Faculty Spotlight: Mindy Quigley

Mindy Quigley, MA

Clinical Research Coordinator

When did you join the college?

2014

The best part of being faculty is …

Being able to tell people I work at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. I’m so proud of my colleagues for the work we do here, and I love watching people’s eyes light up when I tell them about my job.

My hidden talent...

In my spare time, I’m a novelist, with a series of lighthearted murder mysteries that center on a chef and her cat. They’re published with a major, mass-market publisher, available from most big retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, etc.), and have sold tens of thousands of copies so far. I publish under my own name, so it’s fair to say that particular talent is no longer "hidden"!

One lesser-known fact about my writing is that the cat in the new series was inspired by a research study about feline obesity and weight loss that we ran a few years ago.

A person who has inspired me...

There are too many to name! But I’ll narrow it down to two of my colleagues. John Rossmeisl and Shawna Klahn both do research on very intractable cancers. They are persistent, hopeful, and focused, even in the face of setbacks and daunting odds. They’re also incredibly compassionate clinicians, which comes across in their everyday dealings with owners. If, God forbid, one of my pets ever gets cancer, I wouldn’t hesitate to trust their advice.

If I had a superpower, it would be..

To prevent suffering.

Biology is awe-inspiring, and the body’s ability to survive and heal is a true marvel. When biology goes wrong, though, it can have devastating consequences. It breaks my heart when an animal or a human child is afflicted by cancer or another disease that robs them of their health. I’d love to have the power to instantly restore health, function, and wholeness to those creatures. For now, though, I’ll continue to use my administrative superpowers to help organize clinical trials that have similar aims.

My favorite quote…

Pet parenting comes with a built-in time bomb of heartbreak: even with the best veterinary care, we will almost always outlive our pets. So in my work, I think a lot about two quotes: “Being undead isn’t being alive,” (e.e. cummings) and “Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing” (Seneca). These words remind me that extending meaningful /quality/ of life should be our paramount goal.

How many pets/animals live at home?

Our geriatric miniature schnauzer, Peggy, is my special bearded lady. She has a bucketload of health problems, so you could say I’m taking my work home with me a bit.