as well as researchers in other colleges including Health Science Center, Liberal Arts, and Engineering. In addition, TIC caters to the imaging research needs of other universities and private companies. This places TIC in a strategic position to facilitate translational and multi-disciplinary research opportunities. In FY20, TIC has collaborated in more than 20 internal and federal grant proposals.

Translational spectrum of brain imaging performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) featuring images from dog, rat, and human brains 54 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

EQUINE INITIATIVE The Texas A&M Equine Initiative is a collaboration between the CVMBS and the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (COALS). As a gateway to equine education, research, outreach, and services at Texas A&M, the Equine Initiative utilizes the expertise of the CVMBS and the COALS Department of Animal Science, as well as contributions from colleges across campus, to create a program that will educate the industry’s future leaders, as well as generate research and veterinary medical care that will improve the industry and the care and welfare of the horse. Four major imperatives have been developed to enhance and improve upon Texas A&M’s existing strengths to facilitate the vision of the Equine Initiative. These imperatives are: curriculum enhancement; outreach, engagement, and expansion; facility construction; and partnership development.

Highlights from FY20 include: • With the hiring of Dr. Jim Heird in October 2009, executive professor and coordinator of the Equine Initiative and Glenn Blodgett Equine Chair, the Equine Initiative celebrates 11 years. • The Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex continues to provide support for teaching, research, extension, and outreach initiatives dedicated to equine programs. • The campus-wide resource that is the Equine Complex is home to the Texas A&M NCAA Equestrian Team and the cross-country course for the Texas A&M Track and Field and Cross-Country Teams. • The third Master of Equine Industry Management cohort began in September 2019. • Equine researchers from the CVMBS and the Department of Animal Science discussed potential research collaboration ideas. • Epidemiology and orthopedics research support from the Equine Initiative assisted equine researchers from the CVMBS and Department of Animal Science. • The Equine Initiative still has a presence with international industry supporters after attending several outreach programs primarily in Latin America. • The Equine Initiative contributed support to the completion of the Equine Nutrition Research and Undergraduate Reproductive Teaching Center. • Several trainers in the Thoroughbred racing industry agreed to assist with a project with CVMBS orthopedic veterinarians. Contacts were made by the Equine Initiative. • The Equine Initiative continue to work on design and fundraising for the Equine Orthopedic & Wellness facility.

Dr. Jim Heird

Dr. Glenn Blodgett

Statue by Kelly Graham, donated by the Hildebrand family

Equine sunset 2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 55

STEVENSON COMPANION ANIMAL LIFE-CARE CENTER

Ellie Greenbaum, Associate Director

Dr. Sonny Presnal, Director

The Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center provides for the physical, emotional, and medical needs of companion animals whose owners are no longer able to provide that care. Clients of the center include pet owners who want to ensure their pet’s future prior to entering a retirement home, being hospitalized for an extended period, or predeceasing their pet. The center was established by the college in 1993, at the suggestion of Dr. E. W. “Ned” Ellett, former head of the Small Animal Clinical Sciences department. Dr. Ellett’s dream became a reality with generous donations from the Luse Foundation and Mrs. Madlin Stevenson. Mrs. Stevenson said she chose to support the center because, “animals are especially important to the elderly and this center is dedicated to them and their pets.” Mrs. Stevenson, a life-long animal lover, passed away in September of 2000, and her four cats, seven dogs, pony, and llama came to reside at the center. The center is a focal point of compassion for animals and dedication to their optimum care for life in a home-like environment.

About the Stevenson Center: • The center is beginning its 28th year of operation. • Companion animals can live out their lives at the center in a home-like environment after their owners can no longer care for them. • 113 pets have lived out their lives at the center since 1993. • Over 706 companion animals, owned by 286 owners from 33 states and one country outside of the U.S., are enrolled to enter the center when their owners can no longer care for them. • Four veterinary medical students live at the center to care for the resident pets on nights, weekends, and holidays. • The center is located next door to the VMTH, which provides exceptional veterinary care for the residents.

