Mark Markel’s 12-year tenure as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine has been distinguished by the construction of a new building, an upcoming revamped curriculum and record-breaking fundraising. Markel, who stepped down as dean at the end of July, will return to the faculty as a professor of large animal surgery and will continue to co-direct the Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory. He is also president-elect of the AO Foundation, the world’s leading organization specializing in the surgical treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in both humans and animals.
“Mark leaves a tremendous legacy of leadership at the school and on our campus,” says Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin. “His work spearheading efforts to expand and upgrade facilities while growing support for important research and clinical training has been instrumental. He’s done all of this while also keeping the school focused on compassionate animal care.”
Markel’s interest in musculoskeletal issues was initially sparked by his own experience as a college athlete. In 1990, after earning his DVM from University of California at Davis and a PhD in orthopedic biomechanics from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, he joined the faculty of UW-Madison as an assistant professor of large animal surgery. Prior to becoming dean, he spent 16 years as chair of the school’s Department of Medical Sciences and as associate dean for advancement for 11 years.
Markel has also served as the president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).
One of the first things Markel set out to accomplish as dean was a major building expansion and renovation, addressing a need that had been talked about for years.
Construction on the new three-story north building began in 2021, and the small animal hospital opened its doors in that building’s first floor space on June 10 of this year. In total, the new building, along with planned renovations to the original building, offers nearly 200,000 square feet of space that takes into account the specific needs of patients, clients, students and scientists in a variety of ways.
The entire addition and renovation project features a large animal isolation wing, a 14,000 square foot covered arena that will serve as a year-round exam space for large animals, state-of-the-art imaging equipment, collaborative learning rooms for students and significantly expanded research space. Renovations in the existing building will be complete in 2025.
Markel felt strongly that the whole environment be a warm and welcoming one for clients and patients as well as for faculty, staff and students. There is now a larger waiting area with separate spaces for dogs, cats and small exotics to help to reduce stress on these animals; more exam rooms will decrease the amount of time clients and their pets have to wait. A café, rooftop terrace and outdoor courtyard with green space, opening in the next phase, will provide pleasant areas for people to relax and decompress.
“It’s [important] to lower the stress on everyone, whether it’s the animal we treat, the client we console, the student we educate or the staff or faculty member who works in these spaces,” Markel says.
The $174 million project was made possible by state support and $62.5 million in private gift support. This initiative was one part of the unparalleled fundraising success the school realized during the UW-Madison All Ways Forward comprehensive fundraising campaign under which the school secured $149.7 million, surpassing three campaign goals of $40 million, $75 million, and $100 million.
“One of Mark’s great skills is he is able to communicate his vision in such a clear and compelling way,” says Karen Walsh (’81 MA’89), past president, UW System Board of Regents, and member, SVM Board of Visitors. “I wondered how long it would take for the school to raise the necessary funds [for the building expansion]—but his passion for the project was contagious. The fundraising was a huge success, and Mark’s ability to keep the team informed and energized was a big part of that. He’s able to envision the school five to 10 years down the road and lay groundwork for his team to make things happen. He doesn’t shy away from difficult, challenging things.”
According to Kristen Bernard (MS’92 PhD’95; chair, Department of Pathobiological Sciences), research funding has reached a record high over the last several years, and faculty members in her department have been recognized with campus and national awards. “Mark’s support of teaching excellence has resulted in well-trained, top notch, award-winning graduate and DVM students,” Bernard says.
Under Mark’s leadership even more students will join the ranks of outstanding UW veterinarians, helping to meet the state’s and profession’s work force needs. The school began admitting 16 more students each year, raising the class size from 80 to 96 seven years ago. Applications to the school’s DVM program have increased 100 percent in the last five years. New faculty hires have increased by 25 percent to better educate and accommodate the larger class size.
Markel was also determined to redesign the curriculum to provide veterinary students with a competency-based course of study. “That took four years of significant efforts by dozens and dozens and dozens of people, and I believe it will position the school to be a national leader and also dramatically improve the education we provide to our students,” he says.
Instead of a lecture-heavy curriculum, the new program, which kicks off in fall 2025, focuses on four- or five-week modules that revolve around a central, unifying topic. “It could be around locomotion, for example,” Markel says. “And then you pull in all aspects that relate to that particular system, like, anatomy, radiology and physiology. Then you do another module, say, on cardiovascular issues or disease barriers.”
Fourth-year students will now start the year in March (as opposed to May) to provide them with eight additional weeks of clinical experience before they graduate.
A professional skills component will also be introduced on day one. Students will learn how to communicate with clients and have difficult discussions around illness or the necessity for euthanasia. They’ll also learn the basics of how to run a practice, how to achieve work-life balance and how to take care of their mental health. “In essence, they [will learn] many of the things that are not purely around medicine that you need to know in order to be a successful veterinarian,” Markel says.
Tom Bach (DVM’94, SVM Board of Visitors) serves on the school’s curriculum revision task force and worked closely with Markel. “Change is very difficult, and it can be a challenge to get everyone in an academic institution to move in the same direction,” Bach says. “This is a group of people with many responsibilities and time commitments, so change like this required many of them to invest lots of time restructuring their lectures and classes.
“In the midst of [the building project], a tremendously time-consuming endeavor, Mark thought it was important to undertake a revision of the whole four-year curriculum. I don’t believe that most people in his position would be able or interested in taking on two enormous endeavors like this at the same time. This speaks to his vision, strong commitment and desire to make the school, which is already considered one of the preeminent veterinary schools in the United States, successful and prepared for the future.”
Markel will add to his long list of accomplishments as the AO Foundation’s first veterinarian to serve as president in its 65-year existence. He has been involved in the Foundation since 1985 as a student and a faculty member, as the chair of the AO Research and Review Commission, and as the worldwide veterinary expert on the AO Foundation Board.
The Foundation has approximately 20,000 surgeon members working in the fields of craniomaxillofacial, reconstructive, spine, trauma and veterinary surgery and teaches more than 800 courses to approximately 80,000 people each year on every continent except for Antarctica.
Andrew Maccabe, the former CEO of the AAVMC from 2012-2024, says, “It reflects very well on the veterinary medical profession to have a veterinarian as the president of the AO Foundation. It’s a testament to Mark’s leadership skills that, even across disciplines and across professions, he’s recognized as an academic leader.”
Markel says he couldn’t have achieved all that he has without the support of his family, friends, and colleagues.
“All the things that have occurred, either since I’ve been a faculty member or as a chair or as dean, they’ve happened because of the collective faculty, staff and students wanting to make the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine an even better place to work, learn and discover. The people I’ve worked with have all been immensely talented in their own way. I’m incredibly thankful.”
By Christina Frank