As I write this, snow is falling outside my office window. But spring will come and the college is gearing up for a new season.

In June, our new standalone community practice hospital will open, providing more professional training for our students in a general small animal practice setting. Renovations are on the way in the Level One C-Wing of Schurman Hall, with a targeted start date of 2019; our facilities team will be working with the college community to plan the layout, including space for the multipurpose room during construction and after renovations are complete.

The first four months of 2018 have already proven to be busy and productive:

• We’ve held our first three monthly sessions of Many Voices, One College – our diversity and inclusion series – with the next scheduled for April 26^th.
• Our wellness initiatives are also growing and the wellness coordinator search is underway. This individual will coordinate wellness education and activities for the college.
• We’ve had three cross-college symposia in the last few months alone: The Antimicrobial Resistance Conference, the Dairy Center of Excellence Symposium, and the Cancer Research Symposium. Our presence in these cross-college meetings demonstrate our commitment building links across Cornell to address critical health problems.
• The 52^nd Annual Open House was another success and I thank all the student organizers and volunteers from across the college for their hard work on the event.
• Following up on strategic planning, a college-wide sustainability program has been launched. Contact Taylor Thompson at tlt47@cornell.edu if you would like to be involved.
• Other follow-up discussions related to strategic planning include committees assigned to review our Corporate Relations Policy; to evaluate the use of faculty titles in the college; and to review our equine education, research, and service programs. Feel free to contact me if you would like more information on any of those reviews.

Summer will be here before you know it, and I wish you well for the remainder of spring semester. Thanks to all of you for your contributions to the success of the college.

Lorin D. Warnick Ph.D. ’94
Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine