LSU Vet School Debuts Pet Clinic with “Ribbon-Biting” Ceremony

Officials from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge, La., gathered on Monday, May 9, to celebrate the opening of the new Stephenson Pet Clinic. The facility measures in at 40,000 square feet and will serve as a home to companion animal wellness efforts as well as clinical services like community practice / primary care, integrative medicine, dermatology and ophthalmology, according to a press release.

Guests included Oliver Garden, LSU Vet Med dean; LSU President William Tate; and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. And the honors of the actual ribbon-cutting were given to Mac, a Belgian Malinois owned by a staff veterinary technician, who retrieved a toy attached to the ribbon.

The building was named after Emmet and Toni Stephenson, who pledged $25 million to LSU in 2007. The new pet clinic was constructed through a combination of state funds and $4 million from more than 300 individual donors, including the Stephensons. The existing Veterinary Medicine Building was built in 1978, and the new space will accommodate the school’s growth in enrollment, labs and reach of services since then.

“The generosity of Emmet and Toni Stephenson, and all the other donors who made this dream possible, will be memorialized in the rich legacy this wonderful facility will leave for generations to come," said Dean Garden. "The School of Veterinary Medicine is on a firm trajectory of growth in its missions of teaching, healing, discovering, and protecting – nobly serving Louisiana, the nation, and indeed the world. It is the honor of a lifetime to be at the helm of this outstanding veterinary school at this exciting time in our history.”

The facility was designed by Tipton Associates and BDA Architecture and also includes a 6,000-square-foot green roof terrace. The Stephenson Pet Clinic will open to the public in July.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.