The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) | Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture has released a much-anticipated report that outlines a comprehensive national strategy for diminishing the role antibiotics used in food animal production systems play in the broader antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem. The Task Force, comprised of leaders from U.S. agriculture colleges/land grant universities and veterinary colleges as well as key representatives from the production animal agriculture community and the pharmaceutical industry, detailed a comprehensive research and educational agenda along with plans on how it intends to implement it. Learn more.

The 2016 AAVMC Annual Conference will once again present the ultimate forum for veterinary medical educators to share ideas, but this year is something special: the conference will punctuate the organization's year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration. The conference will take place March 2-6 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. and will focus on several key dimensions of excellence at the foundation of AAVMC programming: leadership, research, One Health, teaching, and assessment. Join thought leaders and colleagues for this one of a kind event in academic veterinary medicine. Learn more.

Scores of leaders from throughout the profession gathered in Chicago October 21 to participate in the American Veterinary Medical Association's Third AVMA Economic Summit, themed "Enhance Your Opportunities for Success." AAVMC Associate Director for Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill presented data on "The Demand for Veterinary Education (potential veterinary students) during the opening session on "The Market for Veterinary Education." Learn more.

Almost 70 registrants from 29 U.S., three Canadian and six international veterinary colleges and schools convened in October for the Primary Veterinary Educators' (PCVE) World Symposium held at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. The symposium featured several days of presentations, workshops, and discussions centered around primary care education. It offered companion animal primary care educators the opportunity to learn from each other and benefit from presentations and networking opportunities that are designed to help them generate new ideas and develop more effective educational strategies. Learn more.

In October, the AAVMC kicked off a new online series of Diversity & Inclusion "On Air" programs hosted on Google Hangouts. Each month, Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the AAVMC's Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity, will feature different speakers for hour-long presentations and interviews on diversity and inclusion topics. Viewers and participants can access the program live, post questions, and engage in a chat room during the program. November's program on Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. EST is the second in the series and will feature Drs. Roseanne Taylor and Jaime Gongora from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science. Learn more.

It's a well-established fact that there are shortages of veterinarians serving in rural America. But a new report produced by Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine's Center for Animal Health in Appalachia (CAHA) has put a finer point on the problem. The 2015 State of Animal Health in Appalachia report calculated that in the Appalachian region, 75% of the rural counties have a current shortage of 1,907 veterinarians. The shortage is estimated to be responsible for an economic loss of $621 million and 15,256 jobs. The information was released during LMU-CVM's first major CAHA conference, which attracted dozens of leaders from throughout the organized veterinary medical and academic communities, government agency officials and others. Dr. Lonnie King served as keynote speaker. Learn more.

The Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI) recently appointed Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the AAVMC's Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity, to its board of directors. The organization's mission is to support leaders for the benefit of the veterinary medical profession and support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy, and decision-making positions within all areas of professional activity. Learn more.

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