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Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit

Image showing the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell

College of Veterinary Medicine-affiliated volunteer leaders are invited to the Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit on Thursday, October 16 and Friday, October 17, 2025 in Ithaca. Special events begin at the Baker Institute for Animal Health on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

 

Register using the link provided to you by email.


 

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

2:30 to 5:00 PM ET  75 Years of Discovery and Innovation at the Baker Institute for Animal Health (in-person at 235 Hungerford Hill Road and online)
Join us as for a look back at the Baker Institute's legacy of groundbreaking science and a look ahead to its future. Highlights include:

  • Origins of Impact: Viruses, Vaccines & Veterinary Breakthroughs
  • Mapping Life: Genetics, Fertility, and Futures
  • Decoding Disease: From Genes to Cures
  • Cultivating Discovery: The Baker Mentorship Model
  • A Vision for the Future of Animal Health

5:00 to 6:00 PM ET     
Reception at the Baker Institute for Animal Health (in-person)

Wednesday's events, above, take place at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, 235 Hungerford Hill Road.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

8:00 to 8:15 AM ET     
Shuttle from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) to the Baker Institute meets at Lefty's Plaza, CVM at 8:00 AM.

8:15 to 9:00 AM ET     
Fueling the Future: Breakfast with Baker Minds (in-person)                                              

9:00 to 10:00 AM ET     
Celebrating 75 Years of Science, Service, and Shared Success (in-person) with Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine  

A Vision for the Next 75 Years: Interconnected Science for a Healthier Tomorrow (in-person) with Mandi de Mestre, B.V.Sc., Ph.D., Director, Baker Institute for Animal Health 

Highlights include faculty presentations:

  • Blueprints Beyond Borders: Innovative Tools Across Species
  • A Global Lens: Research that Transcends Boundaries
  • Translating Ideas: A TeT Journey from Concept to Global Health Impact
  • Dual Impact: Collaborative Discovery for Animal and Human Health

10:00 to 11:00 AM ET     
Inside the Engine: Discovery at Work Laboratory Tours and Demonstrations (in-person)

The events above take place at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, 235 Hungerford Hill Road.

11:00 to 11:15 AM ET     
Shuttle from the Baker Institute to CVM. Meet at the front entrance of the Baker Institute at 11:00 AM ET. Check in upon arrival at CVM.

For participants not travelling to the Baker Institute on Thursday morning:

9:00 to 11:45 AM ET       
Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit Participant Check-in (in-person)
2nd Floor Atrium, Takoda's Run, CVM                                                                     

9:30 to 10:30 AM ET 
Continental Breakfast (in-person) 
2nd Floor Atrium, Takoda's Run, CVM 

10:30 to 11:30 AM ET 
Optional Tours - Tour groups meet near cafe, 2nd floor CVM (in-person)

  • Linear Accelerator (10:30 to 11:00 AM ET)
  • SynDaver (11:00 to 11:30 AM ET)

Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit Opens. Events below take place at CVM.

11:45 AM to 12:00 PM ET  
Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit Opening Remarks and Welcome (in-person and online)

  • Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine
  • Mitchell Kornet '76, D.V.M. '79, Advisory Council Chair 

12:00 to 1:15 PM ET  
College of Veterinary Medicine Update and Campaign Update (in-person and online) 

  • Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine
  • Matt Braun, Assistant Dean, Alumni Affairs and Development 

1:15 to 2:00 PM ET
Lunch with student-hosted tables (in-person)

2:00 to 3:00 PM ET 
Keynote: Leadership Resilience and Unpacking Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity or VUCA (in-person and online) 

  • Steven J. Israel, Professor of Practice, Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy; Director, Institute of Politics and Global Affairs; Lecturer, Cornell in Washington 

3:15 to 3:45 PM ET    
Student Panel: Dean's Leaders (in-person and online)

3:45 to 4:00 PM ET    
Member Impact Session (TBA) (in-person and online)

4:00 to 4:45 PM ET    
An Introduction to New CVM Faculty (in-person and online)  

  • Amandine Gamble, Ph.D., D.V.M., Assistant Professor, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health
  • Colleen Lau, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
  • Sun Kim, Ph.D., D.V.M., Dave and Cheryl Duffield Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences
  • Matt MacLachlan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Veterinary Business and Economics

5:15 to 6:15 PM ET    
Interactive Reception: The Art of Science (in-person) Help graduate, post-doctoral students, and Baker Institute trainees communicate about their work and its importance in a "feedback round-robin." Hosted by Paula Cohen, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Professor of Genetics, and Director, Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRE).                                                                                      

6:15 to 7:30 PM ET   
Dinner (in-person)

Friday, October 17, 2025

8:00 to 9:00 AM ET
Breakfast with students and residents (in-person)

9:00 to 9:15 AM ET
Welcome and Reflections (in-person and online) 

  • Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine
  • Mitchell Kornet '76, D.V.M. '79, Advisory Council Chair 

9:15 to 9:45 AM ET
Grand Challenges in Research (in-person and online) 

  • Matt Braun, Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs and Development
  • Paula Cohen, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Professor of Genetics, and Director, Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRE) 

9:45 to 10:30 AM ET
Cornell University Update & Conversation with President Michael I. Kotlikoff, V.M.D., Ph.D. (in-person and online)  

10:30 to 11:30 AM ET 
The Importance of Cross-College Collaboration in Challenging Times (in-person and online) 

  • Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine
  • Paula Cohen, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Professor of Genetics, and Director, Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRE)
  • Geraldine B. McGinty, M.D., Professor of Clinical Radiology and Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Gen Meredith, O.T.R., Dr.PH., M.P.H., Associate Director, Cornell Public Health Program, Department of Public & Ecosystem Health; Co-Associate Director, Cornell Center for Health Equity
  • Monika M. Safford, M.D. '86, John J. Kuiper Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine; Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine; Founder and Co-Director, Cornell Center for Health Equity
  • Jedd D. Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine                                           

11:30 to 11:45 AM ET 
Break

11:45 AM to 12:30 PM ET 
Supporting Individual and Community Well-being at CVM and Beyond (in-person and online)

  • Kate Buckley '01, CVM Well-being Program Director
  • Stephanie Coco, L.M.S.W., Veterinary Social Worker, Cornell University Hospital for Animals

12:30 to 12:45 PM ET 
Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit Wrap Up, Reflections, and Closing Remarks (in-person and online) 

  • Lorin D. Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D. '94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine
  • Mitchell Kornet '76, D.V.M. '79, Advisory Council Chair 

12:45 to 1:30 PM ET 
Lunch (in-person)

1:30 to 2:30 PM ET
College Advisory Council Meeting (members only - in-person and online)

Meet with students (all volunteers except Advisory Council - in-person)

2:30 to 5:00 PM ET 
Time available to meet with students, post-docs, residents, or your fellow volunteers (in-person). 

Please contact Luanne at Lps8@cornell.edu with any questions about the Volunteer Leadership Annual Summit and related events.