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PROGRAMS OFFERED

The Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science is located on the Storrs campus. It consists of several units, including Pathology, Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, Bacteriology, Wildlife Diseases, Microchemistry, and Extension. The department is responsible for teaching, research and extension programs concerning infectious, metabolic and toxic diseases of agricultural animals, companion animals, laboratory animals, pet birds, poultry and wildlife. The department houses the Connecticut Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Northeastern Research Center for Wildlife Diseases. The general mission of the department involves the study of disease processes that affect animals and man. This includes infectious, toxic, metabolic, and neoplastic diseases of farm animals, pets, poultry, wildlife and diseases that affect public health and food safety.

GUIDELINES FOR MASTERS DEGREE

All Master degrees are granted in Pathobiology. Programs must be completed within six years with the student maintaining continuous registration. Your graduate committee should consist of a major advisor who is a member of the Graduate School and a member of the department, two or three associate advisors should be identified who compliment the area of anticipated research interest. This committee should be formed with the first six months of the student’s arrival to assist with course planning. The student should have frequent committee meetings to discuss research and academic progress. Plan of Study should be submitted prior to completing twelve credits of course work. An outline of proposed research should be presented to your committee for discussion at the end of the second semester of study. Students should also present their research prospectus early in their research program, usually within the first year. The prospectus is presented in a formal seminar setting in the form of a graduate student seminar. This seminar is an open forum for students and faculty. After the formal seminar, faculty and committee members discuss the research proposal. Students are encouraged to submit publications and present papers at meetings. Finally the student must present a final draft of the thesis to their committee at least three weeks prior to defense. The student will then present at a research seminar and defend their thesis publicly. The faculty will be invited to discuss the thesis and the student will meet with their committee and discuss the outcome of the exam.

GUIDELINES FOR PH.D PROGRAM

All Ph.D. degrees are granted in Pathobiology with areas of concentration in bacteriology, pathology and virology. All programs must be completed within eight years with the student maintaining continuous registration. Your graduate committee should consist of a major advisor who is a member of the Graduate School and a member of the department, a minimum three associate advisors should be identified who compliment the area of anticipated research interest. This committee should be formed within the first six months of the student’s arrival to assist with course planning. The student

should have frequent committee meetings to discuss research and academic progress (once per semester). A Plan of Study should be submitted prior to completing twelve credits of course work. Students will give at least three seminar presentations during their tenure (prospectus seminar, near midpoint of their research and dissertation defense). The General Exam should be taken within one semester after completing course work. A research prospectus written in the form of an NIH grant proposal and presented in the form of a seminar should be completed within six months of passing the general exam. After the formal seminar, faculty and committee members discuss the research proposal. Students should submit at least one paper for publication before their dissertation. The student must present at a research seminar and defend the their dissertation publicly. The faculty and committee discuss the research. Approval of the dissertation rests with the graduate committee.

FACILITIES

Pathobiology houses the Connecticut Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory which is equipped with a fully functioning mammalian and avian necropsy laboratory, histology laboratory, diagnostic microbiology, virology, serology laboratories and also houses the Northeastern Research Center for Wildlife Diseases and the Microchemistry Research Laboratory. Our facilities include an animal care laboratory with a surgical suite and a research farm. The department is located in the science complex close to the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and the University Biotechnology Center. Within the Biotechnology Center there are facilities for macromolecular characterization, animal cell culture, image analysis, transgenic animal production and Vaccine Research and Development. Collaborative programs are ongoing with the Department of Animal Science, Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Pharmacy Center for Biochemical Toxicology and Molecular and Cell Biology.

The Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science has an active seminar series and invites outstanding investigators to present their research and interact with students and faculty. The Homer Babbidge Library at Storrs provides seating for 3,000 readers and space for 3 million volumes. The building contains the major portion of the University’s book collection, housing 2 million volumes of the system’s total of 2.7 million. More than 3.7 million items are available in microtext. Current serial and periodical subscriptions total 18,615.

We also have a smaller library located in the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science with journals and texts that relate specifically to the research, diagnostic and teaching missions of the department.

COMMUNITY

The Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science is in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. The department is housed in three interconnected buildings in the heart of the University of Connecticut science complex with close proximity to the Biotechnology Center, Computer Center and Library.

The University of Connecticut grew out of the Storrs Agricultural School, which was founded in 1881 as a direct result of the gift of land, money, and buildings presented to the Connecticut General Assembly by Charles and Augustus Storrs of Mansfield, CT. Master’s degree study was offered in 1920. The Graduate School was established officially in 1939, and the University conferred its first Ph.D. a decade later.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Most graduate degree programs offered by the University are located at the Storrs campus, which is 25 miles northeast of Hartford. Storrs is a scenic, rural area. Programs in biomedical sciences and the marine sciences are also offered at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington (near Hartford) and at the Marine Sciences Institute at Avery Point (on Long Island Sound).

