Veterinary Awards

Honduran Veterinarian Honored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:17:36 GMT

Carlos Tabora, a veterinarian from Honduras, was recently recognized for his commitment to transforming the livestock system of his home country during the second Food and Agriculture Organization Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation. Through its ‘Recognition of Good Practices and Innovations’ initiative, the organization highlights projects that promote sustainability, resilience and equity in food systems worldwide.

“This achievement reflects the joint efforts of thousands of farming families who have decided to commit to a more just, profitable, and sustainable livestock industry for future generations,” Tabora says. “This recognition reaffirms the commitment of Honduras’s rural communities to building a livestock model that protects natural resources and strengthens livelihoods.”

Tabora is the acting livestock project manager for Heifer Honduras, the local branch of Heifer International, which works to end hunger and poverty in communities across the globe — including within the U.S. — through seed investments of livestock or agriculture followed by mentorship.

Congrats to @HeiferHonduras' Livestock Project Manager Carlos Tabora for receiving the @FAO Recognition of Good Practices & Innovations! His work has helped 10,000 Honduran farmers transition to climate-smart, inclusive livestock systems: https://t.co/2cIqleQREb pic.twitter.com/ihr9BvqDBG
— Surita Sandosham (@HeiferCEO) October 15, 2025

In his role, Tabora led program activities in Olancho, the largest livestock-producing region of Honduras. Historically, livestock production in this area revolved around the expansion of pastures at the expense of forests, which contributed to deforestation, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.

In response to this challenge, Heifer International launched the ‘Transitioning Livestock Production in Olancho: From Traditional Grazing to Climate-Smart Systems’ initiative based on the adoption of silvopasture systems. These systems integrate trees, forage crops and livestock grazing, and can increase meat and milk production, improve soil fertility, conserve water and capture carbon. This initiative also involved Field School educational sessions held on host farms where farming families learned about animal nutrition, pasture management, reproduction and herd health.

Over 10,000 farming families have adopted silvopasture systems, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity and an 11% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Further, this initiative has actively encouraged women’s leadership within agriculture.

The model being applied in Olancho is now being replicated in six additional areas of Honduras, with plans to expand to Guatemala and Mexico next year.

How A Kansas State Researcher Cracked The Code Of Cattle Pain Relief

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 21:44:28 GMT

No words are needed in the language of pain.

“Ow” and “ah” are universally understood, as are a yelp or a cry. A grimace or a rubbed hand over a sore spot or ache convey a similar message.

But like any language, the expression and understanding of pain is a learned form of communication -- one that’s especially difficult to pick up across species. For farm animals, though, Hans Coetzee has cracked the code.

Coetzee, university distinguished professor of animal welfare in Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has dedicated much of his career to assessing and relieving pain in livestock species. His work has been instrumental in clearing the way for the first regulatory approval of livestock analgesics, or pain relief medicine, that have eased the pain of millions of animals.

For these contributions, the National Academy of Sciences has awarded Coetzee the 2025 Prize in Food and Agriculture Science -- an award that recognizes research by a mid-career scientist at a U.S. institution who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production.

“Through his innovative work, Coetzee has not only advanced scientific understanding but also delivered creative yet implementable solutions to complex challenges that benefit animals, livestock producers, and society, the prize citation states. By bridging the gap between basic science and practical application, he has fostered collaboration with policymakers and industry stakeholders and inspired the next generation of researchers.”

Coetzee will be formally honored at a ceremony in April at the National Academy of Sciences’ annual meeting in Washington, D.C., where he will also receive a medal and a $100,000 award as part of the prize’s endowment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

“I feel incredibly blessed and honored to have the opportunity to do this work,” Coetzee shared. “I never expected it would lead to this recognition. I am especially thankful for the tremendous support from my family, K-State and the many colleagues, students and livestock producers who have collaborated with us.”

Coetzee has been previously recognized for his efforts to improve animal welfare. He received the 2017 Animal Welfare Award by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Veterinary Association’s Global Animal Welfare Award, also in 2017.

