News from the College of Veterinary Medicine
Alumni Affairs Office

Distinguished Awards Nominations are due
The deadline for nominations for the Distinguished Awards program is November 15. Nomination forms are located on our Alumni Affairs Web page. Recipients will be named in the spring, and awards will be presented at commencement. For more information on preparing a nomination packet, contact Sarah Carey, director of Public Relations, careys@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu.

AAEP Annual Convention
The American Association for Equine Practitioners will hold its 51st annual conference December 3-7, 2005, in Seattle, WA. UF CVM will sponsor an alumni reception on Monday, December 5, 2005 at 6 PM in the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers.

CVM Alumni Reception at NAVC 2006
It will be here before we know it. NAVC registration is open so get yours in today!
If you are going to the NAVC, be sure to come by the UF CVM Alumni Reception to visit with your former classmates and faculty. The reception is Sunday, January 8, 2006, starting at 7 PM in the Crystal H Ballroom, Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. It features a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres.

AKC/Eukanuba National Champion Dog Show
The American Kennel Club announces its annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be held January 14-15, 2006, in Tampa, Florida. The College of Veterinary Medicine will have an exhibit booth, so stop by and say hello.

Alumni News

Alumni Council Meeting
On Saturday morning of Homecoming weekend, the Alumni Council met for one of its bi-annual meetings. Many classes were represented by their Alumni Council reps and we had a lively discussion about topics including the canine flu, an upcoming veterinarian appreciation picnic in the Miami area, class reunions, the fundraising progress for the new Small Animal Hospital Facility, Katrina animal rescue efforts, hurricane preparedness, the Horse Farm Hundred, the Equine Soundness Program, career counseling for students interested in veterinary medicine, the current student body and admissions information. We encourage attendance at our meetings, and if you are interested in attending please contact Kristi Esmiol at esmiolk@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu or 352-392-4700 ext. 5015

Alumni Survey
We have posted a brief survey for alumni on our Web site. We are interested in hearing from you regarding our recent Homecoming Celebration, revised Web site, and how you want to receive communications from the college. Please take a few minutes to print, answer, and fax back to us at 352-392-8351.

Horse Farm Hundred
More than 70 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the College of Veterinary Medicine rode the Horse Farm Hundred, a 100-mile bicycle ride on October 2 to raise money for student scholarships. This year, donors, sponsors and participants have raised more than $34,000 to sponsor Team VetMed. The team has been participating in the Horse Farm Hundred since 1998 when 12 team members including the Team VetMed founder, Dean Joseph DiPietro, conquered the 100-mile distance. In the past eight years, donations have exceeded $100,000.

Homecoming Celebration
About 250 alumni and friends joined us for our annual Homecoming Celebration on October 8. We gathered before the game and enjoyed a morning barbecue due to the early game time. Many alumni and their families attended Gator Growl, where Wayne Brady took over the stage with his family-friendly humor. We hope all those who came had a wonderful time visiting with old classmates and faculty, and we hope you will all come out for the celebration next year.

Class Reunions
The Class of 1981 will celebrate their 25th reunion April 21 & 22, 2006. More information to come.

Let’s Get Together
Need help planning a class reunion? Contact the Alumni Affairs office for assistance.

“FOE”
Forwarding Order has Expired -That’s what we get on a lot of mail that is returned to us. If you have moved recently, please contact our office with your current contact information so we can update your record.

University News

New Cancer Hospital
Officials for Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida Health Science Center plan to establish a cancer hospital on the Shands at UF campus.

The hospital will be located in the new patient tower planned for the south side of Archer Road, across from Shands at UF in Gainesville (the former University Centre Hotel). The tower will provide 200 additional private rooms and a variety of healthcare services. Completion of the facility is expected in 2009. Services provided in the new hospital will complement existing oncology services provided at the UF Shands Cancer Center. The cancer hospital will make the most up-to-date care available to patients, according to Tim Goldfarb, Shands HealthCare CEO.

Gator Nation
The University of Florida has announced a new image campaign for the Gator Nation. One print ad reads, “Chances are you have met many Gators in your life. Chances are you remember them.” Welcome to the CVM Gator Nation. For more information on the image campaign and new television commercials, go to www.urel.ufl.edu, University of Florida The Foundation of the Gator Nation

Alumni Association News

Back to College 2006
The University of Florida Alumni Association invites you Back to College 2006 featuring the Colleges of Design, Construction and Planning, Education, Medicine and Nursing, as well as honoring Florida Football, Stephen C. O’Connell Center and Smathers Libraries. The UF Alumni Association offers you the opportunity to return to campus in February 23-25, 2006, for an educational encounter with the faculty and staff of UF.

Looking for an old classmate? The UF Alumni Association has a brand new online directory. It’s completely searchable and vastly expanded over the previous version. This is just one of many membership benefits. Not a member? Sign up online now!

For more information about joining the UF Alumni Association, go to www.ufalumni.ufl.edu.

For more information on other activities at the College of Veterinary Medicine, visit our newly revised Alumni Affairs Web site at www.vetmed.ufl.edu/alumni.

Zoë Haynes
Senior Director of Development and Alumni Affairs
haynesz@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu

Jo Ann Winn
Special Events Coordinator
winnj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu