DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire and the State of New Hampshire will celebrate the opening of the new facility for the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (NHVDL) at a public open house Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015.

The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the new facility near the Macfarlane Greenhouses at Main Street and North Drive. Following a welcome from key personnel involved with the project, the public is invited to tour the facility.

"This expanded and much-improved facility has been needed for a long time," said Lorraine Merrill, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food. "The new lab will enhance productivity and expand capacity for handling larger livestock--important for animal agriculture in the state. The new lab's location adjacent to the Thompson School gives farmers and other users easy access to the lab's services. We expect this greatly improved accessibility will result in increased use of the lab's services, which will benefit animal agriculture and help protect public health in the state and region."

The NHVDL is co-funded and co-managed by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. It has served the university and the state since 1970, working at the junction of animal health, public health, environmental health, and economic health. The lab provides accessible, timely and accurate diagnostic services for the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, &  Food, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, state and local law enforcement agencies, veterinarians, farmers, and other relevant state, regional, and federal agencies.

The $2.5 million project consists of a 6,500-square-foot facility that allows the NHVDL to more effectively provide essential diagnostic services to the state's agricultural, veterinary, wildlife, and public health communities and enrich their contributions to the academic opportunities for students in the university's biomedical sciences and pre-veterinary medicine programs.

"This new facility not only allows us to better serve the state and region, but it ensures that our students will have modern facilities in which to obtain hands-on experiential opportunities," said Jon Wraith, dean of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and director of the NH Agricultural Experiment Station. "There are many stakeholders who depend on the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Whether they are a farmer, a veterinarian, a pet owner, or one of the more than 200 pre-vet and vet-tech students in our college, the lab has far reaching effects for them and the state."

The lab assists the New Hampshire Commissioner of Agriculture and State Veterinarian in their efforts to monitor and control important animal diseases. The lab also provides diagnostic services to hundreds of veterinarians from New Hampshire and New England who use the lab's histopathology, microbiology, serology, and necropsy services for the diagnosis of animal diseases in pets, farm animals, wildlife, zoo and marine animals.

"This new facility will provide improvements that will significantly enhance our ability to safely and effectively aid in the detection and diagnosis of various animal health issues that arise. With the growth in New Hampshire agriculture and the concern over emerging diseases the need for surveillance and diagnostic testing is essential to maintain healthy herds and a safe food supply," said Robert Gibson, managing director of the NHVDL.

The lab also contributes to the teaching and advising of students seeking training in the biomedical sciences. NHVDL veterinary pathologists and staff are employees in the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and assist with the college's Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program and Veterinary Technology Program. NHVDL veterinarians serve as advisors for pre-vet students in the program, and independent investigation courses are offered for students who wish to gain experience in the lab.

NHVDL services are made available through the cooperative support of the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. The New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association has been a strong partner in the history and ongoing success of the NHVDL and provides support and advice to the lab via a standing advisory committee of the association. 

The lab accepts tax-deductible gifts, which help strengthen and protect the state's agriculture, animal health, and public health systems. For more information on private support of the NHVDL, including making a gift in memory of an individual or pet, visit http://www.nhvdl.unh.edu/giving.

The open house is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP at http://unhconnect.unh.edu/NHVDL2015OpenHouse. Parking is available near the new facility.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 13,000 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students.

PHOTOS
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The NHVDL is co-funded and co-managed by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. It has served the university and the state since 1970, working at the junction of animal health, public health, environmental health, and economic health.
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Cynthia Lewis, senior program support assistant, and Ashley Azarowski, student employee, finish prepping the new intake area. The NHVDL provides diagnostic services to hundreds of veterinarians from New Hampshire and New England who use the lab's histopathology, microbiology, serology, and necropsy services for the diagnosis of animal diseases in pets, farm animals, wildlife, zoo and marine animals.
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The laboratory area features an open space concept for efficient work flow.
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Dr. Inga Sidor, a senior veterinary pathologist and assistant clinical professor, meets with a student in her new office.