Dr. Mike Henson isn’t sure how many cases he’s seen in his 32-year tenure with the U of M’s Veterinary Medical Center (VMC). “5,000? It’s gotta be more than that. 10,000?”

If you look at the full course of Mike’s career, he’s certainly seen more than ten thousand patients. “I started working at a veterinary clinic at 14. I liked it because I could work with my hands and mind, get dirty, and work with animals and their owners,” he said. “Animal people are fun.”

A love of animals kept him in the field (when asked if he preferred dogs or cats, he said, “That’s like asking for your favorite child”), but it’s the mission that kept him at the U of M. “We train the next generation of veterinarians and practice the state-of-the-art medicine of today while generating the medicine of tomorrow.”

“I work with great people–they’re super smart, hardworking, and creative,” Mike said of his coworkers. “Plus we have all the toys,” he mentioned, citing a 3T MRI,128-slice CT, and a Varian EDGE.

Clinical Work and Research

As an oncologist at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Mike sees patients, teaches students, leads residents, and performs clinical trials using groundbreaking techniques. Applications stretch beyond animals–knowledge about animal cancers is used to inform research and new treatments for humans. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” said Mike. “Someday someone will stand on our shoulders and do research I could never dream of.”

Mike is part of the Animal Cancer Care and Research Program. (He noted that care comes before research in the name on purpose.) “Our goal is to create a world in which we no longer fear cancer. It’s not realistic to eradicate cancer. Cancer will evolve as our treatments evolve,” he said. “Our goal is to cure where we can, reduce pain for all, improve and maintain quality of life as long as possible, educate to reduce fear, and [as needed] ease the passing of our patients.”

While Mike has seen thousands of patients over his decades at the VMC, he prefers to think about how many veterinarians he has helped train: more than 3,000.

Benefits of Working in the College of Veterinary Medicine

“There are rewards every day,” Mike says of working in the College of Veterinary Medicine, such as teaching at all levels; seeing patients; and working alongside brilliant researchers, veterinarians, technicians, and students. “Sometimes you see a spark go off [for a student or colleague] and it makes your day.”

Additionally, Mike appreciates that the University retirement automates retirement savings for him. [Through the Faculty Retirement Plan, the University contributes 10% while the employee contributes 5.5%.] He also is happy with the health insurance choices. A benefit he would love to use but hasn’t had the chance? “I fantasize about taking classes through the [Regents Tuition Benefit Program]. There are so many fun things to do and learn.”

And finally, Mike loves living in the Twin Cities. “I have three lakes within walking distance of my house,” he said. “It’s easy to get outside, and we have parks everywhere. It’s great for cycling.” He likes that there are so many great restaurants, music venues, dog parks, and sports teams in the metro area. “We have everything.” 

“It’s a calling. I didn’t really think about doing anything else,” said Dr. Susan Arnold of why she chose to be a veterinarian.

Her first job was a dog walking business that she started at the age of eight. “I actually made a lot of money!” From there she worked at pet stores and an animal hospital before going to vet school, though she briefly considered pursuing a career in human medicine.

In her work at the U of M’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), she has opportunities to improve animal and human health through her research. “I can take the Campus Connector to the East Bank to work with [Medical School] clinicians,” she said. “Veterinarians, researchers, and human physicians all come together to collaborate in an environment that I know I wouldn’t have anywhere else.”

Susan cites teaching students as another benefit of working at an educational institution. “Sometimes I wonder when meeting with a student, ‘Am I sitting with the next big name in the field?’,” she said. “Students and residents are a brilliant force to keep us up-to-date on the latest technologies and research.”

College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Culture

“We have a culture of ‘yes’,” said Susan. “We find a common goal and figure out how to do it.” When asked for an example, she shared the story of Moose, a German shepherd facing acute paralysis and having trouble breathing. “We brought together [experts from] neurology, emergency and critical care, anesthesia, and nutrition to provide diagnostic testing and support through his disease crisis.”

Susan also appreciates her relationship with leadership. “I receive strong support from my dean, department chair, and associate dean for clinical affairs. Leadership [at CVM] is very approachable.”

Working With Veterinary Technicians

“A lot of our technicians have a VTS [veterinary technician specialist designation] or are extremely experienced,” said Susan. “They add a valuable perspective to the care team.”

The veterinary technicians also allow veterinarians to focus on their specialities. “They’re really good at technical stuff,” said Susan. “I can ask a tech to do a complicated urinary catheterization on a female dog, and it’s going to be done without a problem.”

Other Benefits of Working at CVM

“We get to bring our pets! I have never worked a day in this office without Farley,” Susan said, gesturing to her dog at her feet. “It’s a great benefit to not worry about leaving an animal at home for too long. Plus, we look after each others’ pets. If I’m in surgery for hours, my vet techs make sure to take Farley out.”

Beyond animal-related benefits, Susan uses the dependent care FSA (flexible spending account) to help pay for childcare costs.

Location is another key bonus to working at the U of M. “We’re in a big city, we have an international airport. I like to say that there’s something for everyone and everyone for something.”

Favorite animal to work with? 

“I like performing exams on cats. Their diseases are not as well described as dogs’, so there are more opportunities to explore diseases,” Susan said. Also, she likes the challenge they can present. “They’re fun little space aliens.”  

Through the "Dear Minnesota" campaign, the University of Minnesota has collected stories of how the University has improved the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. Employee Heidi R. shared their story—here's an excerpt:

"I earned my master's degree in soil science in May of 2021 and continue working at NWROC [Northwest Research and Outreach Center]."

