A Message from the Dean

by Mark Stetter
June 27, 2025

Message from Dean Mark Stetter

May was nationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, so I have been reflecting on wellbeing—which is a priority for the school year-round.

Our profession is the greatest in the world, full of critters and helping our communities. BUT the animal health space is also a place that can be filled with long hours, anxious clients, orphaned or mistreated animals, and ill patients that may not survive. Our community has increasingly become committed to open and honest conversations about how to handle the physical, mental and emotional strain of this profession.

We must ensure that we always support all members of our community when we see them struggling. You can read more about how we’ve adapted our curriculum to prepare students for the emotional rigor of the profession in this issue's feature article, Taking Care.

But what’s your gut got to do with mental health? It turns out—an awful lot! Learn how school researchers have been studying the connection between gut microbiome health and brain function, including depression, anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders, for the past two decades in this article.

Our students put their leadership skills to work this spring in organizing and hosting the annual symposium for the Student American Veterinary Medical Association. As I talked to students during the conference, I could feel their energy and enthusiasm for their chosen field and in networking with future colleagues. You can experience it first-hand by watching this Minute with Mark video.

Congratulations to the Office for Global Programs as they celebrate a decade of providing unique learning opportunities for our students and faculty around the world (read more here). To date, the program has allocated more than $500,000 to more than 220 DVM students in 50 destinations worldwide to engage in summer externships, fellowships, and senior rotations.

In these uncertain financial times, donors are increasingly important to our mission of educating future generations. Nancy Erlich, RVT, and her late husband, Dr. Michael Floyd, ’61, have left a legacy not only for DVM students, but also for veterinary technicians (read more here). To date, the scholarships they endowed have benefitted more than 350 students.

I hope you also make it a priority this spring to care for yourself—enjoy a restorative walk in nature, try a new art project or play with your kids.