August 22, 2013
Dear Foundation members,
I am writing you today on behalf of the student SFT chapter at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine to express our sincere appreciation for grant dollars received. Because of those grant dollars, our student members were able to have a much deeper educational experience. Educational seminars provided by Dr. Pukazhenthi enabled us to have specialized instruction in an area that is not normally taught in our curriculum: conservation biology. At an attendance of 140 students, faculty, and staff, this experience – made possible by The Theriogenology Foundation – was our most popular and widely talked about seminar series of the semester.
One main goal with this seminar experience was to reach out to many of the AUCVM student SFT chapter members who have expressed an interest in exotic animal reproduction and conservation biology. Dr. Budhan Pukazhenthi led a short course over a two day period which focused on selected topics in exotic animal reproduction and conservation biology. Dr. Pukazhenthi is a reproductive physiologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and his contributions in the area of exotic wildlife reproductive biology are extensive. He has been instrumental in achieving successful pregnancies in eight cat species, has helped to save the Florida panther using fertility assessments, has produced cheetah cubs by artificial insemination with frozen sperm (imported from Africa), and has produced tiger cubs born from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. In addition, his collaboration with Dr. Aime Johnson from Auburn University has led to the birth of a live Przewalski’s Horse foal – the first born from an artificial insemination.
Dr. Pukazhenthi’s seminar certainly lived up to his impressive resume! Over the two day period, Dr. Pukazhenthi touched on such topics as artificial insemination in endangered species, cryogenetics and sperm banking for endangered species, and semen collection and processing in endangered species. One highly discussed point among attendees was our responsibility for species on the brink of extinction. Lastly, Dr. Pukazhenthi spoke on career opportunities in conservation biology, asserting that this is a developing field wherein budding theriogenologists would be able to make a huge impact.
Overall, Dr. Pukazhenthi’s seminar had a positive impact on the students here at Auburn University’s CVM. This impact is in no small part thanks to the kind support of The Theriogenology Foundation. As a student organization, we recognize that we cannot make advancements and further our education without the support of those who have gone before us. Your benefaction is truly humbling; thank you from student SFT chapter at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Sincerely,
D. Andrew Hestad, M.S.
Auburn University SFT Chapter
