|
The Class of 2012 begins an exciting journey on the way to becoming veterinarians. Their graduation will mark 120 years of veterinary medicine at Auburn. During their professional lives they will face challenges that we can barely imagine. What will Auburn University and veterinary medicine be like in 2052 when this class begins thinking about retirement? Will they be able to retire or will economic pressures require them to continue working? What changes will technology bring in the next 40 years? What fantastic discoveries will be made? Will we have been wise enough to protect our environment while finding the fuels we need to run our economies? Will veterinarians have done enough to control and/or prevent newly emerging diseases? Will the production of animal protein be economically viable in 40 years, will we have done enough to help feed the world?
These are tough questions, but I am confident this college and its graduates will do its best to help answer these questions and others in the coming years. In order to prepare for the future, the college has drafted a strategic plan that will help shape the future of the college for the next five to ten years and beyond. The plan will enable us to improve animal health by strengthening our curricula, building the finest facilities, and conducting research to help address emerging threats.
As hard as it is to predict the future, we can learn from the past. I have often wondered what our founding dean, Dr. Charles Cary, would think if he could see how Auburn has changed since he arrived on the Plains in 1892. No doubt he would be impressed by Auburn’s incredible growth. He may be surprised to find the College of Veterinary Medicine has moved from the main campus to our current location on Wire road, and he would no doubt be curious about the changing role of animals in our society and the greatly increased importance of pets in our culture.
Given the serious challenges he faced in 1892, I doubt if he would be surprised by the economic pressures Alabama agriculture and Auburn University are under and he would most likely smile if he were to read about the current interest in a “One Health” initiative. As you may know, Dr. Cary studied at the Pasteur Institute following the discovery of the germ theory and invested considerable energy working with physicians to help protect and improve the health of animals and humans in Alabama. He clearly understood the importance of a one health approach to medicine. But he might warn us to not lower our guard against the re-emergence of some of the infectious diseases that he helped bring under control.
As animal and human populations continue to grow, the challenges facing veterinary medicine will become increasingly more complex and will require even greater integration of the health professions and a greater understanding of the importance of animal health in our world. I think Dr. Cary would be very proud of Auburn and all that has been accomplished, and he would wish the Class of 2012 well, as they pursue their dreams.
Sincerely,
Dean Timothy Boosinger | 