He also received Ruminant Well-being Awards at the World Buiatrics Congress in 2018, and in 2022, the K-State Alumni Association awarded Coetzee its Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Research.

Author: Rafael Garcia K‑State News and Communications Services

Dr. Mike Apley Named AVC Consultant Of The Year for 2024

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 23:07:02 GMT

The Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) has named Mike Apley, DVM, as recipient of the AVC Consultant Of The Year award for 2024.

The award, sponsored by Zoetis, recognizes outstanding achievements in beef-cattle medicine. Apley is the 38th recipient of the AVC Consultant of the Year honor, which was first presented in 1986.

The annual AVC Consultant of the Year honor goes to an AVC member who is active in veterinary consulting or practice in the beef industry. Nominees must have made an impact in the beef industry and be active in professional organizations. AVC members nominate their peers for the award, and the winner is selected by a committee of past recipients.

Apley was recognized with the 2024 award during the AVC annual winter meeting in Kansas City, Mo., earlier this week.

Valued Contributions As An Educator, Practitioner
Apley began his veterinary medicine career with a general practice in central Kansas, followed by a feedlot consulting/contract research practice in Colorado.*

He later joined the faculty at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and worked there until 2005. He then joined the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor of veterinary clinical sciences.

Today, as the E.J. Frick Professor in Veterinary Medicine, Apley currently teaches pharmacology and food animal courses and coordinates the advanced feedlot production medicine course.

This past May, the College of Veterinary Medicine appointed Apley as interim head of its department of anatomy and physiology. He took over duties for Hans Coetzee, associate dean of research and graduate programs, who served as department head since 2016. Read Joe Montgomery’s complete article here: Mike Apley named interim head of anatomy and physiology

Nationally Recognized Food Animal Researcher
Apley received a bachelor’s degree in 1981, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and a doctorate in clinical pharmacology in 1992, all from K-State. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology.

In addition to his role as an educator, Apley has conducted industry research focusing on infectious disease, antibiotic efficiency and resistance, drug residues and applications of drugs in food animals. He is well-known for his work with veterinarians and producers throughout the United States regarding the use of pharmaceutical drugs in food animals, as well as feedlot health.

Apley is a second-generation veterinarian from Larned, Kansas. His father, Dr. A.D. Apley, a 1964 Kansas State University veterinary medicine alumnus, operated the Apley Veterinary Clinic in Larned from 1964-2004.

AVC Award Criteria
The AVC Consultant of the Year award is presented annually to one veterinarian, based on the following criteria:
• Recognition for merits within the past year.
• Accomplishments in the practice of bovine medicine.
• Quality and competency of veterinary service.
• Activities in organized veterinary medicine and the beef cattle industry.
• Relationships and contributions to the beef cattle industry.
• Related activities and achievements that have impacted the fed cattle industry.

Dr. Apley is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, where he served as president from 2017-2018, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, where he served as president from 2004-2005, and the American College of Veterinary Pharmacology, of which he served as president from 2007-2009.
He also has served as the vice chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Dr. Apley and his wife, Kathryn, have two sons: Doug and Kyle.

Information for this article was provided by Kansas State University: Dr. Mike Apley - K-State College of Veterinary Medicine

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Two Bovine Veterinarian Students Receive Scholarships

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:20:28 GMT

Merck Animal Health announces it has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to two future bovine veterinarians in partnership with the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) Foundation, the charitable arm of AVC.

AVC provides continuing education to veterinarians involved in the beef cattle industry.

The scholarships recently were awarded at AVC’s summer conference in Denver. The 2024 scholarship recipients, each receiving $10,000, include:

Dylan Bostick, a fourth-year veterinary student at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine
Cody Minyard, a fourth-year veterinary student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine

“Merck Animal Health is proud to honor these veterinary students who have chosen to seek careers in veterinary medicine,” says Justin Welsh, DVM, executive director of livestock technical services at Merck Animal Health.

“Now more than ever the industry needs these bright minds, who will bring their dedication and learnings to animal care. These exemplary students embody our commitment to cattle care as well as to our mission to advance the Science of Healthier Animals,” Welsh adds.

