May 2011

Dean Tim Boosinger begins his new position as interim provost June 17. Dr. Calvin Johnson will serve as acting dean until the permanent provost position is filled and Dr. Dan Givens will be the acting department head of the Department of Pathobiology.

Current Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Ellen Mazey is leaving Auburn University to take a post as the president of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

“I want to thank the interim search committee, headed by Libraries Dean Bonnie MacEwan, for its hard work,” said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. “Dr. Boosinger is an excellent choice to keep the momentum we have built under Dr. Mazey’s leadership moving forward. As a long-term dean, he is familiar with advancing academic objectives and working with faculty, and has established strong relationships on and off campus.”

Dr. Boosinger has been dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine since 1996. He began his tenure at Auburn in 1983 as an assistant professor of pathobiology.

As interim provost, Dr. Boosinger is not a candidate to be the permanent provost, a position for which a search committee has been formed. Dr. Boosinger is expected to serve as interim provost for nine to twelve months.

A retirement reception honoring Dr. Bobby Brown, director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Health since 2006, was held May 20. “During the five years Dr. Brown served as director of Laboratory Animal Health, he contributed significantly to the advancement of the quality of our college,” said Dean Tim Boosinger.  “He guided the college through our last Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) accreditation cycle and he worked tirelessly to help the College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station achieve AAALAC accreditation for the first time in 2009.  Accreditation by AAALAC is the gold standard for laboratory animal care and contributes in immeasurable ways to Auburn University.” 

The CVM Graduate Student Association held a “Farewell with Cake" party on May 4 to say goodbye to trainees who graduated fall and spring semesters. 

The undergraduate minor in public health, administered by the College of Veterinary Medicine, is up and running. The minor is organized on a nationally recognized curriculum consisting of three required courses, a relevant elective, and a service learning experience. The three required courses, which can be taken in any order, are expected to be available as a core offering during summer semesters beginning in 2012. 

Details for undergraduate programs available through the College of Veterinary Medicine, including the new undergraduate minor in public health, can be found on CVM’s website.

The College of Veterinary Medicine family assisted twice in May with efforts to improve lives struck by tragedy.

 Pathobiology research fellow Dr. Jenni Spencer and second-year veterinary student Noel McKnight spearheaded efforts in acquiring donated supplies for Alabama’s animal victims displaced by the April 27 tornadoes. A truck donated by the Emergency Management Agency with assistance by Chance Corbett, Auburn University Emergency Management associate director, was filled with donations from the college and individuals (some as far as Atlanta) on May 14. The needed supplies were driven to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, which distributed the items to animal shelters located in the northern and western counties.

A yard/bake sale benefit for Carrie Chavers, the wife of Jason Chavers in IIT, who is battling adrenocortical carcinoma, was a big success thanks to its organizers and all those who donated items. The event, held May 21 at the OTS house, featured live entertainment, food, and great teamwork!

Veterinary Camp, conducted by CVM faculty, staff, and students, returns June 5-10. Junior Vet Camp participants (rising sixth- through eighth-graders) will learn about veterinary medicine first-hand in classrooms, laboratories, and outdoor facilities that include the Southeastern Raptor Center, and equine and food animal sections. Students will learn about public health, food animals, wildlife, anatomy, imaging, and first aid, as well as receive mentoring about careers in veterinary medicine. A second Junior Vet Camp and a Senior Vet Camp for ninth through eleventh grades takes place July 10-15. 

From the Office of Information Technology—

The security of our network and of our users' personal information is a high priority at Auburn University. In an effort to improve security, we are taking simple but effective steps to strengthen authentication required for off-campus access to the Auburn Network. A VPN connection is required to access the Auburn Network from off-campus.  Effective June 13, all users will be required to go through My Account VPN registration before they can use the VPN.

Register now. Login to MyAccount, click on Request VPN Access.  Provide the required information to verify your identify and select Submit. This registration will add your user name to the VPN group which will allow you to login using the VPN.  Instructions on how to download, install, and use the VPN are available at this link.

Call the OIT Help Desk at 844-4944 if you need assistance.

The TigerFit program will offer health and fitness screenings for faculty, staff, students and alumni this summer. The cost is $45 for faculty, staff and family members, $25 for students and $65 for alumni and members of the community. Appointments are available beginning June 21 and will run for six weeks. Assessments take place on Tuesday mornings from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. The program is housed in the College of Education's Department of Kinesiology. To make an appointment, call 844-1482 or email tigrfit@auburn.edu. To read more, go to this link.