Mississippi State’s Vet Aspirations initiative in the College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating national recognition as a 2024 Inspiring Program in STEM award winner.
The honor from Insight Into Diversity Magazine spotlights university programs that encourage and assist students from all backgrounds to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. MSU’s Vet Aspirations project will be featured in the September issue of the magazine, the nation’s largest and oldest inclusion publication in higher education.
Vet Aspirations includes four programs: Vet Camp, Vet Aspire, Vet Chat and VetaHumanz (formerly This Is How We Role). Vet Aspire provides a “day in the life” experience for 50-60 high school and college students yearly, many who would enter MSU as first-generation students, while Vet Chat allows CVM staff to interact with aspiring students and answer questions they may have about their specific professions.
Each summer, Vet Camp, which serves about 180 students ranging from ages 10-17, gives young learners a hands-on learning environment in small- and large-animal medicine. This includes such activities as teddy bear surgeries, fish dissections, canine examinations and equine gait evaluations. VetaHumanz serves fourth grade students involved in Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle, allowing them to observe veterinarians and consider the many career options in the veterinary field.
“Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine has ramped up efforts significantly over the years to promote veterinary medicine and all our college has to offer to anyone interested in pursuing this career path. We are committed to helping students of all populations excel in the many different options provided through the veterinary field,” said Kyla Leggett, CVM admissions and recruitment coordinator.
Inspiring Programs in STEM award winners are selected based on efforts to aid a new generation of young people in considering STEM careers through mentoring, teaching, research and successful programs and initiatives.
Brittany Moore-Henderson, CVM assistant dean of student success and inclusive excellence, said, “We are seeing just how impactful these outreach programs are to aspiring veterinary professionals. Since 2019, as many as 50 veterinary students entering our college have participated in one of them, and this number continues to grow with each class that enters our college. We’re looking forward to continuing to expose students of all ages and backgrounds to veterinary medicine and other STEM-related fields.”
Mississippi State’s CVM provides two full years of clinical experience with students receiving training in all species and completing more than 50 surgeries prior to graduation. It is nationally recognized for its shelter medicine and aquaculture programs, as well as research in antimicrobial resistance. The only college of veterinary medicine to lead a USAID innovation lab, it offers both a B.S. in veterinary medical technology and joint DVM-Ph.D. programs.