Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit

7:00 a.m. 

• Sunrise Yoga session
  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 and Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. ─ 10:30 a.m.

• Welcome to the University of Minnesota
• 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

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 
  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
  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
   
• Ecosystem Health Research and Outreach Projects
  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
   
• 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
  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: 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. 
  
  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
  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.
  
  Lead: Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

4:15 p.m. ─ 5:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. ─ 7:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. ─ 10:00 a.m.

• Breakfast General Session & Recap

• Dignitary Read - Veterinary Medicine

10:00 a.m. ─ 10:15 a.m.

• Break

10:15 a.m. ─ 11:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

• DEIB in 2024
  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

  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

  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 4^th 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, DVM, DACVIM, Clinical Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

11:30 a.m. ─ 1:00 p.m.

• Networking Lunch

• Dignitary Read

1:00 p.m. ─ 2:15 p.m.

• General Session 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

2:30 p.m. ─ 3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

• NAVLE, Behind the Scenes-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

  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 McArther

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

• Bridging the Gap

  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. Klas 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

• Awards Reception

8:00 a.m. ─ 8:30 a.m.

• Breakfast General Session & Recap 

8:45 a.m. ─ 9:30 a.m.

• Iverson Bell Action Plans Breakout Working Groups

  Senior Administrators

  Faculty/Staff

  Students

9:30 a.m. ─ 9:45 a.m.

• Break

9:45 a.m.  ─ 10:30 a.m.

• Closing Keynote

  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