Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
200 D.W. BROOKS DR
ATHENS,GA 30602-5016
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Southeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference (SEVPAC) is an annual conference hosted by the University of Georgia. It focuseson continuing education in veterinary pathology through case presentations and special topic sessions. Entering its fiftieth year, the conference attracts attendees from across North America, including veterinary students, residents, and pathologists from academia, government,and private laboratories. Each year, aconference theme is chosen with an invited expert speaker presenting on the selected topic.The overall goal of SEVPAC is to provideacollaborative forum for veterinary pathologists and trainees to present cases of animal disease and expose attendees to expert speakers in the field of veterinary pathology. Specific objectivesinclude supporting attendance by students and trainees through the creation of travel awards to offset attendance costs; enhancing travel support and financial compensation for invited speakers; and converting case presentations into a digital format that is publicly available in a free,open-access format.SEVPAC coordinators aim to continue the tradition of providingan impactful, educational conference while maintaining low registration fees for attendees.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The primary goal of the Southeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference is tohost an annual two-day conference that provides a platform for veterinary pathologists and trainees to present diagnostic pathology cases and learn more about critical and evolving topics in veterinary pathology from experts in the field. Supporting objectives include 1) encouraging increased conference attendance by students/trainees through the establishment of student travel awards; 2) enhancinghonoraria and travel reimbursement to attract plenary speakers of national repute to present on topics relevant in veterinary pathology; 3) embracinga virtual attendance option that includes the use of digital slides to increase access to conference materials.
Project Methods
Achievement of goals and expected outcomes will be accomplished through the planning and operation of the annual Southeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference (SEVPAC). The conference hosts up to 75, six to eight-minute diagnostic case presentations by conference attendees. A two-hour plenary session on a special topic in veterinary pathology is provided by an invited expert speaker. Through case presentations and plenary sessions, the conference provides up to 12 credit hours of veterinary continuing education. Increased student attendance will be supported by up to 10 travel awards. Solicitation of applications to apply for the student travel award will occur during open registration and an award committee will select awardees. Funding will be utilized to enhance honoraria and travel fees encountered by guest speakers in order to widen the pool of potential expert speakers and remove geographic and financial limitations. For the first time, case submissions will be fully digital. Digital slides will decrease conference costs associated with shipping and collating hundreds of glass slides between participating institutions. Scanned slides and case materials will be stored in an online archive accessible to people around the world. This archive will serve as a valuable tool for future resident training and function as a repository for rare or classic cases of animal disease, including examples of emerging, reportable, and eradicated animal diseases.