“We are grateful to Merck Animal Health for their partnership as we support these veterinary students who will soon be leading the veterinary profession and providing critical support to the cattle industry in North America,” says Bob Larson, DVM, executive director, AVC. “These exceptional scholarship recipients have the skills and abilities to ensure a promising future for the beef industry.”

The AVC Foundation engages in a broad range of charitable, scientific and educational activities to support and promote veterinary medicine. It supports improvements and innovations in beef cattle health, well-being, productivity and sustainability through scholarship programs that benefit the future of beef cattle veterinarians, producers and the public.

To learn more about the AVC Foundation, visit http://www.avc-beef.org/default.asp .

Dr. Del Miles Receives Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame Industry Leadership Award

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 18:46:53 GMT

As Dr. Delbert (Del) Miles looks back over his distinguished veterinary career, he has little interest in discussing the many well-deserved awards and accolades he’s received over the years.

Instead, he wants to talk about the importance of people – the clients and colleagues and everyone in between – and how much they mean to him.

“It’s always been about the people; that’s what’s meant the most to me throughout my career,” says Miles, DVM, M.S. “I’ve enjoyed everyone in the feedlot industry, from the cowboys working cattle and washing water tanks to the individuals with MBAs from Harvard and Stanford.”

For his dedicated commitment and compassion for both people and cattle, the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame has named Miles the recipient of its 2024 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame Industry Leadership Award.

Unwavering Dedication
Miles is well-known in the industry for building relationships and rapport with the people as he worked with their cattle. One of his veterinary associates, Dr. Bob Smith, once described Miles as “tenacious, stoic and consistent, with a strong code of ethics, transparency, fairness and a well-honed sense of humor.”

With more than 30 years in feedyard medicine and consulting, Miles is also known in the beef industry for innovation, advocacy and applying scientific methods to evaluate, adopt and monitor products and practices.

His veterinary philosophy was known as being one of “management over medicine.”

In naming him as the award recipient, the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame said Miles has “shown unwavering dedication to the world of feedlot veterinary medicine and groundbreaking research in beef cattle production.”

A Missouri native, Miles says he knew early on he wanted to work with cattle as a veterinarian. “Midway through high school, my dad bought two loads of cattle that ended up requiring veterinary care,” he recalls. “In those days, veterinarians did all the treating of livestock, and that’s when I first thought this could be an exciting career.”

Data-Focused Pioneer
After earning his doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Missouri, working in private practice, then completing a master’s program in veterinary pathology at Kansas State University, Miles took a research veterinarian position with what was Bayer Animal Health, now Elanco. During that time, he oversaw trials for approval of new products and collaborated with leading scientists, gaining an appreciation for the value of rigorous scientific methods in feedyard research.

In 1984, Miles founded Veterinary Research and Consulting Services LLC (VRCS) based in Greeley, Colo., where he still resides today with his wife, Marlene.

From the beginning, Miles decided his practice would not sell animal-health products, but would instead review research data, conduct internal research as needed and rely on research results to help his clients make decisions. He and his partner and co-owner, Dr. Karen Rogers, eventually built VRCS to include six associates before they sold the practice to Dr. Trent Fox.

Miles has a long history with veterinary medicine organizations. He is a past president of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and a former recipient of the Consultant of the Year for AVC. He has been an AABP director and has been recognized with several awards from the association, including the AABP Award of Excellence in Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Bovine Practitioner of the Year. He also was inducted into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame.

Miles is a member of several state veterinary associations as well as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Colorado Cattle Feeders.

Dr. Leon “Sam” Barringer Honored With AVC Consultant of the Year Award

Why We Need to Reinvent Veterinary Care Now

Dr. Leon “Sam” Barringer Honored With AVC Consultant of the Year Award

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 23:26:49 GMT

The Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Inc. has named Col. Leon “Sam” Barringer, DVM, as the 2023 Academy of Veterinary Consultants Practitioner of the Year.

