Welcome to the March 2009 CVM alumni e-news, an electronic newsletter designed to keep you up-to-date on college and university alumni activities and news.

Florida Veterinary Medical Association 80th Conference
The FVMA will host its 80th Conference April 17-19 at the Marriott Waterside Resort in Tampa, Florida. The college will have an exhibit in the trade show, so stop by and visit. The UF CVM Alumni Reception is Saturday, April 18 from 6-8 PM in Grand Salons G-J. More info is posted on the FVMA Website.

Silver Society Weekend – Class of 1984 25th Reunion
The Class of 1984 will celebrate its 25 anniversary reunion during the Silver Society events on Saturday, April 18. The college will host a continental breakfast and hospital tour. The weekend events include the annual Orange and Blue Game with former Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Tim Tebow and the Silver Society Reception that evening. >> Register

Alumni Council Spring Meeting April 25
The UF CVM Alumni Council will host its spring meeting Saturday, April 25 at 10 AM in the VAB Lecture Hall A. Dr. Dan Martin, '98, is the Alumni Council Chair and Dr. Destiny Prezzano, '05 is Chair-Elect. Previous minutes, department reports, and class rep list are posted on the Web.

The call for agenda items is open through April 17. All class reps are encouraged to attend or send an alternate.

CVM Open House 2009 Cancelled
Since construction has begun on the new small animal hospital, parking spaces have been displaced. The annual open house has been suspended for 2009. The hospital grand opening is scheduled for 2010.

Professional Coating Ceremony for Class of 2011
The Professional Coating Ceremony for the Class of 2011 is planned for Saturday, May 9, at University Auditorium. These 90 students will finish their classroom phase and enter the clinical training phase of their education. If you are asked to 'coat' a student, please accept. All alumni are invited to attend and see the new faces of veterinary medicine.

Class of 2009 Commencement Ceremony
The UF CVM will graduate the Class of 2009 Saturday, May 23, at the Curtis H. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Distinguished Awards will be presented during the ceremony.

CE in the Jungle
The College, in collaboration with VCA/Antech, will host a CE in the Jungle on Sunday, June 7 at Jungle Island, Miami. Topics and speakers to be announced later. For more information, contact Katherine Desmond

UF CVM Homecoming Celebration 2009
Save the Date: CVM Alumni Homecoming Celebration is planned for Saturday, November 7 with the Florida Gators taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Football tickets and a pre-game meal celebration are being planned. Hotel info is posted on the Web site. If you plan to attend, you should reserve hotel rooms immediately.

The annual UF Homecoming Celebration is October 17.

Photo by CJ Walrond, VM3

Pet Memorial Program for grieving pet owners

Let your clients know you care about the pets they have loved and lost through the UF CVM Pet Memorial Program. A small gift ($10 or more) to the College of Veterinary Medicine says you care in a way that benefits all animals. Your client will receive a personalized sympathy card letting them know you have remembered their pet with a donation.

Pet Memorial Sympathy card request forms are available on-line.

Distinguished Award Winners 2009
The UF CVM Alumni Council announces the Distinguished Awards recipients for 2009:

Alumni Achievement Award Julio Ibanez, DVM, Class of 1980
Alumni Achievement Award Dale Kaplan-Stein, DVM, Class of 1981
Distinguished Service Award Louis Archbald, DVM, MS, PHD, Professor Emeritus, CVM
Special Service Award Jerome Modell, MD DSc (Hon), Professor Emeritus COM
Outstanding Young Alumni Award Tonya Clauss, DVM, Class of 2003

The Distinguished Awards will be presented at the Class of 2009 Commencement Ceremony Saturday, May 23 beginning at 2 PM in the Curtis H. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.  Please congratulate these winners for their outstanding service to our college and contributions to veterinary medicine.

The complete list of previous college Distinguished Awards recipients is posted on the Web site

UF commemorates its first African-American graduates

Photo by Ray Carson, UF Photographer

Dr. Gerald Johnson, Class of 1982, was honored as the first African-American to graduate from the UF CVM during a gala in February 2008.

Fifty years after UF began integration, 20 of the first African-American graduates were formally recognized by a university forever imprinted by their legacy.

Executive Associate Dean John Harvey attended the dinner gala with Johnson and his family. Following the dinner, Johnson told a UF reporter he was thankful to be honored and to meet the other honorees. He said, "UF gave me the ability to live out my dream every day." >>Read More

The Florida Fund is calling you
The UF Florida Fund will begin calling vet med alumni during April and May. Here's your chance to update your contact info, especially your email address. The callers will share with you what the college accomplished this past year. Current UF students do all the calling, so chat with one of them for a minute.

Class Reunions
Class reps for 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004, should start talking about class reunions for 2009.

Class of 1984 – Silver Society Reunion April 18 – Contact Rich Kane

Class of 1999 – 10 year reunion in July 24 – 26 – contact Billy Griswold

For assistance with planning a class reunion, contact Jo Ann Winn. Individual class reunion plans will be posted on the Web.

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

Show your Gator Pride
Show your Gator Pride by purchasing a State of Florida UF License Tag when you renew your car tag.

For an additional $25 a year, you can have a UF Gator Nation car tag. The proceeds benefit general scholarships and academic advancement at UF. Get your license plate on-line today!

Alumni magazines online
UF's alumni magazines Florida and UF Today are now offered online. The Web sites add a little extra flavor that won't be found in the printed publications — such as additional pictures, audio interviews, slideshows and videos.

Features in the fall issue include Gator tailgating recipes, a look at the freshmen experience, and images from artist Maggie Taylor's exhibit, "Almost Alice." Visit the Alumni Magazine on-line.

Looking for a 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 the many membership benefits. Not a member? Sign Up Online Now!