“What did you do on your summer vacation?”

Illinois veterinary students may answer that question in ways that surprise you.

About a dozen students are currently in Germany learning about careers in public health in an international context. This new study abroad program takes students to federal institutes involved in infectious disease control and food safety, a computer center that tracks food animals as part of European Union regulations, and a mobile unit that provides biosecurity laboratories in the field to handle disease outbreaks, among other places.

Nearly two dozen veterinary students are exploring biomedical research careers over the summer with faculty mentors from across the Urbana campus. By the end of the 10-week program each student will have written a research abstract and presented a poster describing their project at the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium held in August at the University of Georgia. The Summer Research Training Program, now in its eighth year at Illinois, receives funding from Merial and the National Institutes of Health.

Brittany Way, in the Class of 2013, is participating in the summer research program through funding from the Morris Animal Foundation’s Veterinary Scholars Program. You can follow her blog as she studies the health of a population of Eastern box turtles near Oak Ridge, Tenn.

At the end of June, 21 high school students will visit our College as part of the Illini Summer Academies, a three-day event organized by the University of Illinois Extension State 4-H Office. They’ll get a taste of veterinary school and explore veterinary careers.

However you are spending your time, I wish you a safe, happy, and informative summer.—Herb