Niklas Aardema Named New Development Director

As the College of Veterinary Medicine prepares to become a four-year program, it must also ready itself to connect with the veterinarians, Utah State University alumni, and others who can contribute to the college’s success. Spearheading that effort is Director of Development Niklas Aardema, formerly an associate director of development for the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.

Development is an important part of any college, but many people don't know what the term means. How would you describe your responsibilities as the new development director?

Aardema: My primary responsibility is to link people who have a passion for what the College of Veterinary Medicine is doing and connect that back to Utah State. Whether they're an alumnus of the current program, a USU undergrad who went to veterinary school elsewhere, a long-term practitioner in Utah, or a grateful client whose animal was cared for by a veterinarian, all of these people have a passion, and we want to be able to connect that back to Utah State and help them to increase our impact on the lives of others. That may be giving back through scholarship support, contributing to the new building that will house the College of Veterinary Medicine, or it can be through what we call the three T’s: their time, talents, or treasure. That’s what we do in development: we help bring people back to campus and connect them to USU, to our students. We help them see what we're doing and get them involved.

What was your journey to working in the College of Veterinary Medicine?

Aardema: I grew up in North Ogden, came to Utah State for school, and never left. I got both my bachelor's and master's here in nutrition science and never thought I would end up in development, but just by happenstance, that's where my path led. I've been working in development in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences for the last three years, and with the School of Veterinary Medicine becoming its own college, there was an opportunity to step into this role.

It felt like a natural progression. I already know a lot of veterinarians who are either Utah State alums or have been involved with the university, and I've come to really enjoy working with vets and people who have a passion for animals. To be able to help those people give back, especially to a brand-new college, is exciting, especially since this is Utah’s first and only college of veterinary medicine. It's a really exciting prospect to see what we can do to grow the impact that Utah State's already had through the WIMU Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine and increase that in the coming years.

What is the greatest challenge facing the new college in terms of development?

Aardema: I think it’s just increasing awareness outside of the Utah State community that our university has a College of Veterinary Medicine. It’s the same challenge we’ve faced since the former School of Veterinary Medicine was brand new. We may be tucked up in little old Logan, but we impact the whole state of Utah and the entire Intermountain West. We're young as a college, so we need to get the word out and get people excited about the important work we’re doing.

My main goal is just to get out into the communities we're serving, whether that's where our current graduates are practicing or wherever we have veterinarians in the state. I want to get to know people, their stories, and what they’re passionate about and find ways to get them involved. Everybody has a part to play in this college being successful.

Finally, what do you want prospective donors to know about giving to the College of Veterinary Medicine?

Aardema: I want people to know there are many ways to give and have a real impact on people and animals. Whether you’re able to make a monthly donation, do something on an annual basis, or even give through your estate, there are many, many vehicles that we can use to help you accomplish something with your money that's meaningful to you.

That may be different for each person, and people may not know how to make that happen. But it’s my job is to help make people aware of those different ways of giving and help them accomplish their goals. •

By: Ethan Brightbill