As a large animal veterinarian, Dr. Barringer is specialised in calf health management, epidemiology, evidence-based population medicine, disease outbreak investigation, and vaccinology. He serves as a consulting technical service specialist with Diamond V ruminant teams and plays a key role in the company’s food safety initiatives.*

Dr. Barringer earned his DVM from the University of California, Davis. After graduation and service in private practice in Pennsylvania, he became an associate professor at West Virginia University. He later joined Pfizer Animal Health, working as director of strategic accounts in the dairy and feedlot business unit.

In addition, Dr. Barringer worked for Merck Animal Health as a technical service lead for the company’s “Top

30" strategic ruminant accounts. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and the author or co-author of many peer-reviewed papers and is a frequently quoted expert in dairy and beef industry media.

A Distinguished Miltary Career

Dr. Barringer is also a highly decorated military leader and has deployed both as an Army and Air Force officer. He served as the deputy command surgeon for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission in

Afghanistan. During that deployment, he was also dual-hatted as the Chief of Staff and the Command Surgeon.

In that capacity, he had more than 300 medical professionals from 12 countries as direct reports into thatcommand, all while having the budgetary oversight of more than $200 million.

Previous to this, Dr. Barringer also deployed for 14 months to Iraq as a team leader assigned to a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, 1st Armored and 1st Cavalry, and to Afghanistan in 2006 as the S-3 Operations Chief in Kunar Province and Kabul.

Award Criteria

The AVC Consultant of the Year award dates back to 1986 and is presented annually to one veterinarian, based on the following criteria:
• Recognition for merits within the past year.
• Accomplishments in the practice of bovine medicine.
• Quality and competency of veterinary service.
• Activities in organized veterinary medicine and the beef cattle industry.
• Relationships and contributions to the beef cattle industry.
• Related activities and achievements that have impacted the fed cattle industry.

The award was presented to Dr. Barringer by Dr. Lee Bob Harper, director, beef strategic technical services at Zoetis, the award sponsor, during the AVC winter conference in Kansas City, Mo.

*An online U.S. Air Force biography and a Diamond V news release provided content for this article.

Top Honors Awarded to AABP Beef and Dairy Veterinarians

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 18:47:37 GMT

Applications Open for the Dr. W. Bruce Wren Food Animal Incentive Award

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 15:35:59 GMT

Here are a few details for consideration. You can learn more and apply at www.viticusgroup.org/faia-apply. Applications are due Oct. 12, 2022, so don’t delay.

ABOUT THE AWARD
Recipients of the Dr. W. Bruce Wren Food Animal Incentive Award receive a $1,000 stipend, complimentary registration, lodging, airfare, meals and a daily stipend to attend the WVC 95th annual conference in Las Vegas, Nev., February 19-22, 2023.

AWARD PURPOSE
The award is designed to promote Viticus Group’s goal of educating new graduates to maintain their interest in food animal clinical practice or other related careers such as food animal clinical skills instruction or applied clinical research while providing the educational enrichment opportunities offered by Viticus Group.

AWARD REQUIREMENTS
Graduation from an AVMA-accredited veterinary college

Currently enrolled in an advanced training program from an AVMA-accredited school (internship, residency or related graduate program) directly involving food or fiber production related to beef, dairy or small ruminant.

Award criteria emphasizes applied knowledge to further food animal veterinary medicine in the following order:

1. Clinical practice

2. Clinical skills educational instruction

3. Clinical and applied research

Recipients must be able to attend the conference in February 2023 to receive the award.

AVC Honors its Veterinary Consultant of the Year Award Recipient

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 22:06:15 GMT

The Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Inc. (AVC) named Dr. Tye Perrett its Consultant of the Year for 2021.

Dr. Perrett is a practitioner with Feedlot Health Management Services, based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada.

The award, which dates back to 1986, is presented annually to one veterinarian by AVC, based on the following criteria:
• Recognition for merits within the past year.
• Accomplishments in the practice of bovine medicine.
• Quality and competency of veterinary service.
• Activities in organized veterinary medicine and the beef cattle industry.
• Relationships and contributions to the beef cattle industry.
• Related activities and achievements that have impacted the fed cattle industry.

