Last week, I stopped by east campus to meet with faculty and staff from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Attendees filled the Adams Conference Center and asked great questions in support of the college and Mizzou.

I was joined by John Middleton, associate vice president for academic affairs and a longtime professor in the college. CVM was the latest in our series of visits with MU’s 13 academic units.

CVM has played an important role in MizzouForward hiring to date, accounting for 5 of the 32 new faculty hired since last year. These world-class investigators arrive with specializations and research funding in areas such as pathogenic bacteria and cancer treatment. Their work complements the college’s many existing accomplishments, including an impressive 93% of students who pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination on their first try and a 100% graduate student placement rate.

Our ambitious investments in CVM don’t stop with MizzouForward. This semester we began a $30 million expansion of the Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, Missouri’s only lab accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The project is jointly funded with $15 million in state dollars.

We will work with CVM leadership, faculty and stakeholders to ensure our programs are the best they can be for students and the Missourians we serve.

— Mun