The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will celebrate the grand opening of its new Veterinary Diagnostic Center from 3 to 5 p.m. on June 9. The center is on the university’s East Campus at 4040 East Campus Loop.
The new Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center will provide improved laboratory services for veterinarians and Nebraska livestock owners, and it will also enhance 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 card access to the student-designated spaces in the new center 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,” Alan Doster, the center’s director
The center will continue to do 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 the center to more quickly and accurately diagnose disease causing organisms.
The old center was built in 1975 and is insufficient to meet modern 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 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 include gifts from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Farm Credit Services of America, and the Nebraska Cattlemen Association and its affiliates. Gifts 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. This project was made possible by the generous support of the Nebraska Legislature, industry partners like the Nebraska Cattlemen and private donors. It represents what is possible when the legislature, commodity groups and the university work together for the benefit of our state,” Doster said.
The schedule for the open house includes remarks from special guests at 3:30 p.m. followed by tours from 4-5 p.m. Parking is available near the building or along the East Campus Loop.