The award is sponsored by Zoetis and was presented to Dr. Perrett during the AVC winter conference in Kansas City, Mo., last month.

Dr. Mark Hilton Named Mentor of the Year

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:25:28 GMT

Mark Hilton, DVM, DABVP, was named the 2021 Mentor of the Year during the recent American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. This annual award, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond in educating, supporting and advancing the careers of future bovine veterinarians.
“Dr. Hilton has worn many hats during his time in the industry, but the impact he’s had on the next generation of bovine practitioners might be the most profound,” said Justin Welsh, DVM, executive director, livestock technical services for Merck.
“Not only has he taught countless students the necessary skills to be proficient in their careers, but he’s also put in the extra time and energy to truly help them thrive and make a difference in this field. That’s an effort worth recognizing and celebrating,” Welsh adds.
Dr. Hilton was born and raised on a swine and beef farm in central Indiana. He attended Purdue University for his bachelor’s degree in animal science and his DVM. Upon graduation, he joined the DeWitt Veterinary Clinic in Iowa where he spent 15 years as a partner in a predominantly food animal practice. Dr. Hilton then returned to Purdue University where he taught beef production medicine for 18 years and accompanied students on food animal ambulatory calls. Today, he serves as a senior technical veterinary consultant beef cow/calf for Elanco.
“The mark of a good mentor is someone who is willing to challenge you to rise above the norm and go for your goals,” said William Ware, DVM, associate veterinarian at Veterinary Agri-Health Services in Longview, Alberta, Canada. “Dr. Hilton will always be the first person to pat you on the back and tell you, ‘Good job,’ when you’ve achieved your goal, but in the same breath will say, ‘So what’s your next goal, and how do we get there?’”
While at Purdue University, Dr. Hilton developed the school’s Advanced Beef Cow-Calf Production Medicine rotation, a first-of-its-kind, intensive three-week rotation for veterinary students that, according to Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, MSc, DABVP, and partner veterinarian at Veterinary Agri-Health Services, is a rotation every beef practitioner should have the opportunity to take.
“I learned more about how to be a successful beef cattle practitioner in those three weeks than I did my entire clinical year in veterinary school,” said Homerosky. “As a result of that rotation, I achieved diplomat status through ABVP and was appointed cow-calf team lead at my practice. These achievements wouldn’t have been possible if I had not crossed paths with Dr. Hilton.”
For Amanda Emery-Durell, DVM, relief veterinarian in southern Iowa, the traditional definition of “mentor” falls short when describing Dr. Hilton. “Impacting the lives within the bounds of veterinary medicine was never enough for Dr. Hilton, as his caring nature and undeniably genuine interest in people extends to all aspects of one’s life,” said Emery-Durell. “Dr. Hilton is an experienced and trusted advisor, endless motivator, connector of people, and encourager of innovation and excellent service in veterinary medicine, positively impacting anyone within his realm of influence.”
Dr. Hilton is a member of the AABP, American Veterinary Medical Association, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Indiana VMA and is also a past president of the Western Veterinary Conference (WCV). He has received numerous awards, including SAVMA’s national teaching award in 2000, WCV’s continuing educator of the year award in 2009, Merial and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Excellence in Preventive Medicine Award for Beef in 2012, and in 2013 was named by Bovine Veterinarian as one of the 20 most influential bovine veterinarians in North America. Dr. Hilton and his wife, Denise, have been married 40 years and have two sons, three grandsons and three granddaughters.

Top Honors Awarded to AABP Dairy and Beef Veterinarians

Hats Off to Veterinary Student Award Recipients

Hats Off to Veterinary Student Award Recipients

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 20:03:30 GMT

Congratulations to the recipients of top honors in the student case presentation competition and, also, the research summaries graduate student awards. Awards were presented at the 2021 American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual conference in Salt Lake City earlier this month.

