Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit

iverson bell summit logo
A black and white photo of Dr. Iverson Bell wearing a suit smiling at the camera
Dr. Iverson Bell

May 21-23, 2024
Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis-Park Place: 1500 Park Pl Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55416

The first Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit was held at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in partnership with Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2016. The focus of the 2016 Summit was disabilities. The Summit provided the opportunity to address difficult issues, share strategies, and identify recommendations, and evidence based practice. Further, the Summit provided participants with a rich understanding of the definition of the term disability and the surrounding terminologies, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and ways to include individuals with disabilities to create a competitive edge for academic institutions. The Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit has now been expanded to include other areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as become a host site for Midwestern Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.

We gratefully acknowledge the vital corporate support of Zoetis, and the partnership of colleges of veterinary medicine at the University of Illinois, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, and the University of Wisconsin. Thank you!

Questions? Contact us at [email protected].


Tuesday, May 21
TimeActivities
7:00 a.m. 
  • Sunrise Yoga Session
    Spring/Summer Room-1st floor
    Come and spend your morning by participating in Sunrise Yoga led by Nicole Pierce-Risvold, MS, LPCC. This will be a 40-minute gentle yoga session to help you feel ready for the day, it will be a less intense, beginner focused, meditative session.
8:00 a.m. ─ 9:00 a.m.
  • Registration 
    Atrium Balcony-2nd floor
  • Continental Breakfast
    Lower Atrium-1st floor

 

 

 

9:00 a.m. ─ 10:30 a.m.

  • Welcome to the University of Minnesota
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor
  • Dignitary Read - In Remembrance of Dr. Larissa Minicucci

  • Opening Remarks - Dean Laura Molgaard
     
  • Keynote - Dr. Raye Taylor

    The Enlightenment of Death
    Embracing the lessons in literal and figurative loss will drive the direction and hope for the future. Let us embrace the journey from Scared to Sacred.

    Raye Taylor, DVM, cHPV, Senior (Chief) Veterinary Medical Officer-Rural Companion Animal Care, CARE: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity

10:30 a.m. ─ 10:45 a.m.
  • Break
    Park Foyer-2nd floor
10:45 a.m. ─ 12:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

  • From Knowledge Transfer to Knowledge Creation: A Shift in Approach for Veterinary Services Capacity Building
    Courtyard 4-6-1st floor
    At the end of this session, you will be able to describe the capacity building model used for global outreach at the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.  The model aims to move beyond traditional knowledge transfer and training toward the goal of increased local knowledge creation and application. The presentation will also highlight the partnership model CAHFS uses to inform collaborative program creation, implementation, and revision.

    Mary Katherine O’Brien, PhD, Researcher for Education and Outreach, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety

  • University of Minnesota Community Medicine Program
    Program-Park Ballroom 2-2nd floor
    The University of Minnesota Community Medicine Program aims to 1) empower pet owners to maintain health and wellness for their animals, and keep animals healthy and in their homes, and 2) provide future veterinarians with the tools and knowledge to advocate for their clients and work effectively in these environments.

    Lauren Bernstein, MVB, MPH, DACVPM, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    Lindsey Knox, DVM, MPH
    Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    Whitney Waldsmith, DVM, DACVPM
    Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota 

  • Ecosystem Health Research and Outreach Projects
    Courtyard 1-3-1st floor
    Explore various projects that emphasize and prioritize community engagement and inclusivity.

    Attitudes and Knowledge of Chronic Wasting Disease within Southeastern Minnesota Amish Communities

    As chronic wasting disease has spread, numerous studies and surveys have been used to engage the general hunting public, but little focus is placed on underrepresented hunting populations. This presentation looks at Amish communities in SE Minnesota and how their attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of chronic wasting disease can lead to better outreach outcomes.

    Colin Yoder, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
    Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine
    University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

    A Community-Engaged One Health Research Program in Guyana, South America

    Discuss a community--engaged wildlife health research program with the Waiwai, an Indigenous Amazonian community in Guyana, South America. Describe the importance of 1) maintaining long-term equitable scientific-Indigenous partnerships, and 2) situating the co-production of research questions and knowledge within communities rather than solely in academia. This session will highlight research from an ongoing hunter-based wildlife health co-management program as a potential blueprint for conducting community-engaged One Health research.

    Marissa Milstein, MA, DVM, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

    One Health Interventions in Kenya
    Learn about the following Interventions:

    - Prevention of rabies in Kenya: Mass vaccination, spay and neuter campaigns of domestic dogs.
    - Prevention of hydatidosis in Kenya; Mass deworming of domestic dogs.
    - Improving cow and calf comfort in smallholder dairy farms

    Emily Kathambi Kiugu, BVM, MS, Resident, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

12:00 p.m. ─ 1:30 p.m.
  • Lunch & General Session
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor
     
  • Dignitary Read - In Remembrance of Dr. B. Robert Lewis

    Living In the Company of Grace
    Grace is often defined as courteous goodwill or an unmerited gift. For me, grace was living with and learning from a 75-year-old Black woman, named Grace, who after earning an academic scholarship to Cornell University was denied campus housing because of the color of her skin; and after securing a Pullman train ticket in New York had to move to the Jim-Crow car once the train travel south of the Mason-Dixon line.  Come with me on a journey from the south side of Chicago to Tuskegee Alabama and then to Minnesota to witness how grace and compassion forged a path from struggle to strength.

