René Carlson

College of Veterinary Medicine, September 10, 2019

René Carlson received a bachelor of science degree (1976) in veterinary science and a doctor of veterinary science (1978) from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Over the course of four decades, Carlson served her local community in Wisconsin as a small animal veterinary practitioner, served her veterinary colleagues in the state as president of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, and served veterinarians of the nation as president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), before being elected to the position of president of the World Veterinary Association (WVA). She was only the second U.S. and first female president of the WVA. Under her leadership, the WVA became the global voice for the veterinary profession. While the trajectory of her career is remarkable, equally important was her commitment to raising awareness about the global importance of veterinary medicine in the areas of animal health and welfare, veterinary public health, and food safety. Her contributions to the quality of veterinary medicine service delivery, through improvements in veterinary education, is remarkable. She is described as a leader with an extraordinary ability to effect change.