Large-Animal Veterinary Professor at Colorado State University Earns Top Teaching Honor

During nearly 20 years teaching large-animal veterinary medicine at Colorado State University, Dr. Robert Callan has reassessed his role: He no longer sees himself as a traditional stand-and-deliver professor, but as a coach who helps students enrich their knowledge and skills.

The method makes a difference, whether Callan is focusing on sheep, goats, llamas, beef cattle or dairy cattle.

Callan’s dedicated and interactive style recently earned him a spot among the 15 Top Large Animal Vet Professors recognized by Vet Tech Colleges online. The large-animal veterinarian and professor in the CSU Department of Clinical Sciences is among the faculty and staff who have elevated CSU’s Professional Veterinary Medicine Program to the No. 3 vet school in the nation, based on U.S. News and World Report rankings.

“He is an engaging lecturer, and is very approachable,” said Elena Kaplan, third-year veterinary student. “When he teaches complex information, he doesn’t just gloss over it. He takes the time to go over it and put it into terms everyone can understand.

“He is fantastic.”

Callan is chief of staff for the Large Animal Hospital within the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He leads his students with energy and a true passion for veterinary medicine, said third-year veterinary student Elyse Dowdy.

Callan, a member of the American College of Veterinary Medicine, is an expert in livestock infectious diseases and immunology.

In 2007, Callan earned the American Association of Veterinary Medicine Student Teaching Excellence Award in Clinical Sciences. He also has been recognized with and the Carl J. Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Teaching Award sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health.

“The CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides the infrastructure for faculty to succeed as both clinicians and instructors,” Callan said. “Not only is it a premier hospital to provide the best service possible, but it is a premier hospital in that we provide the best teaching possible.”

The honor from Vet Tech Colleges was conferred to professors from the country’s top vet schools who demonstrate passion, dedication and tireless effort to spread knowledge.

“What makes it so special is that I know the other people on the list,” Callan said. “It’s amazing to see professors who have been and still are my mentors, and it is such an honor to be included on the list with them.”

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