2021 Student Case Presentation Competition Winners
• Overall Winner – Monika Dzuiba, Michigan State University
Negatively Controlled Trial Investigating the Effect of Dry Cow Therapy on Clinical Mastitis and Culling

Research Report Winners
o Research Project – First Place
Monika Dzuiba, Michigan State University
Negatively Controlled Trial Investigating the Effect of Dry Cow Therapy on Clinical Mastitis and Culling

o Research Project – Second Place
Megan McMahon, University of Minnesota
Effect of water tank sanitation on water quality, bacterial and viral contamination, and feed intake of cattle in a midwestern feedlot

Clinical Case – Jessica Garcia, The Ohio State University
Management of a zoonotic emerging multidrug resistant Salmonella enterica serotype 4, 5, 12, i- on dairies in the Midwest

2021 AABP Research Summaries Graduate Student Awards
• First Place – Lisa Gamsjäger, University of Calgary
Do volume, immunoglobulin G content and feeding method of the first colostrum meal impact subsequent nursing behavior and transfer of passive immunity in beef calves?

• Second Place – William Crosby, Mississippi State University
Comparison of sampling methods and diagnostic techniques for recovery of Mannheimia haemolytica from feedlot cattle

• Third Place – Claira Seely, Cornell University
The association of prepartum urine pH and periparturient activity and rumination time on postpartum subclinical hypocalcemia dynamics in Holstein cows

Top Honors Awarded to AABP Dairy and Beef Veterinarians

Top Honors Awarded to AABP Dairy and Beef Veterinarians

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 19:21:53 GMT

The top honor that an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) member can obtain in his or her career is the AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year award sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

At the 2021 54th AABP Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 7-9, Dr. Kelly Barratt, Listowel, Ontario, received this prestigious honor. This award honors a veterinarian in active practice who is active in organized veterinary medicine and has made significant contributions to bovine medicine. Barratt is the first woman to receive this award from AABP.

Several other bovine veterinarians were also honored via the virtual platform at the Annual Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon on October 9. They are:

AABP Award of Excellence
Sponsored by AABP, recipients must be involved in teaching, research, industry or government areas. The recipient’s professional activities must have had a consistent and direct influence on daily activities of veterinarians in bovine practice. The 2021 recipient is:
Dr. Nigel Cook, Waunakee, Wis.

Zoetis Distinguished Service Award
The recipient of this award is an individual who, through long and continued service, has promoted the goals of the AABP and whose accomplishments have served as a model for service to bovine agriculture through organized veterinary medicine. The 2021 recipient is:
Dr. Dale Moore, Moscow, Idaho

Merck Animal Health Mentor-of-the-Year Award
The recipient of this award is an AABP member who has been engaged in the field of veterinary medicine for at least 25 years and has served as both advisor and role model to pre-veterinary and/or veterinary students. This award is given to a member who embodies this spirit whether in practice, the clinic, or the classroom. The 2021 recipient is: Dr. Mark Hilton, West Lafayette, Ind.

Boehringer Ingelheim Excellence in Preventive Medicine Awards
This award recognizes individual member practitioners or practices that have developed outstanding preventive medicine programs. Because of differences in management goals and needs, one award is given to recognize an outstanding program for dairy production, and one for beef production. The 2021 recipients are:
(Dairy) Dr. Dr. James Bennett, Plainview, Minn.
(Beef) Dr. Christine Navarre, Baton Rouge, La.

Dr. James A. Jarrett Award for Young Leaders
Recipients of this award have graduated veterinary school within 10 years, have given extraordinary service to the AABP in a manner that significantly enhances the mission of the organization, and whose contributions will help ensure the current and future success of the AABP. The 2021 recipient is:
Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, Rocky View County, Alberta

Amstutz-Williams Award
This award honors the late of Dr. Harold E. Amstutz, who served the AABP as secretary-treasurer and executive vice president until 1993, and Dr. Eric I. Williams who was the editor of the Bovine Practitioner and Proceedings Book from 1969 until 1998. The award was made to recognize the long and distinguished services of the two honorees. It will be the highest honor that can be bestowed by the AABP and this will only be presented when a highly qualified individual is nominated and selected for outstanding service to the veterinary profession.
Dr. Dee Griffin, Lincoln, Neb.

