A Look Back at 2020
As 2020 comes to an end, here’s a look back at what happened last year in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
January
An image of the retina may help Dr. Heather Greenlee, professor of biomedical sciences, determine an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease even before other symptoms are detectable. Greenlee and other Iowa State University researchers received a National Institute on Aging grant to collect retinal images, along with cognitive measurements and data on economic and social factors to determine if this information can identify risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
February
Hundreds of College of Veterinary Medicine alumni and friends gathered at receptions at the VMX and WVC conventions in Orlando and Las Vegas.
March
The College of Veterinary Medicine served as the champion for the 2020 Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE). Dr. Dan Grooms, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine, delivered the welcome address, focusing his remarks on Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson (’23), one of the first African-Americans to graduate from the College of Veterinary Medicine.
April
College of Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff members received Iowa State University awards for their achievements.
May
The spring semester was completed virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. A virtual commencement ceremony was held for the 2020 DVM graduates.
June
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a joint project to develop a certification program for high-consequence swine diseases with the Center for Food Security and Public Health and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. A pilot African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever Monitored Certification Program will be developed and implemented.
July
Researchers across the College of Veterinary Medicine have been engaged in high-impact projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects range from developing a vaccine to evaluating therapeutic drugs and creating a new testing system.
August
The new Public Health Testing Services (PHTS) in the College of Veterinary Medicine was created to assist the State of Iowa meet the crush of testing requirements in Iowa due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PHTS performed 24,734 COVID-19 tests for Iowa State students, faculty and staff during the fall semester.
September
Dr. Rachel Allbaugh, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences, has been named the inaugural holder of the Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Professor in Veterinary Medicine. The endowed faculty position is the first of three named professorships that the Talbots have established in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The other two positions will be filled at a later date.
October
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Friday, October 30, for the new Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2021 with completion anticipated in 2023.
November
Dr. Jim Roth, a Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor in Veterinary Medicine, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for “distinguished contributions to the field of immunology, particularly for control of infectious diseases in food producing animals.”
December
The remodeling of classroom 2532 was completed. The new lecture hall was expanded to increase capacity, provide better learning experiences, promote student interactions and provide additional flexible space.