Tiger and Rufus

Stevenson Center Current Residents

4 4

Rabbits

2 Donkeys

Resident Caretakers

Stevenson Center Future Enrollments

Non-Resident Caretakers

12 Cats 11 Dogs

2 Other 4 Rabbits 16 Horses 22 Birds 317 Dogs 343 Cats

Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center staff 56 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

Sierra with Chen and Twinkie

Stevenson Center

DEVELOPMENT Texas A&M’s third comprehensive fundraising campaign, Lead by Example, drew to a close in 2020. This successful joint effort between the university and its affiliate organizations: the Texas A&M Foundation, The Association of Former Students, the 12th Man Foundation, and the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, is the largest higher education campaign in Texas history and the third largest conducted nationally by a public university. By its close, the campaign raised $4.25 billion.

What does it mean to Lead by Example? At Texas A&M, we believe leading by example means taking initiative. It means demonstrating our commitment to excellence. And, it means exploring, innovating, and effecting change to create a better world. The Lead By Example Campaign started in January of 2012, and publicly launched in November 2015, with a goal of $4 billion university-wide. Over the course of the campaign, former students and friends united with our faculty and staff to enhance the CVMBS' ability to tackle real-world problems—such as threats of infectious diseases, world hunger, and the advancement of human and animal health—while also preparing future generations of uniquely qualified leaders. As of November 2019, generous donors to the college contributed 115% of the CVMBS' $200 million goal, or $223.6 million in research grants, current gifts, and planned gifts to the campaign. These contributions will impact students, faculty, staff, and research by enriching academic programs and practical learning experiences at the college.

Gift Type

Planned Gifts

Gift Use

56%

Programs

13%

83%

31%

Private Support to Research

Current Gifts

Facilities 1%

10% Students

Faculty

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI & RISING STAR In 2020, the CVMBS recognized seven alumni for their commitment, service, and leadership in the veterinary and biomedical sciences fields, as well as to their communities. According to the dean, “These alumni are ambassadors for the CVMBS, and we are proud of their commitment to service, education, and leadership. We are honored and privileged to recognize our former students and the impact of their work on our college, our state, our nation, and the world.”

Dr. Henry Carwile ’65 Montgomery, TX 2020 Outstanding Alumnus

Dr. Erin Fleener ’97 College Station, TX 2020 Outstanding Alumna

Col. Steven Greiner ’96 Bulverde, TX 2020 Outstanding Alumnus

Dr. Edward McGruder ’92 Indianapolis, IN 2020 Outstanding Alumnus

Dr. Gordon Pirie ’71 Baton Rouge, LA 2020 Outstanding Alumnus

Dr. Glenn Rogers ‘80 Graford, TX 2020 Outstanding Alumnus

Dr. Clayton McCook ’09 Edmond, OK 2020 Rising Star

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 57

DEVELOPMENT Planned Giving During the university’s $4.25 billion Lead by Example campaign, the CVMBS received 241 planned gifts totaling more than $125 million. Simply put, the impact of planned gifts to the campaign—and to the college’s future—cannot be understated. By committing planned gifts, donors are creating ways to provide for loved ones, receive tax benefits, generate potential retirement income, and support Texas A&M, all at the same time. Most importantly, donors are able to direct their generosity with a sense of joy and achievement, secure in the knowledge that generations of Aggies will benefit through their lasting impact. When Melissa and John Kauth ’77 met with an attorney to discuss their wills, they struggled to decide how to settle their assets. They were given an insightful piece of advice that ultimately benefited the university and a cause they cherished: “Give to something you love.” “We both adore dogs, and I immediately thought of Texas A&M and the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center,” said Melissa. “The animals at the Stevenson Center are cared for with professional expertise and profound love.” The Stevenson Center is a unique retirement home for pets whose owners can no longer care for them. It also provides veterinary students with invaluable Melissa and John Kauth '77 left a gift for the Stevenson hands-on experience, but will need funding for expansions, Companion Animal Life-Care Center in their wills. upgrades, and new equipment in the future. A charitable bequest is one of the easiest ways to leave a lasting impact at Texas A&M. A bequest allows you to retain assets during your lifetime and lessen the burden of taxes on your family. Because the Kauths don’t have children, they won’t have a taxable estate. “Bequests have the potential for financial benefits,” added John, “but our gift to the Stevenson Center benefits us emotionally.”

