Education and Training
The Keeling Center plays a vital role in helping to develop an appreciation for and an understanding of biomedical research. All educational programs at the Keeling Center have been developed by the Education and Training Committee to provide opportunities for individuals to dramatically increase their content knowledge in the sciences; access to scientists, veterinarians and other career role models in the sciences to both educators and students; practical hands-on student activities that coordinate with national science standards and curricular frameworks; and professional development for employees.
Veterinary Education and Training (VET) Program
The goal of the Veterinary Education and Training (VET) Committee is to promote and foster the education of veterinary professionals at all stages of their career. A focal point of the VET Committee at the Center is the oversight and administration of the numerous externship opportunities that are offered to foreign veterinarians, veterinary residents, veterinary students and veterinary-technician students throughout the year. In addition to this mission, the VET Committee oversees the continuing education of the resident veterinarians and faculty at the Center through the organization of weekly educational meetings. These meetings includes topics such as clinical rounds, pathology rounds, journal club, and primatology seminars. Finally, the VET Committee works with the faculty and staff to identify and recruit approximately six “Special Topic” speakers a year. These speakers are renowned veterinarians and scientists with expertise in areas of research and primatology that promote the continued growth and development of the Center as a whole.
For more information on the VET Program, contact us. Please put 'VET Program' in the subject line.
Graduate Education and Training (GET) Program
The goals of the Graduate Education and Training (GET) Program are to train graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research technicians to provide educational training in basic science research projects. The GET program also provides training to post-doctoral fellows and research technicians in career development and promotion.
The basic science projects at the Keeling Center include a range of diversified translational projects that are directly applicable to improvement of human health with particular emphasis on studies requiring various species of nonhuman primates.
For more information on the GET Program, contact us. Please put 'GET Program' in the subject line.
Behavioral Education and Training (BET) Program
The goals of the Behavioral Education and Training (BET) Program are two-fold. The first goal is to provide nonhuman primate research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows that will result in presentations, publications, theses, and/or dissertations. These opportunities can emphasize applied questions, basic research questions, or a combination of both approaches. The second goal is to teach our applied behavioral management techniques to others who are responsible for the captive management of nonhuman primates. We host an annual Primate Training and Enrichment Workshop for those directly involved in the implementation of behavioral management procedures, and/or an annual Primate Behavioral Management Conference designed to provide those responsible for building and enhancing behavioral management programs with the most recent findings relevant to the science of behavioral management.
For more information on the BET Program, contact us. Please put 'BET Program' in subject line.
Staff Education and Training (SET) Program
The goal of the Staff Education and Training (SET) Program is to provide educational and career development opportunities for the Keeling Center animal care staff. We believe that continuing education results in excellent animal care, improves and expands research endeavors, and promotes career opportunities for staff members.
To achieve our goal, we focus the following areas:
- Career Development - We support the staff in their pursuit of AALAS certification.
- Continuing Education - We provide on-campus continuing education seminars on clinical care, husbandry, and research.
- Research - We conduct an on-campus poster fair to encourage staff to create or participate in research projects that can be presented at professional meetings.
For more information on the SET Program, contact us. Please put 'SET Program' in the subject line.
Public Education and Training (PET) Program
The goal of the Public Education and Training (PET) Program is to focus on public outreach. We strive to educate the public on the beneficial research that results from animal studies, while maintaining the health and welfare of the animals under our care as our top priority. We present this information in a wide variety of public forums ranging from school career day events, Rotary Club meetings, and national/international conferences and workshops. We also host an Open House at our campus annually to provide an opportunity for the local community to tour our facility, interact with faculty scientists and staff, and observe interactive demonstrations.
Our public educational goals include:
- Benefits of biomedical research
- Advancements to medicine that have resulted in improved human and animal lives
- How students can pursue scientific careers to become future scientists, veterinarians, primatologists, and other professionals
- Behavioral research and how it improves the lives of nonhuman primates, and our knowledge of anthropology
- Our methods and management techniques that take nonhuman primate care to the next level of excellence
For more information on the PET Program, contact us. Please put 'PET Program' in the subject line.