The USDA just reported that there are 243 veterinary shortage areas across 46 states nationwide – the highest number ever. It’s a challenging environment, particularly when you consider veterinarians are on the front lines of battling avian influenza and dealing with a massively growing companion animal population. Dr. Bret Marsh, Dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, joins this week to help understand the evolution that’s happening in this space and how this gap is being tackled. We get into:  What he’s hearing from veterinarians in the field and those he works alongside on research How his past experience as Indiana’s State Veterinarian and now the Dean at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine has shaped a unique perspective on where this segment of the agbioscience industry needs to evolve Balancing the need for veterinarians in the field with a deep need to continue innovation at Purdue University – and the need for veterinarians to do that, too The latest updates of what’s happening at the Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital Areas that have Bret most intrigued right now – from avian influenza vaccines to OneHealth His optimism for the incoming class of veterinary students at Purdue and their insurmountable opportunities The top challenges that will need to be overcome in the industry in the coming years What’s on the horizon for Purdue’s College of Veterinary Science