A true gator DVM practice * Pershing Oaks Animal Hospital in Orlando has 5 UF grads: Phil Richmond, *06, Paul Jansson, *82, Nanette Parratto-Wagner, *85, Dawn Agee, *94, and Michelle Duncan,* 02.

Welcome to the March 2008 CVM alumni e-news, an electronic newsletter designed to keep you up-to-date on college and university alumni activities and news.

CVM ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
The annual CVM Open House is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 from 10 AM to 4 PM on our campus. The college opens its doors once a year to showcase animal health exhibits, rescue group info, lectures, equine treadmill demo, vet med stuff for sale – all of this and more!

CLASS OF 1983 25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION & SILVER SOCIETY
The Class of 1983 will celebrate its 25th graduation anniversary with a university-wide event on Saturday, April 12. The celebration includes a BBQ, Orange & Blue Scrimmage game, and Silver Society recognition event. If you are in the class of 1983 and wish to celebrate with your classmates, contact your class rep Dr. Susan Anderson.

Dean Hoffsis will host a continental breakfast for the class on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 9 AM in the VAB Dean’s Suite. RSVP to Jo Ann Winn at RSVP@vetmed.ufl.edu.

{If you are participating in the Silver Society event through your undergraduate college, please let us know. You are also welcome to join the Vet Med Class of 1983 celebration.}

Florida Orange and Blue Debut
The annual spring scrimmage football game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 1 PM in the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Watch Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow lead the Gators in spring scrimmage. ESPN will provide Game Day coverage and broadcast from the stadium.

Tickets are $5 per person or free to UF Alumni Association members with ID. Order tickets through Gatorzone.com

Alumni Council Spring Meeting
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Council will hold its Spring Meeting Saturday, April 26, 2008 at the college.

Dr. Julio Ibanez, ’80, is the outgoing president and Dr. Dan Martin, ’98, is the incoming president. Nominations are open for a president-elect position.

The alumni council is composed of 1-2 representatives from each class since 1980. These class reps are required to attend two meetings each year and keep college communications going with their classmates. An Alumni Council members list is posted on the Alumni Affairs Web site.

Professional Coating Ceremony
The Professional Coating Ceremony for the Class of 2010 is Thursday, May 1, 2008 starting at 2 PM in the University Auditorium on Campus. Eighty-nine students will receive white clinic coats embroidered with their names and class year. Many of our alumni and faculty participate as a coat presenter in this important ceremony.

Class of 2008 Commencement
The UF CVM Class of 2008 Commencement Ceremony is Saturday, May 24, 2008, at 2 PM in the Curtis H. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. A reception will follow at the Touchdown Terrace Club in the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Kevin Fitzgerald, PhD, DVM, is the commencement speaker. Dr. Fitzgerald stars on Animal Planet’s Emergency Vets program. He practices exotic medicine at Alameda East Animal Hospital in Denver, Colorado. For more information on Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, see the Animal Planet Web site.

Continuing Education Programs
The UF CVM will host two continuing education programs in South Florida

The Veterinary Tech program is sponsored through the UF CVM Shelter Medicine program and the Humane Society of Broward County on Saturday, May 30, 2008. Registration information is on the SACS Web site. All vet techs in the South Florida area are encouraged to attend.

CE in the Jungle, a remake of Party in the Jungle, will have a continuing education program this year and a cocktail reception with animals at Jungle Island, Miami. Veterinarians will receive 6 CE credits for completing this course. CE in the Jungle will be held Sunday, June 8, 2008 at Jungle Island (formerly known as Parrot Jungle) in Miami. For more information and registration, see DOCE web site.

Distinguished Awards
On behalf of the Alumni Affairs office, we are pleased to announce the Distinguished Awards winners for 2008. They are:

Alumni Achievement – Dr. Rob Boswell, Class of 1985
Distinguished Service – Dr. Cheryl Chrisman, Professor Emeritus
Special Service – Dr. Gary Ellison, SACS Surgery
Outstanding Young Alumni – Dr. Michael Porter, Class of 1998

The Distinguished Awards will be presented at the Class of 2008 Commencement Ceremony on May 24. A complete list of past award recipients is posted on the Alumni Affairs Web site.

UF CVM HOMECOMING CELEBRATION 2008
Save the Date: UF Homecoming 2008 – October 24 & 25. UF vs. Kentucky! Hotel information is posted on the vet med homecoming Web site. Get your room reservations in today!

Masters’ and PhD students are also invited to come back for homecoming celebrations.

CLASS REUNIONS
For assistance with planning a class reunion, contact Jo Ann Winn. Reunion details are available at www.vetmed.ufl.edu/alumni.

The Class Representatives for 1988, 1993, and 2003 should start talking about class reunions for 2008.

The Class of 1988 is planning a reunion. Contact Dr. Alexis Sage for more info.

The Class of 2003 is planning a reunion. Contact Dr. Francesca Griffin if you are interested in helping.

The Class of 1998 took a Caribbean cruise this past weekend. Send us photos to post on the Web site.

UF News

To stay abreast of what’s happening at UF, visit the main Web site www.ufl.edu and click on Inside UF. This is a listing of all UF top news stories and news makers, calendar of events and other notables.

Running low on orange and blue?
Are you running low on orange and blue? Don’t have that “get up and go” like you used to? Join a Gator Club, an affiliate organization of the UF Alumni Association, that serves to connects and engages alumni and friends worldwide. There are nearly 100 gator clubs in the US and several foreign counties. Gator Clubs host a variety of activities and programs ranging from social gatherings to watch football or basketball games, perform community service projects, host Gator speakers, provide local scholarships to UF students and generally recharge the ole’ Gator battery.

Gator Clubs are located in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Even if you are far away from Gainesville, you can still have an infusion of orange and blue.

For more information on a Gator Club in your area, please visit
http://www.ufalumni.ufl.edu/gatorclubs/

Gator Nation Network

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