In recent years, many institutions have had to address budgetary and environmental changes that compel the restructuring of programs and departments. It is generally believed that restructuring will create a more efficient program that will be better able to succeed in the future. To that end, the formation of the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) was announced this fall by the College of Veterinary Medicine. The mission of the newly created VDPAM is "to assist veterinarians, their clients, and others responsible for animal health in the detection, characterization, control, and prevention of animal diseases and to provide programs in professional service, education, and research that optimize productivity and animal welfare in the food animal industries while sustaining the environment and assuring animal product safety."

Picture this: it's a wonderful day outside, the birds are singing, the sun is out, and you are stuck in class. As you thumb through the literary genius of the Daily looking for the crossword puzzle or chat with the person next to you about how you just got hammered on the last pathology test, a deep rich baritone voice booms out "Welllllll ... Gooooood Morning!!!" and parasitology class begins. For those veterinarians who have graduated in the last several years, you will recognize the style of Dr. John H. Greve.

The staff of the ISU Veterinarian would like to extend our sincere thanks to both the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association at Iowa State University and the E. T. Cedarleaf Family Trust for providing us with funding for the purchase of a new computer system for the publication of this journal. The staff members have been "making do" with an old Macintosh computer for several years, and it has been increasingly apparent that this system would no longer be adequate for publishing the journal. With the generous contributions of these two benefactors, the staff has been able to purchase a Macintosh PowerPC and laser printer.

The indexes of volume 59 of the Iowa State University Veterinarian, as arranged by author and subject.

James A. Roth, DVM, PhD was awarded the SCAVMA Basic Sciences Award at the Spring 1997 Awards Ceremony. Dr. Roth is a Distinguished Professor in the MIPM Department at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Roth's research is involved in immunosuppression and immunomodulation. In his work with respiratory diseases, he "investigates molecular aspects of neutrophil dysfunction associated with stress, viral infection, or bacterial virulence factors" and how these defects can be reversed with "biologic response modifiers."