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CORVALLIS - Oregon State University will host a "Symposium on Critical Issues in Animal Care and Use in Veterinary Surgical Education" on April 20-21 as the final event in the university's year-long exploration of issues in this area.

The event, at the International Forum in Snell Hall on the OSU campus, is free and open to the public. It will begin on April 20 at 6 p.m. with a keynote address, and continue April 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. with presentations from leading experts on this topic from around the nation.

To register and request disability accommodations, send an email to larry.roper@orst.edu by April 19 and indicate the dates you plan to attend. Registration is required if you wish to participate in meals that will be provided as part of the symposium.

The symposium was organized by the Animal Care and Use in Education group, which is composed of students and faculty from the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine; the OSU Program for Ethics, Science and the Environment; the OSU Division of Student Affairs; and the Vegetarian Resource Network. It is one part of OSU's Critical Issues Project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

"Speakers will be comprised of individuals who have shown a willingness to struggle with the hard questions and critical issues involved with managing the care and use of animals in education, with particular emphasis on the use of animals in veterinary surgical education," said Larry Roper, OSU vice provost for student affairs. "There will be a fair representation of the skills and knowledge found among leaders nationwide, reflecting the diverse thinking, diverse styles and a range of approaches to addressing this issue."

The keynote address will be presented by Dennis Avery, a senior fellow of Hudson Institute and director of Hudson's Center for Global Food Issues. He served for nearly a decade as the senior agricultural analyst for the U.S. Department of State, where he was responsible for assessing the foreign policy implications of food and farming developments worldwide.

Other experts will explore ethical issues, models of teaching and curriculum design. There will also be a student panel.