Seventeen years after Dr. Michael Adkesson earned his DVM from the UI College of Veterinary Med, the field of zoo and wildlife medicine has grown by leaps and bounds.
So too has Adkesson's career.
“I have tremendously fond memories of numerous faculty from the College of Veterinary Medicine who all helped to shape my career," says the newly named president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society, who added a second UI degree in 2020, when he earned his MBA.
"They all had a profound impact on my education, but Dr. Jennifer Langan is definitely responsible for emblazing in me the sustained confidence that a career in zoological medicine was possible.
"At the time when I was in school, there were only around 100 board-certified specialists in the field of zoo and wildlife medicine. The profession has grown substantially since that time and I have now had the privilege of paying it forward to countless other veterinary students.
"Today, I consider myself so fortunate to be leading an incredible organization focused on conservation of animals and nature.”