    Jody Lulich, DVM PhD, DACVIM, Professor, Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
1:45 p.m. ─ 4:15 p.m.
  • Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services/VeTouch
    Lower Atrium-1 st floor-Bus
    Attendees will walk through an “open house” of SIRVS and VeTouch. Since our clinics are held on weekends, you won’t be able to see a clinic in action. Instead, attendees can walk to different tables and learn about the elements of SIRVS and VeTouch clinics from student board members.

    Lead: Lauren Bernstein, MVB, MPH, DACVPM, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota
     
  • Raptor Encounters:
    Park Ballroom 2-2nd floor
    Our exciting presentation-style program lasts approximately 45 minutes and features multiple raptors. A presenter from The Raptor Center handles and presents each bird one by one, during which you'll learn what makes these birds unique and see them each live and on the glove.

    Presenter: Catherine Hastings, Interpretive Naturalists, The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine

    Leads: Melissa H. Moore, Education Director, The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
    Catherine Boudreau, Education Program Coordinator, The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine
     

  • DEI Inventory Report and MVMA DEI Action Team Update
    Courtyard 4-6-1st floor
    In this presentation, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) DEI Action Team will present on the updated DEI Inventory Report and DEI Action Team initiatives generated to share the ongoing and new successes at the College of Veterinary Medicine and throughout Minnesota. Participants will learn about these DEI initiatives, upcoming priorities, and importance of partnerships. Participants will learn how to collect and conduct this information from their colleges or professional organizations and put some of these efforts into action.

    Leads:

    Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    Edward “Ned” Patterson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of
    Minnesota

4:15 p.m. ─ 5:30 p.m.Mindful Break
On Your Own
5:30 p.m. ─ 7:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception
Lower Atrium-1st floor

Dignitary Read
In Honor of Min. Rosemary Klass

Wednesday, May 22
TimeActivities
8:30 a.m. ─ 10:00 a.m.
  • Breakfast General Session & Recap
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor

  • Dignitary Read
    In Honor of Dr. Julie Kumble

10:00 a.m. ─ 10:15 a.m.
  • Break
    Park Foyer-2nd floor
10:15 a.m. ─ 11:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

  • DEIB in 2024
    Park Ballroom 2-2nd floor
    How in 2024 do we partner across institutions to keep the work moving forward? Join us for an interactive conversation on how we can all work as a collective.

    Leads:
    Richard Barajas, MIPA, MPH, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin 

    Sue Knoblaugh, DVM, DACVP, Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, & Co-Director, Inclusive Excellence, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University

  • Starting from the Beginning: K12 Education
    Courtyard 1-3-1st floor

    The student population in Minneapolis Public Schools is very diverse. This is because Minnesota is home to many immigrant populations. However, as we move up in education, we do not see the same representation of student diversity from high school to our public universities. The question I am interested in is why? I am an immigrant in academia. One of the larger immigrant populations in Minnesota, the Somali people, were my neighbors in Kenya. I am one step removed from the first-generation students, but I can relate and speak the same language (Swahili) with their parents. This is why I decided to get involved. My goal is to partner with Career and Counseling Centers in high schools with the aim of informing students of our program and how to get in. I want them to know that we would love to be part of their career journeys in the way of training and would love to have them as future colleagues. I will also accomplish this by participation in career days when students are thinking of college application and beyond.

    Sarah Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota 

  • Integrating Experiences Working with Diverse Clientele into Veterinary Education Curriculum
    Courtyard 4-6-1 st floor

    Diversity in veterinary medicine and diversity in veterinary client distribution are two sides of the same coin, without representation in one, representation in the other is difficult.  We will discuss what it looks like to integrate diverse client populations into a formalized 4th year clinical rotation at WisCARES Community Veterinary Clinic, through the University of Wisconsin Madison. Through this program, we provide students with increased opportunities to interact positively with individuals different from themselves, exposing them to a broader diversity of clients, as well as allowing for formalized reflection and discussion, which may facilitate cultural humility.

    Elizabeth Alvarez, DVM, Clinical Assistant Professor, Primary Care Service, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

    Kelly Schultz, DVM, MS, WisCARES Medical Director and Clinical Instructor, Community Veterinary Clinic, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

    Ruthanne Chun, DVMDACVIM, Clinical Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

    Jennifer Wheeler Brooks, PhD, CISW, Director of Social Work and Outreach, School of Veterinary
    Medicine, University of Wisconsin

11:30 a.m. ─ 1:00 p.m.
  • Networking Lunch
    Lower Atrium-1st floor

  • Dignitary Read
    In Honor of Dr. Willie Reed

1:00 p.m. ─ 2:15 p.m.
  • General Session
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor
    Sponsored by Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    Developing Spanish Communicative Competence Among Veterinary and Animal Science Students as a Means for Improving U.S. Agriculture

    A linguistically diverse and educationally limited workforce creates communication barriers between veterinarians/animal science professionals and non-English speaking animal caretakers. Communication barriers negatively impact animal health, welfare and food safety, compromising the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Our work consists of preparing veterinary and animal science students to communicate with the Hispanic workforce through targeted agricultural terminology and the use of app to target specific language needs in the field.

