News Releases

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) - A friendly competition has been launched among five veterinary colleges at Southeastern Conference universities to see which has the most loyal alumni.

The "Hill's SEC Veterinary Medicine Alumni Challenge" will determine which vet school has the highest percentage of donors among its graduates over the coming year. The schools – Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State -- will split $25,000 in prize money provided by Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., which is sponsoring the challenge.

"We are excited about this partnership among Hill’s and the colleges of veterinary medicine in the SEC. This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight our new development program.” said Michael Blackwell dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. “In the true competitive spirit that exists we know our alumni will step up and do their part to support the effort. I fully expect UT to win because of the commitment alumni have to this program and to this college.”

The competition runs from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004, with gifts of at least $25 by each veterinary graduate counting in the totals. Because the schools have different numbers of all-time
graduates, the percentage of graduates donating will determine the winning school. The vet schools plan to market the competition as they work their annual fund drives later in the year.

All the schools involved are at public universities where state budgets in recent years have not kept pace with inflation and with the rising costs of providing a laboratory- and clinic-based program such as
veterinary medicine. Vet schools typically use funds given by alumni and friends to provide scholarships for students, to purchase equipment used in their teaching hospitals, and for modernizing their facilities in an effort to keep up with the latest advancements in veterinary science.

The UT College of Veterinary Medicine is hosting an alumni and faculty reception before the Georgia game on October 11, 2003. For more information about the reception or the competition, contact Claire Eldridge, Director of Development at the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, at 865-974-4379, or celdridge@utk.edu.

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Contact: Sandra Harbison, 865-974-7377