FUNDING PRIORITIES The CVMBS Development Team is committed to building relationships between the college and friends of the college who have an interest in enhancing its financial resources. In the process of carrying out this commitment, the Development Team makes numerous individual and group presentations on the wide variety of activities that take place at the CVMBS. In response to those efforts, CVMBS donors provided current and planned giving support of over $30 million in FY19. The total CVMBS endowment in FY19 was $117.86 million.

Lead by Example Campaign Priorities During the Texas A&M Lead by Example Capital Campaign, the following funding priorities have been identified for the CVMBS by college administration and the Texas A&M Foundation. • Build a new Small Animal Hospital ($100 Million) • Texas A&M Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach • Endowed Chairs in Large Animal Medicine ($1 Million) OR Endowed Professorships in Large Animal Medicine ($500,000) • Endowed Veterinary Scholarships ($25,000) • Support the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) ($10 Million) • Create scholarships for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) ($5 Million) & Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) ($3 Million) students To find out more about these priorities or learn about endowment opportunities, contact the CVMBS Office of Development at 979.845.9043 or development@cvm.tamu.edu. 58 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

John R. August, DVM Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Kenita S. Rogers, DVM, MS, DACVIM Executive Associate Dean & Director for Diversity & Inclusion

Karen K. Cornell, DVM, PhD, DACVS Associate Dean, Professional Programs

Michael Criscitiello, PhD, MS Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies

Elizabeth Crouch, PhD Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education

Gerald W. Parker Jr., DVM, PhD, MS Associate Dean, Global One Health

Susan Eades, PhD, DVM, DACVIM Dept. Head, Large Animal Clinical Sciences

Jonathan Levine, DVM, DACVIM Dept. Head, Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Todd M. O’Hara, DVM, PhD Interim Dept. Head, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences

Ramesh Vemulapalli, BVSc, MVSc, PhD Dept. Head, Veterinary Pathobiology

Larry J. Suva, PhD Dept. Head, Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology

Belinda Hale, MBA Assistant Dean, Finance

Misty Skaggs Chief of Staff, Office of the Dean

Larry Walker Senior Director of Development (Texas A&M Foundation)

Kris Guye, MBA Executive Director, Information Technology Services & Assistant Chief Information Officer (Texas A&M University)

2020 CVMBS Annual Report • 59

Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University, 4461 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-4461 vetmed.tamu.edu

Editorial, design, and production by CVMBS Communications cvmcommunications@cvm.tamu.edu | vetmed.tamu.edu/communications

vetmed.tamu.edu 60 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report

CVMBS FY20 Annual Report

Articles inside

FUNDING PRIORITIES

CVMBS COMMUNICATIONS

PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION & RURAL HEALTH

EQUINE INITIATIVE

TRANSLATIONAL IMAGING CENTER (TIC

CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES (CET

SUPERFUND RESEARCH CENTER

INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY OF TOXICOLOGY (IFT

VETERINARY EMERGENCY TEAM (VET

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS & STUDY ABROAD

SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VSCS

SCHUBOT CENTER FOR AVIAN HEALTH

LARGE ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES (VLCS

VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY (VTPP

LEADING THE WAY IN GLOBAL ONE HEALTH

VETERINARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, & OUTREACH (VERO

FACULTY

COVID-19 AND THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING

LEADING THE WAY IN VETERINARY INNOVATION

FROM THE DEAN

VETERINARY PATHOBIOLOGY (VTPB

VETERINARY INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES (VIBS