The CSU Alumni Association will honor College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences alumni Dr. Bill Lance, and Dr. Norm and Ann Jorgensen at the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner, set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, in the Lory Student Center.
Norm (B.S., veterinary science, ’77; D.V.M., ’80) and Ann Jorgensen
Jim and Nadine Henry Award
It’s difficult to imagine more ardent supporters of Colorado State University than Norm and Ann Jorgensen.
The Jorgensens were among the very first to throw their financial support behind the building of Canvas Stadium, pledging $2 million in 2013 – a move that inspired other donors to jump on board. They are also passionate supporters of the men’s and women’s basketball programs and the CSU men’s golf team.
The Jorgensens not only love CSU and all things green and gold, they put their money where their heart is, supporting everything from Norm Jorgensen’s beloved College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to Rams athletics.
And, in 2015, they made another significant gift, creating the Jorgensen Laboratories, Inc. Chair in Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. This endowed chair supports a faculty position in emergency and critical care at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Norm Jorgensen spent several years in private veterinary practice before returning to work for his father, Irvin, at Loveland-based Jorgensen Labs. With the help of his brother, Hans, and brother-in-law, Earle Sethre, Jorgensen expanded the veterinary supply company well beyond the garage-based business his father started. The company now employs more than 60 and distributes veterinary supplies all over the world.
Jorgensen has served on both the CSU Development Council Board and the Athletic Director’s Cabinet. He was also the 2008 recipient of the CVMBS Distinguished Alumni Award and 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Athletics Award.
Ann Jorgensen is a tennis enthusiast and retired flight attendant who worked for Delta and Western Airlines. The couple’s daughter, Annelise, is a CSU alumna (B.S., business administration, ’12) and current student in the online MBA program. Annelise lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a model and actor.
Bill Lance (M.S., fishery and wildlife biology, ’71; Ph.D., pathology, wildlife disease, ’81)
CVBMS Honor Alumnus
As a wildlife veterinarian, Bill Lance founded Wildlife Pharmaceuticals Inc., the first company devoted to the development of specialized pharmaceuticals for nondomestic species.
Today, Wildlife Pharmaceuticals dominates the world market for drugs used in the capture and anesthesia of wild and exotic animals.
Before his career as an entrepreneur, Lance served as a veterinary medical officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1965-73, including service in Vietnam where he earned the rank of captain. He finished his Air Force career as the staff veterinarian for the USAF Special Operations Wing, working in counterinsurgency and counterintelligence operations.
Lance has written more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has made numerous presentations at scientific meetings. He was elected a fellow in the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 1995. He was also the 2003 recipient of the American Academy of Zoo Veterinarians’ Utility Achievement Award in Wildlife and Zoological Medicine.
Lance was an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Clinical Sciences from 1990 to 2002, lecturing on anesthesia, analgesia, and wildlife. He has mentored many students who are interested in wildlife medicine, pharmacy, and innovation.
Lance met his wife of more than 50 years, Sharon, on a blind date. He was immediately and permanently smitten. They were married by an Air Force chaplain three months later. The couple has a daughter, Dawn, and a son, John.
