Gaston College Vet Tech Building named in honor of Dr. Patricia A. Skinner
The Vet Tech Building on the Dallas campus of Gaston College was named today in honor of Dr. Patricia Skinner, who served as the President of the College from 1994 to 2020. The facility will be known as the Patricia A. Skinner Institute of Veterinary Technology.
Construction on the building began in November 2018, under Dr. Skinner’s leadership. It opened in August 2020, at the beginning of the College’s fall semester. The 15,665 square foot building houses the Veterinary Medical Technology program, which prepares students to assist veterinarians in their practices.
Dr. John Hauser became Gaston College’s seventh president on June 1, 2020. He thanked Dr. Skinner for her vision and oversight of the project that gave the Vet Tech program larger, more modern facilities than those in the off-campus site that had housed the program previously.
“Over the course of 25 years as President of Gaston College, Pat inspired vision and dedication to building a flagship institution in Gaston College,” said Dr. Hauser. “Her focus on providing a high-quality environment for student success led to many initiatives and building projects, with her last being this Veterinary Technology facility. Dr. Skinner had a lasting impact on Gaston College and touched the lives of thousands of students, faculty and staff.”
Dr. Skinner, who now has the title of President Emeritus, thanked Dr. Hauser, the Board of Trustees, and the Gaston College Foundation for the honor of having the Vet Tech building dedicated in her name. “You all know it does not happen without the support of a lot of people,” she said. “It wasn’t just me providing leadership. I remember arriving here 27 years ago and finding a community that loved Gaston College. I was so appreciative of this beloved community that really stood up and helped raise money and do the kind of things that were needed for Gaston College to grow and continue.” She also recognized faculty, staff and administrative leaders. “One of the things I’m most proud of is hiring and retaining the very best people.”
It was through the efforts of Dr. Skinner that Gaston College’s Vet Tech program was launched in 1995. Until that time, only one other community college in North Carolina had such a program, and Dr. Skinner, with the support of the Trustees and the Gaston College community, went to the State Board of Community Colleges in Raleigh to make the case that Gaston College should have a Vet Tech program. The campaign was successful and the program started in a small building at the Gaston County Animal Shelter, where it remained until the new on-campus building was completed in 2020.
BestColleges.com has consistently ranked the Gaston College Veterinary Medical Technology program as among the best in the United States. For more info on the program, visit gaston.edu/vet-tech.
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