AABP Honorary Life Membership
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners consists of veterinarians and veterinarian students with an interest in cattle practice. The AABP Board of Directors has recognized non-veterinarians who have made significant contributions to the organization, its members, or bovine veterinary medicine. The board can confer Honorary Life Membership to recognize these individuals. The recipient of the AABP Honorary Life Membership is Mr. Dick Lewis, Orono, Minn.

Other awards given at the 2021 54th AABP Annual Conference include:

2021 AABP Foundation Competitive Research Grant Award
• Assessment of systemic inflammation following oral calcium supplementation in postpartum dairy cows
Dr. Stephen LeBlanc, Ontario Veterinary College

2021 AABP Foundation Cattle Welfare Grant Awards*
• Evaluating the efficacy of two local anesthetic options to reduce pain in calves after cautery dehorning
Dr. Abbie Viscardi, Kansas State University

• Determination for the need for analgesics in day-old calves following cautery disbudding
Dr. Pat Gorden, Iowa State University

*These grants are supported by an anonymous donor with matching funds from the AABP Foundation.

2021 AABP Research Summaries Graduate Student Awards
• First Place – Lisa Gamsjäger, University of Calgary
Do volume, immunoglobulin G content and feeding method of the first colostrum meal impact subsequent nursing behavior and transfer of passive immunity in beef calves?

• Second Place – William Crosby, Mississippi State University
Comparison of sampling methods and diagnostic techniques for recovery of Mannheimia haemolytica from feedlot cattle

• Third Place – Claira Seely, Cornell University
The association of prepartum urine pH and periparturient activity and rumination time on postpartum subclinical hypocalcemia dynamics in Holstein cows

2021 Student Case Presentation Competition Winners
• Overall Winner – Monika Dzuiba, Michigan State University
Negatively Controlled Trial Investigating the Effect of Dry Cow Therapy on Clinical Mastitis and Culling
• Research Report Winners
o Research Project – First Place
Monika Dzuiba, Michigan State University
Negatively Controlled Trial Investigating the Effect of Dry Cow Therapy on Clinical Mastitis and Culling
o Research Project – Second Place
Megan McMahon, University of Minnesota
Effect of water tank sanitation on water quality, bacterial and viral contamination, and feed intake of cattle in a midwestern feedlot
• Clinical Case – Jessica Garcia, The Ohio State University
Management of a zoonotic emerging multidrug resistant Salmonella enterica serotype 4, 5, 12, i- on dairies in the Midwest

Smith receives Industry Achievement Award at Feeding Quality Forum

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 16:21:23 GMT

The hands of a veterinarian hold the life cycle of an animal in their care. The mind, however, directs the hands.

Anyone who’s met Dr. Bob Smith knows the way he thinks is something else.

“There was one time he told me I needed to look at the 1993, page 4, 2nd edition of the Bovine Practitioner for a problem I had,” says Miles Theurer, the research director for Veterinary Research and Consulting Services (VRCS) and Hy-Plains Feedyard near Montezuma, Kansas. “I was like, ‘yeah, okay.’ But I actually pulled it up and he nailed it spot on.”

What Theurer – and anyone who’s worked with Smith – has come to understand is, the vet knows his stuff.

It’s come from more than 30 years in the industry caring for its people and cattle.

(Farm Journal)

Smith joins the rankings of people like Larry Corah, Jerry Bohn, John Matsushima and Topper Thorpe with the 2021 Industry Achievement Award presented at Feeding Quality Forum, August 24 in Fort Collins, Colo.

Smith grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas – five miles from Missouri and 20 miles from Oklahoma. His dad worked off the farm but the Smith family ran a few beef cows, milked a few dairy cows and had some horses.

He joined the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) research efforts 30 years ago and hasn’t looked back. When he got involved, injection site lesions were known to diminish beef quality. He helped create new best practices, moving injections from the top butt to the neck. He developed BQA trainings about the procedure.

“We went from about 24% of fed cattle carcasses having injection site lesions down to virtually none,” he says.