Read Heidi's full "Dear Minnesota" submission

Through the "Dear Minnesota" campaign, the University of Minnesota has collected stories of how the University has improved the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. Employee Marissa S. shared their story—here's an excerpt:

"The University of Minnesota's impact extends far beyond the walls of the campus, and I'm immensely proud to have played a small part in making our great state even better."

Read Marissa's full "Dear Minnesota" submission

Through the "Dear Minnesota" campaign, the University of Minnesota has collected stories of how the University has improved the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. Employee Lisa K. shared their story—here's an excerpt:

"I came to Minnesota in 2000, after a couple of jobs, I was hired on at the U of M. Long story short, using the Regent's Scholarship and working full time, I was finally able to make a dream of mine come true."

Read Lisa's full "Dear Minnesota" submission

Through the "Dear Minnesota" campaign, the University of Minnesota has collected stories of how the University has improved the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. Employee Karrie M. shared their story—here's an excerpt:

"I have found my dream career in higher education as a program manager and love being surrounded by topics and research that interest me regarding neuroscience, neuromodulation, and a variety of brain/neurological conditions that we hope to discover cures, enhance treatments, and improve the quality of life for all Minnesotans."

Read Karrie's full "Dear Minnesota" submission

Sausha Anderson-Burch grew up in Minnesota and LA, eventually attending college in LA to study screenwriting. “Someday I’d love to own an art and theater production company and direct projects,” she says.

Initially, Sausha started as a temp but saw a full-time Dining Services position available and applied for it to get the regular hours and set schedule. “The benefits here were also attractive–I’m thinking of taking some classes in art, design, or filmmaking.” (She can take these classes at a reduced price thanks to the Regents Scholarship, which covers 75-100% of tuition costs for University employees.)

Sausha enjoys seeing the wide variety of people come through Coffman, and sometimes she’ll get non-human customers too. “Sometimes the PAWS [Pet Away Worry and Stress] animals will be around. Like Phoenix the great dane–he’s so quiet but huge.” Sausha owns a menagerie of animals herself: a lab-German shepherd mix, two dragons, two frogs, and a fish.

While she’s working in Dining Services, Sausha is also learning a trade that can help fund her production company in the future. “I’m planning to apprentice as a body art technician, so I’m working on my [tattoo art] portfolio and focusing on a mix of realism, animals, and animation/cartoon style.”

Sausha will start as a supervisor at Erbert & Gerbert’s this fall, but over the summer she’s covering Chick-fil-A and working concessions at sporting events. “Working concessions is a nice break–you just scan the Skittles and process the sale.”

Learn more about Dining Services jobs at M Food Co.

Ray Scott has been at the University for nine years. “There's a wide variety of people here. I’m a people person, and I’ve learned a lot from the people here,” he says when asked why he’s worked in Dining Services for nearly a decade.

Ray is also a music fan, which partially explains why he works occasional shifts at the Target Center and US Bank Stadium, showing people to their seats at concerts. Plus, “I like to stay busy,” he comments.

On the day of his interview, he was two days away from his shift at the Taylor Swift show. He also worked at her last show five years ago. “I liked it better than Jay Z and Beyonce because Taylor interacts with her fans. She had three different stages [in the audience],” Ray says.

So what does he do with his extra income? He just returned from a trip to the Dominican Islands, and in November he’s off again to Cozumel and St. Thomas.

And here’s another perk of working concerts: while he’s not a Swiftie, he is one of the few lucky people to be paid to go to a Taylor Swift show. 

Learn more about Dining Services jobs at M Food Co.

Jeff Novak has worked in Dining Services for 26 years this February. Over his quarter-century with the University, he’s witnessed a lot of changes, worked in four different buildings, and seen thousands of students come and go. “Working at Wilson Library was my favorite–all types of people go through there,” he said.

He first came to the University because he was going to take a class. “So I decided to work here!”

He hasn’t taken another class since, but when he does go back to school he has a class in mind. “I’d like to take an Arabic class because I have friends who speak Arabic.”

He’s had several great experiences at the University, from seeing an eagle up close at Raptor Center to going to the Nutcracker Fantasy at Northrop Auditorium. “My first favorite memory, though, was my niece being born at the University hospital 45 years ago this November. . . . She had a head full of blonde hair and a loud cry."

In his time off Jeff likes to garden, growing perennial flowers, rosemary, lavender, and mint. “My lavender plant’s going crazy, so I’ll make it into a nice tea.”

You can find Jeff at Einstein Bros. Bagels in Coffman Union, where his order is an everything bagel with lox.

Learn more about Dining Services jobs at M Food Co.

Hear that voice ringing out in the Coffman Memorial Union food court? That’s Dining Services employee Shon Legg letting you know that your order is ready.

Shon comes from the restaurant business. “I like to stay busy, and I like to make people smile,” he says. His job at the University is the first union job he’s ever had.

A Chicago native, Shon moved to Minnesota 25 years ago to be closer to family. “They all came up here–my mom, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews.”

When asked if students get stressed around finals, he nods his head. “I give them a little more space. But really, I just treat students the way I want to be treated.”

You can find Shon bouncing between Panda Express and Chick-fil-A. Someday he’d also love to work on the Landcare team at the U of M too!

Learn more about Dining Services jobs at M Food Co.