    Dr. Arlene Garcia, PhD, Assistant Professor, Behavior and Welfare, School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University

2:15 p.m. ─ 2:30 p.m.
  • Break
    Park Foyer-2nd floor
2:30 p.m. ─ 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

  • NAVLE, Behind the Scenes
    Courtyard 1-3-1st floor
    Sponsored by Office of Academic and Student Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    In recent years, standardized examinations have come under scrutiny as evidence has surfaced regarding inequities and potential areas of bias in some commonly utilized exams within the educational system. Since there is no such thing as a perfect assessment, how are assessments for critical junctures such as licensure to be carried out? Are licensure examinations such as the North American Veterinary Licensure Exam (NAVLE) subject to the same pitfalls as other standardized exams? Staff members of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) will take you behind the scenes of the NAVLE and discuss the rigorous development processes and psychometric checks and balances utilized to ensure that the NAVLE is an appropriate assessment for verifying minimal competency in order to protect the public.

    Heather Case, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, International Council for Veterinary Assessment

    and

    Courtney Vengrin, PhD, MS, Senior Director of Assessment & Design, International Council for Veterinary Assessment

 

  • Introduction to Community Based Participatory Research
    Courtyard 4-6-1st floor

    At the end of this session, you will be able to describe the fundamental principles of participatory research; discuss the advantages of how subjects become involved as partners and explain how their knowledge and capabilities are respected and valued. This session will include a panel discussion about implementation of community based participatory research with those in the trenches of implementation. 

    Tiffany Wolf, DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine & Co-Director, Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

    Panelists:

    Marissa Milstein, MA, DVM, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

    Roger Faust, MS Ho-Chunk PhD Candidate, Conservation Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota

    Doug McArthur, Tribal Biologist, White Earth Nation

    Lauren Bernstein, MVB, MPH, DACVPM, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

  • Bridging the Gap
    Park Ballroom 2-2nd floor

    During this presentation you'll be introduced to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center’s Diversity Initiative “Bridge to Vet Med”. Explore its origins, learn about its present objectives, and long-term goals to keep bridging the gap between the field Min. Klass has loved for so long and the students she has so longed to see in this field.

    Min. Rosemary Klass, AAS, Sr. VT, Diversity Initiative Preceptor & VMC Culture Advocate, University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center

3:30 p.m. ─ 5:00 p.m.
  • Awards Reception
    Lower Atrium-1st floor

    Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Summit Award Presentation
    Dignitary Read ─ In Honor of Regina Carey

Thursday, May 23
TimeActivities
8:00 a.m. ─ 8:30 a.m.
  • Breakfast General Session & Recap
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor

8:45 a.m. ─ 9:30 a.m.
  • Iverson Bell Action Plans Breakout Working Groups

    Senior Administrators
    Park Ballroom 2-2nd floor

    Faculty/Staff
    Courtyard 4-6-1st floor

    Students
    Courtyard 1-3-1st floor

9:30 a.m. ─ 9:45 a.m.
  • Break
    Park Foyer-2nd floor
9:45 a.m.  ─ 10:30 a.m.
  • Closing Keynote
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor

    Ruby L. Perry, DVM, PhD, DACVR, Dean & Professor of Veterinary Radiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University

10:30 am ─ 11:00 am
  • Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
    Park Ballroom 1-2nd floor


 

College Representatives
Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky (University of Minnesota, host)
Richard Barajas (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Dr. Hilda Mejia Abreu (Michigan State University)
Maria Serrato (Michigan State University)
Laura Seymour (Michigan State University)
Anna May Thorpe (Michigan State University)
Sandra Dawkins (Ohio State University)
Dr. Sue Knoblaugh (Ohio State University)
Marsha Baker (Purdue University)
Dr. Monica Howard (Iowa State University)
Dr. Yvette Joyce Johnson-Walker (University of Illinois)

AAVMC Support Team 
Dr. Lisa Greenhill, Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Director for Institutional Research 
Sraavya Polisetti, Data Analyst/Project Manager

2024 University of Minnesota Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit Logistics Planning Committee 
Project Manager, Nicole Kast
Sara Mascari, Executive Administrative Assistant
Chris Dillon, Chief Operating Officer
Marty Moen, Executive Communications
Kris Hayden, Alumni Relations Coordinator
Sarah Goulet, Chief Finance Officer

2024 University of Minnesota Iverson Bell Regional Diversity Summit Content Planning Committee 
Project Manager, Nicole Kast
Sara Mascari, Executive Administrative Assistant
Rosemary Klass, Senior Veterinary Technician
Dr. Kim Demos Davies, DVM
Dr. Vesna Hampel-Kozar, Director of Student Wellbeing and Success
Dr. Lindsey Knox, DVM, Assistant Professor, Community Medicine
Sally Lightner, Lab Services Coordinator / Education Program Associate