Loading

10 Most Memorable Stories of 2019 NC State Veterinary Medicine

They astonished and inspired us. They made us cry, made us smile and made us proud. They made us hopeful and excited for what’s next. They’re 10 of the most memorable stories this year from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Wild at Heart

On any day at the CVM, a red wolf could be getting a root canal as a tiger is rolled into campus for a check-up. On the coast, massive sea turtles are being rehabilitated and placed back into the ocean by NC State students and faculty.

And across the world, CVM researchers are mapping the anatomy of rhinos, an effort vital to saving the threatened species.

This year marked 30 years since the college developed its groundbreaking focus on zoological medicine, led by the unstoppable husband-and-wife team of Michael Stoskopf and Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf. Zoological medicine classes, internships, residencies and conservation partnerships were formed at the CVM when most other veterinary schools didn’t have a single wildlife specialist on its faculty.

I think it’s almost an embarrassment of riches what we offer. If you want to have experiences with a tremendous range of wildlife and treat any type of zoological species, it’s right there for the taking.” ~ Craig Harms, CVM professor of aquatics, wildlife and zoological medicine and director of marine health at CMAST

The CVM’s commitment to zoological medicine was groundbreaking. It still is.

A Giving Spirit

It was a big ask, but your generosity was even bigger.

During NC State’s inaugural Day of Giving in March, we asked you to support the CVM during a 24-hour drive to strengthen NC State’s future. It was a day the Wolfpack became the #GivingPack.

Shows of support flooded our social feeds. Important CVM funds, including those supporting the care of companion animals, disaster relief and student scholarships, received much needed boosts.

By the end of the day, the CVM raised just short of $3 million, more than any NC State college or institution, helping the University raise over $13.5 million.

We didn’t expect anything less from the CVM family.

A Distinguished Scientist

Soft spoken and unmistakably kind, Ke Cheng’s demeanor belies his fierce scientific drive.

Cheng and his BioTherapeutics Lab at the CVM have focused on new ways to deliver stem cells to stimulate heart and lung tissue growth, created synthetic cardiac stem cells and even discovered that stem cells leave the bloodstream differently than originally thought.

He’s a true innovator, and now Cheng has a new title: The Randall B. Terry, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Regenerative Medicine. The endowed professorship comes from a $1 million donation from the R.B. Terry Charitable Foundation and $500,000 from the CVM’s Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.

You could forgive Cheng for having even a little bit of an ego. But at a ceremony formally awarding the professorship, Cheng didn’t take the credit for himself. He thanked his family, proudly sitting in the audience, and then looked to the crowd to find students he had mentored. Then thanked them, too.

Class Act

Everyone has a teacher they never forget. For many CVM students, that teacher is Mathew Gerard.

In March, Gerard, CVM veterinary anatomy professor, was named one of the campus-wide winners of NC State’s Outstanding Teacher Award. In nominating him for the honor, faculty and students found it challenging to sum up just what makes Gerard so special. There’s his kindness and humility, his tireless mentorship and drive to improve himself and how he teaches one of the most important classes for a first-year veterinarian. It’s a challenging course, but Gerard helps students realize they are more than up for the challenge.

When I get up each day and when I walk into this building, my intent is to make a positive difference. That’s my role as an instructor.” ~ Mathew Gerard, CVM veterinary anatomy professor

Unmatched Care

The NC State Veterinary Hospital does the extraordinary every day, and this year was no exception.

We’ll never forget Trout, a golden retriever who came to us with a rare type of hernia, the result of his gallbladder and part of his liver moving to his chest next to his heart. Surgeon Valery Sharf was able to apply a laparoscopic surgery, common in humans but previously not reported to be used in animals, to give Trout a new life.

There was Frankenstein, a kitten with severe trauma to her legs. Frankie received bone plates and fixators to help her walk again. This year alone, the hospital’s clinicians, surgeons, veterinary technicians and support staff helped a South Carolina police dog recover from a gunshot wound and a cat fight nasal cancer. They treated a 10-year-old Maltese for bladder cancer and a service dog with lymphoma.

