The Value of Adapting—and Silver Linings

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine marked its 39th Commencement on May 23, bestowing degrees that reflect the breadth of programs at the veterinary school upon 138 graduates.

At the virtual commencement ceremony for graduate students, 12 were awarded a Master of Science in Animals and Public Policy, 19 received a Master of Science in Conservation Medicine, and 11 earned a Master of Science in Infectious Disease and Global Health.

Julie Arnold, VG20, a student speaker who received a master’s in infectious disease and global health, acknowledged that because of COVID-19, the past year did not go the way they wanted it to. But she said she is proud of her class’s ability to transition and evolve, and she appreciated one silver lining of the transition to virtual classes.

“If one of your classmates has a pet, that animal is now in your class and will make an appearance in every Zoom meeting. And as students enrolled in a graduate program at a veterinary school, we can all agree that the more animals that are in our lives, the better,” she said.

Allen Rutberg, director of the Master of Science in Animals and Public Policy program at Cummings School, also praised the class’s ability to adapt, recalling how they reconfigured classes, research projects, and case studies to adjust to the new reality of lockdowns and social distancing.

And he expressed hope for the graduates’ future scientific contributions and admiration for the research work done during the pandemic. “The ability of our biomedical establishment to develop and test multiple safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year is absolutely mind boggling.” —Angela Nelson, University Communication and Marketing