Tracy Blais

Professor Blais feels privileged to be able to return to her alma mater to serve, as she has for more than two decades, as Mount Ida’s Program Director and Department Chair for Veterinary Technology. A highlight of her time at Mount Ida was spearheading the building of the Center for Veterinary Technology.

Committed to both the field and the classroom, Professor Blais pulls from her more than 30 years of experience working in a variety of settings from small and large animal practice.”Attending continuing education allows me to bring that information back to my students.” And she does, combining real-world situations with learning through her lectures, discussions, student presentations, projects, and group work. She provides her students with valuable resources accessing websites, video clips, and animations.

Professor Blais is passionate about teaching because “our patients deserve quality veterinary care from educated professionals. Our clients expect the people who work with their pets to be knowledgeable, educated, compassionate, and highly skilled and that is what we provide. For technicians, education opens unlimited opportunities, builds perspective and expands horizons, and empowers graduates to change lives and make a difference in the world.”

Advances in veterinary medicine have resulted in an increased demand for educated veterinary technicians. “Most states now require technicians to be licensed to perform specific technical procedures.”

It takes a special person to succeed in the field, she says. “People who want to enter this field should consider volunteering for an animal shelter or shadowing a technician in a veterinary setting for real-world experience. The best people are bright, compassionate, dedicated individuals willing to work diligently to care for their patients and who are committed to lifelong learning.”