The medicine practiced at the hospital this year has been awe-inspiring. Those who practice it just call it their job.

Going for the Gut

Intestinal transplantation can transform lives, but too often there are serious complications. Liara Gonzalez is dedicated to changing that.

Gonzalez, CVM professor of gastroenterology and equine surgery is teaming with colleagues at Duke University on a two-year, first-of-its-kind research project testing normothermic machine preservation, a new way to effectively maintain donated intestines and strengthen their viability for transplants.

“It’s inspiring to be part of this research that will be so high-impact and so beneficial. We’re ready to go.” ~ Liara Gonzalez, CVM professor of gastroenterology and equine sugery

That could have instant ramifications for soldiers injured by improvised explosive devises and premature babies who have their intestinal walls invaded by bacteria.

Life-Changing Support

Wherever Blarney the golden retriever went he brought love, and owner Mary Jo Pringle brought him everywhere — to visit schoolchildren, to hospitals to see Alzheimer’s patients, to nursing homes, to wherever he was needed.

Blarney died of cancer nine years ago, but his legacy continues. This year, Pringle endowed two major initiatives at the CVM through a $5 million gift: the Mary Jo Pringle Golden Retriever Canine Health Research Endowment and the Mary Jo Pringle Endowed Chair in Comparative Pain Research.

So many dogs made a difference in my life. Together we accomplished things I could not have done alone.” ~ Mary Jo Pringle, a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation board of directors

The gifts support research into causes of canine cancer and groundbreaking efforts to accurately measure and manage pain in cats and dogs. Blarney would be proud.

A New Worldview

Global health concerns have always been CVM concerns, but in the past year the college has worked to strengthen its world impact.

Last November, the college merged its existing global health research and global education divisions into one global health program. This year, it has formed new partnerships around the globe to work on such pressing issues as antimicrobial resistance, infectious disease and food security.

Scholars from Nigeria and Ukraine, to name a few, have come to the CVM to train, and CVM students have contributed to groundbreaking research on campus and abroad.

Veterinarians are needed now more than ever to tackle the global health challenges of the 21st century. The CVM will be there to help, now and far into the future.

Annable Ambition

They aim to specialize in animal welfare and neurology. Their goals are to prevent infectious disease, to improve treatments for wildlife. They want to teach future veterinarians and start their own at-home animal hospice service.

This year’s group of 33 Annable Scholars at the CVM make the future of veterinary medicine bright. Each received a scholarship this year covering up to half of their tuition and fees thanks to the Michele M. and Ross M. Annable Scholarship Endowment, the result of a $5 million gift from the Annables matched by $5 million from the Randall B. Terry Charitable Foundation.

The DVM students, representing all current classes at the college, are chosen for the need-based scholarship in part on the basis of volunteer service and are encouraged to serve their communities while in school. Since 2016, the scholarship has made an immeasurable impact on CVM students, helping to make their career goals a reality.

Our hope is that qualified students who might not otherwise have been able to attend NC State, attend. They graduate. They become successful veterinarians. And they return their newfound abilities to their communities.” ~ Ross Annable

Mission accomplished

Galloping into the Future

The CVM’s equine service is a force, pairing the latest in medical technology with the brightest veterinarians pushing advancements in colic care and treating orthopedic injuries.

The next chapter begins now. In November, the college opened the Reedy Creek Equine Farm, a state-of-the-art home for equine reproductive services just minutes away from the CVM campus.

The picturesque farm, a shared space for faculty and students from the CVM and the NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is part of a greater investment from the CVM in advanced equine care and supporting North Carolina’s ever-growing equine industry.

When it comes to equine care, the CVM continues to be ahead of the game. That doesn’t mean we’ll ever quit.

Thank You for Being a Part of Our Story

Thank you for helping us Think and Do in 2019! We couldn't do it without you.