Elson S. Floyd, Ph.D. - 7/11/07
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Perspectives.
This column is one method I will use to keep the WSU
community and our various constituency groups up to date
on university decisions and initiatives. Usually, it will
carry my byline. Other
times, I will invite others to share stories about
WSU’s impact and aspirations. I hope you all will
find it useful and informative.
Animal Health Initiative
A few surprises come with the start of any new job.
Fortunately, most of the surprises I have encountered
since becoming WSU’s 10th president in late May
have been pleasant ones. It is particularly exciting to
discover the strong foundation my predecessors have
built, and how well-positioned we are to make significant
progress in many areas.
A prime example is our College of Veterinary Medicine. It
continues to attract far more qualified applicants than
it can admit. The veterinary teaching hospital and its
research programs are unsurpassed.
Taking a mediocre program and making it better is not
that difficult. Taking a great program and making it
truly exceptional is far more of a challenge. This is the
circumstance we face if we want to move Washington State
University into the forefront of U.S. research
universities.
Veterinary Medicine Dean Warwick Bayly and I have
discussed an exciting initiative in his college, the
creation of a School of Global Animal Health. It would be
a degree-granting unit that would initially focus on
graduate school opportunities. The school would also
serve as a centerpiece of our research efforts in a
variety of areas - particularly animal diseases and their
potential impact on humans.
Our state already has one of the nation’s great
centers of medical education and research at the
University of Washington. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center is unparalleled. Imagine if the state of
Washington had, as well, a research program of worldwide
renown and global scope in the area of animal disease and
its potential crossover effects on human health. The
potential for collaboration between our institutions,
which is already great, would grow exponentially.
During my recent visit to Washington, D.C., I found real
enthusiasm among our legislative delegation about such a
center and its potential to attract funding from
government and foundation sources.
Clearly, the journey from a good idea to a detailed
proposal to a realized vision is a long and sometimes
bumpy one. And we are just beginning the process here. We
must not allow the difficulty of any challenge to make us
shy away from it. As President John F. Kennedy said, when
speaking of an even more grand vision, “We choose
to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things,
not because they are easy, but because they are
hard.”
Hard work and challenges lie ahead for Washington State
University. By facing those challenges and completing the
work, we are keeping faith with the people who went
before us and positioned our university to accomplish
great things.
I welcome your comments and your thoughts. Please email
me at floyde@wsu.edu
