The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine hosted the Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit May 20-22, after a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The biennial summit, named for the first person of color to serve as vice president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was first hosted at Purdue University in 1972.
Through the leadership of the Purdue University and Michigan State University colleges of veterinary medicine, the Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit has been instrumental in efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the veterinary medical profession. The event that recently culminated at UW-Madison marked the first time a site other than Purdue or Michigan State hosted the regional summit.
This year's theme, From Talk to Action: Becoming a Change Agent on Your Campus, attracted more than 140 students, faculty and staff from more than 13 universities across the country who came together in Wisconsin to discuss diversity, equity and integration (DEI).
During the three-day conference, held in Dejope Hall on the UW-Madison campus, attendees heard from an array of speakers. These included Ho-Chunk Nation President Marlon WhiteEagle, who discussed the history and struggles of the Ho-Chunk people, and Latonia Craig, who is developing new DEI programs as assistant dean for inclusive excellence in the University's College of Veterinary Medicine Purdue and strives to create a “sense of belonging” in veterinary medicine.
“Only by identifying these barriers can we work to break them down to make veterinary medicine more accessible to all.” -Summit participant Liz Jacka DVM'10
Alejandro Larios Mora, a veterinary internist, spoke more directly about his journey to becoming a veterinarian and the obstacles he faced as a minority and immigrant. “Only by identifying these barriers can we work to break them down to make veterinary medicine more accessible to everyone,” says Liz Jacka DVM'10, a lecturer at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine who attended the summit.
In addition to the lectures, attendees created action plans to advance PPC in veterinary medicine and inspire action beyond the summit. Lisa Kim DVMx'24, a veterinary medicine student at UW, enjoyed working with students from other universities.
“We felt a lot of camaraderie talking about the ways in which we, as students, pushed PPC efforts in our respective schools. It was also a great perspective to hear what other schools were doing and compare the things we've seen,” he says.
The student action plan that emerged from the summit emphasized PPC education, both in community veterinary practices and academia. Examples of such initiatives would include working with state veterinary medical societies to make DEI training a prerequisite for continuing education. Participants also noted in their plan that PPC training should not be limited to new student or employee orientation, but should continue throughout the year for all levels of students and staff.
“Let's make more of an effort to truly listen to the concerns and needs of marginalized groups. Let's use our positions of privilege to empower and uplift them,” says Kim, reflecting on the action plan and other takeaways from the event.
The school's action plan emphasized PPC education and cultural competence – the ability to understand, respect and work appropriately with people of other cultures. She also addressed mental health care, noting “you can't care for others if you can't care for yourself.”
Both action plans will be posted on the UW School of Veterinary Medicine website in the coming weeks.
Another important point of the conference was a collaborative mural designed by Milwaukee artist Tia Richardson. Richardson created the mural after speaking with SVM students, faculty and staff this spring about the challenges and history of the faculty and veterinary medicine, as well as the path forward. Richard Barajas, who led the design of the summit and serves as assistant provost for diversity, equity and inclusion at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, said the mural is designed to “build community with the school and diversify the representation on the walls of the building. “
At the summit, Richardson emphasized the power of Healing Through Art, as her keynote lecture was titled, and invited all attendees to paint the mural.
“Many of us were moved by Richardson's ability to bring people together in a way where everyone is equal,” says Jacka. “Through her art, she creates a space for all members of a community to come together to work toward the same goal.”
Once completed this fall, the mural will be displayed adjacent to the Renk Learning Center at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and will serve as a marker for improving diversity not only at UW-Madison, but in the field of veterinary medicine as a whole.
Britta Wellenstein
