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

In 2015, the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) announced Tarleton State University partnerships to expand veterinary education, research, and outreach into several regions of the state through four TAMUS universities. These partnerships are between the CVMBS and Texas A&M WT, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University–Kingsville, University and Tarleton State University. These partnerships provide the expertise, leadership, and resources to meet the demand for veterinarians Prairie View A&M 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 and clinical services, and supporting a strong Texas economy. These TAMUS universities, all within one hour of underserved areas of veterinary medicine UniversityKingsville 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.

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.

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

Dr. Dan Posey and Hannah Wilson