Tom Dew pictured on a bear research project in Wisconsin in 2021
Tom Dew (UGA 1968 – BBA) has always loved the outdoors and is an avid bird hunter. He is an active member of the Ruffed Grouse Society (an organization that unites conservationists to improve wildlife habitat and forest health for forest wildlife) and the Boone and Crockett Club (a nonprofit that advocates for fair chase hunting in support of habitat conservation).
Tom and his wife, Kris, have four mottos they live by: “Treat others how you want to be treated. Have a goal. Persevere. Give back.” Tom explains, “This world isn’t all about I, me, my. Help somebody else.” When they tragically lost their son, Michael, at only 19-years-old, the Dews established a donor advised fund (DAF) to honor Michael’s memory. Each year they support multiple causes.
Kris Dew pictured on a bear research project in Wisconsin in 2021
The UGA CVM is one of their grateful beneficiaries, as the Dews give annually and support a student’s research in Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS). SCWDS was founded in 1957 as a cooperative to provide wildlife disease expertise, diagnostic capacity, and research infrastructure to state wildlife agencies in the Southeast United States. Through Tom and Kris’s annual gift, they are able to help support wildlife conservation and research, while also supporting educational opportunities for students in veterinary medicine.
Tom says, “Anyone interested in wildlife from any prospective should be willing to support wildlife research.” Thanks to the generosity of the Dews, Michael’s legacy will continue to live on through student support given in his name. To learn more about DAF support at the UGA CVM, please contact Adam Roell, Senior Director of Development, at [email protected] or 770-307-6349.
