NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Ground was broken Friday for the creation of a new veterinary school at Rowan University.
Gov. Phil Murphy stood alongside state and local officials for the ceremony and dedication of the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at the university. It’s named after businessman Gerald Shreiber, who donated $30 million to jumpstart the program.
“I live close by,” Shreiber said. “I’ll pass this hospital every day on my way to work and to the office, so I’m really really honored.”
While the construction won’t be complete until 2025, six students, including Ethan Buzinkai, who has dreamed of being a vet since he was three years old, have already signed up to attend the new school.
“Eventually, I do want to open up my own practice,” Buzinkai said. “Myself, I want to specialize in exotics, see reptiles, birds, all that fun stuff, and then have people working under me – hopefully that do cats, dogs, horses possibly.”
Rowan University President Ali Houshmand says there are only five veterinary schools along the east coast – none of which are in Jersey. He feels students like Buzinkai deserve an in-state option to pursue their dreams to help keep costs down.
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“If you look around our region, too few of our neighboring states do either,” Houshmand said. “And nothing against Pennsylvania or New York, but just as I want to see more future doctors and nurses educated and employed right here in New Jersey, I want to see more veterinarians follow the same path as well.”
Murphy says he’s thrilled Rowan University will be one of two schools in the nation to offer a medical school, school of osteopathic medicine and now a school of veterinary medicine.
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Many thanks went around for making this happen, but everyone said it wouldn’t have been possible without the fierce advocacy of former State Senate President Steve Sweeney.
“So, for South Jersey, this is a game changer.”