Athens, Ga. – Don Mark Estes, an internationally renowned veterinary immunologist and vaccine researcher, has joined the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine faculty as the Fred C. Davison Distinguished University Chair in Veterinary Medicine.
Estes comes to UGA from the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he most recently served as associate director of research programs for the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Estes to our faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Sheila W. Allen, dean of the college.”Dr. Estes brings a wealth of experience to our very talented group of investigators who are dedicated to research in infectious diseases that afflict animals and people.”
Estes earned a Ph.D. in Genetics in 1988 from Texas A&M University.His laboratory will be housed in the college’s department of Infectious Diseases. “Having Dr. Estes join UGA at this time will provide a significant enhancement to an already terrific research program in the study of emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases,” said Fred Quinn, head of the college’s department of Infectious Diseases.”Dr. Estes is an extraordinary scientist and entrepreneur.His work, particularly in the areas of vaccine and therapeutic drug discovery, will enhance our research reputation and provide a translational platform for the development of new products and technologies.”
Dr. Fred C. Davison graduated from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 1952 and returned in 1964 to serve as dean.He became vice chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 1966 and was named UGA’s 17th president a year later.He served as president of the university until 1986.
Davison is considered largely responsible for boosting UGA’s recognition as a research institution.During his tenure as president, the university’s funding for research grants climbed by $20 million; by the 1970s, UGA ranked as one of the top 50 research institutions in the U.S.
Alumni and friends contributed the funds to endow the Fred C. Davison Distinguished University Chair in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine.
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, to conducting research related to animal diseases and to providing veterinary services for animals and their owners.Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock, and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share.The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 550 who apply.For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.
The current UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, serves more than 18,000 patients per year in one of the smallest teaching hospitals in the U.S.The college is currently working to raise $15 million toward building a new Veterinary Medical Learning Center, which will include a new teaching hospital as well as classrooms and laboratories that will allow for the education of more veterinarians.The goal is to increase enrollment to 150 when the Veterinary Medical Learning Center is built. For more information, see http://www.vet.uga.edu/giving/campaign.php.
