Veterinary Diagnostic Center dedication and open house June 9

Veterinary Diagnostic Center dedication and open house June 9

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln dedicates the new Veterinary Diagnostic Center on June 9, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. followed by an open house and tours until 5 p.m. The center is located on the university’s East Campus at 4040 East Campus Loop in Lincoln with parking available adjacent to the building or along East Campus Loop.

The new Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center is a 65,000-square-foot facility that provides improved laboratory services for veterinarians and livestock owners in Nebraska and other states.

It also enhances the learning experiences of students in the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine. Because students in this rigorous program are in school six to eight hours a day and have to study beyond that, they will have secured access to student-designated spaces 24 hours a day.

“With our new interactive spaces, we’ve created a state-of-the-art space for our students to study as well as gain hands-on veterinary experience,” said Alan Doster, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

The center will continue its research and offer necropsy, histopathology, virology, bacteriology, serology, toxicology and limited clinical pathology services. The increased space and new state-of-the-art equipment, such as the new MALDI-TOF technology, will enable it to more quickly and accurately diagnose disease-causing organisms.

The old building, constructed in 1975, was considerably smaller at 18,000 square feet and had become insufficient to meet modern laboratory needs and biosecurity requirements. Recognizing the state’s need for a new center, the Nebraska Legislature committed $40.6 million in funding through the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative announced in 2012 with $4.1 million required in private donations.

In leading the private fundraising initiative, agriculture business owners Dennis and Glenda Boesiger of Lincoln provided a gift of $500,000 to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the new center.

Another major gift of $757,000 was received from an anonymous donor in Kansas. Other major gifts to the NU Foundation publicly announced during the building initiative includes donations from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Farm Credit Services of America, and the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and its affiliates. Contributions were also received from various other supporting organizations and individuals.

“The Veterinary Diagnostic Center is a great public-private partnership that will serve the needs of all of Nebraska,” Doster said. “This project was made possible by the generous support of the Nebraska Legislature, industry partners, and private donors. It represents what is possible when the Legislature, commodity groups and the university work together for the benefit of our state.”

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