Approximately 6,500 students are enrolled in graduate degree programs. About 2,500 are working toward doctoral degrees.

FINANCIAL AID AND FUNDING

Graduate assistantships are supported by research grants and departmental funds.
 
 
 
 
 
 

De Guise, Sylvain, Assistant Professor
Frasca, Jr., Salvatore, Assistant Professor
French, Richard A., Assistant Professor
Kerr, Kirklyn M., Professor and Dean of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Van Kruiningen, Herbert J., Professor, Interim Department Head
 

Avian Pathology/Medicine

De Guise, Sylvain, Assistant Professor
Frasca, Jr., Salvatore, Assistant Professor
Khan, Mazhar I., Associate Professor
 
 

Clinical Chemistry/Toxicology

De Guise, Sylvain, Assistant Professor
Hill, Dennis W., Professor, Director Microchemistry Laboratory
 
 

Gastroenterology

Van Kruiningen, Herbert J. , Professor
 
 

Immunology

De Guise, Sylvain, Assistant Professor
French, Richard A., Assistant Professor
Garmendia, Antonio E., Associate Professor
 
 

Microbiology

Bushmich, Sandra L., Associate Professor
Geary, Steven J., Professor
Khan, Mazhar I., Associate Professor)

Parasitology

Frasca, Jr., Salvatore, Assistant Professor
French, Richard A., Assistant Professor
 
 

Virology

Garmendia, Antonio E., Associate Professor
 
 

Wildlife & Aquatic Animal Pathology

De Guise, Sylvain, Assistant Professor
Frasca, Jr., Salvatore, Assistant Professor
French, Richard A., Assistant Professor
Van Kruiningen, Herbert J. , Professor
 
 

ANDREADIS, Theodore G., Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Pathobiology. Head, Department of Soil & Water, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

CAMPOS, Manuel, D.V.M., M.Sc., Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of Pathobiology. Director, Immunology Research & Development Division, Pfizer, Inc.

GIRSCHICK, Theodore, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathobiology, Director of Laboratory Operations, SPAFAS, Inc.

LACKNER, Andrew, A., D.V.M., Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor of Pathobiology. Associate Professor of Pathobiology, Harvard Medical School

MARCUS, Philip J., Ph.D., Professor of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

REZUKE, William N., M.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathobiology . Director of Hematology Laboratory, Hartford Hospital

SASSEVILLE, Vito G., DVM, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathobiology, Chair, Section Investigative Primatory, New England Regional Primate Research Center

SCHWARTZ, Daniel, D.V.M., Diplomate, American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Campus Laboratory Animal Veterinarian, University of Connecticut

SEKELLICK, Margaret J., Ph.D., Research Associate Professor Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut

ST. AUBIN, David, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathobiology, Director of Research and Veterinary Services, Mystic Marinelife Aquarium

TSONGALIS, Gregory, J., Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor. Director, Molecular Pathology, Hartford Hospital

WU, Alan, Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor. Director of Clinical Chemistry, Hartford Hospital

YANCEY, Robert, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Pathobiology. Assistant Director, Molecular & Cellular Bacteriology, Animal Health Biological Discovery, Pfizer, Inc.
 
 

FACULTY TELEPHONE E-MAIL

Dr. Sandra L. Bushmich (860) 486-0846 bushmich@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Dr. Sylvain De Guise, (860) 486-0850 sdeguise@canr.uconn.edu

Dr. Salvatore Frasca, Jr. (860) 486-1138 sfrasca@canr.uconn.edu

Dr. Richard A. French (860) 486-5370 french@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Dr. Antonio E. Garmendia (860) 486-0346 garmendi@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Dr. Steven J. Geary (860) 486-0835 sgeary@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Dr. Dennis Hill (860) 486-4079 hill@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Dr. Kirklyn M. Kerr (860) 486-2917 kirklyn.kerr@uconn.edu

Dr. Mazhar I. Khan (860) 486-0228 mazhar.khan@uconn.edu

Dr. H. J. Van Kruiningen (860) 486-0822 herbert.vankruiningen@uconn.edu
 
 

Departmental Deadline for submission is March 1. Letters of reference and TOEFL (where applicable) should be sent directly to the department. Notification of Acceptance is early April. Receipt of completed applications after the above deadline will be reviewed with notification of acceptance following approximately 8 weeks later.

Applicants must apply for admission:

Maria Chartier
Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science
The University of Connecticut
61 North Eagleville Road, U-3089
Storrs, CT 06269-3089
Tel: (860) 486-3736
Fax: (860) 486-2794
EMAIL:  pathobiology@uconn.edu
 http://pathobiology.uconn.edu