Faculty Spotlight: Dan Vruink

Dan Vruink

Hospital Administrator, Animal Cancer Care and Research Center

When did you join the college?

2021

The best part of being faculty is …

Working with an amazing veterinary team focusing on treating and researching cancer.

The best advice I've gotten …

Listen

How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline?

Surprise!

My hidden talent...

Not so hidden, but I love to cook!

A person who has inspired me...

My 5-month-old son who takes on life's challenges with the biggest smile!

Words of encouragement to a current veterinary college student...

While I am not a veterinarian, I am married to an amazing equine veterinarian. After witnessing them go through veterinary school, internships a residency and Ph.D., my words of encouragement were silence. Find someone to listen!

One misconception that all students seem to have is...

You don’t have to be a veterinarian to help animals. It’s a big team that makes a veterinary clinic run!

If I had a superpower, it would be...

Being a horse for a toddler.

This excites me the most about the future of my industry...

Veterinary medicine and higher education are an exciting industry because it is a place of constant learning, creativity and new ideas that shape the future of veterinary and potentially human medicine.

A cause I'm most passionate about...

Smile Train as our son was born with cleft lip and plate. While he is fortunate to have the best care in the world, many children are not. This charity helps so many kids with cleft!

Favorite way to end the day...

Grilling on the BBQ and reading a book to my daughter.

Top of my bucket list...

Make it to at least 50 with some of my hair left!

My favorite quote…

"Why Daddy" - My always inquisitive 3 year old daughter.

How many pets/animals live at home?

Just one, Alife, who we adopted from the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. While he wasn't initially happy with the addition of two children he quickly learned that they are an excellent source of dropped food.

Anything else to add?

Enjoy the journey and you will reach your destination, where ever it might be.