In the early 2000s, he became chair of the BQA group studying cattle welfare. The group learned stress suppresses the cattle immune system, making cattle more susceptible to disease and other problems. They developed a guide on cattle handling and started stockmanship schools around the country.

“We’ve improved the quality of our product a lot, but we’re not sitting on our laurels,” Smith says. “We’re looking for new opportunities and not forgetting what we’ve accomplished in the past.”

Outside of his work with BQA, he’s spent nearly 25 years in post-education positions and nearly the equivalent in the private sector. Currently, he’s a vet with VRCS, which serves around 60 feedyards.

He’s accumulated much knowledge over his nearly four-decade career and shares as much as possible in the personal, one-on-one encounters he cherishes.

He’ll see that yard personnel follow protocols correctly. When driving the yard, he carefully observes pen riders, handing them 3x5 cards with detailed notes.

Tom Jones, manager of Hy-Plains Feedyard, friend and client of the veterinarian for more than 30 years, says Smith lives and dies by education, stockmanship and protocols.

“Doc Bob likes to use stockmanship as his number one antibacterial,” Jones says. “But his priority when he visits our yard is education. He spends more time with our doctors and cowboy crews than he does in the office with me.”

Smith’s work ethic is legendary, according to Jones. To his knowledge, few people have necropsied more cattle or have as much experience. “He loves to find out what went wrong,” he says.

“I think partly why the businesses that I’ve been around have done okay is because of the guidance of Doc Bob,” Jones adds.

Every year Smith helps host an antimicrobial resistance meeting at the Hy-Plains Education and Research Center. Attendees represent nearly a third of the U.S. fed cattle production.

He thrives on providing solutions to big challenges like respiratory diseases or growth performance.

(Farm Journal)

“It’s where the producer gets the most return,” Smith explains.

With years of experience, his white hair, and suffering chronic back pain, clients may wonder when he’ll stop coming by.

“If my golf game was better, I might’ve quit by now,” Smith jokes. “But I’m a terrible golfer, and I still enjoy getting up and going to work.”

He hopes to be remembered as a “pretty good veterinarian;" someone who loved his profession, his family, his God and gave it all he had.

“There are so many people that are deserving of this award,” Smith says. “Really it’s a shared award. No matter what you’ve accomplished, someone has helped you. But I’m deeply grateful.”

North Dakota State Veterinarian Named Agriculturist of the Year

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:20:39 GMT

The North Dakota State University’s Saddle and Sirloin Club will honor State Veterinarian Susan Keller as Agriculturalist of the Year. The presentation will take place during an evening banquet at NDSU’s 2019 Little International showmanship contest which takes place Feb. 8 and 9.

The 300-member NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club leads the event.

Dr. Keller has served as North Dakota state veterinarian since 2004. Previously, she operated her own veterinary clinic and served as deputy state veterinarian. Keller and her family also run Keller Broken Heart Ranch south of Mandan.

Read more from the Bismarck Tribune .

Gordon Atkins Named Mentor of the Year

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:12:10 GMT

Gordon Atkins, DVM, was named the Mentor of the Year at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) national conference. The annual award, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, recognizes an individual who has played a role in educating, supporting and advancing the careers of future bovine veterinarians

Dr. Atkins grew up on a dairy farm in the Calgary, Canada area, received his DVM, with distinction, from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973 and has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Calgary area since graduation. In 2008, Dr. Atkins joined the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) as senior instructor, clinical skills, and in 2015 was one of only a few faculty members to be given the inaugural designation of teaching professor.

“Mentoring and teaching come easily to Dr. Atkins, as he simply leads by example: first one at the clinic in the morning, last one to leave, a constant professional,” said Troy Drake, DVM, owner of HerdTrax Inc., Kathyrn, Alberta, who was hired by Dr. Atkins’ veterinary practice as a third-year veterinary student and subsequently an associate veterinarian. “His contributions go well beyond bovine surgery and medicine. He has made his students, fellow veterinarians, the veterinary profession, cattle producers, and the entire livestock industry better off because of his passion for and mentorship within veterinary medicine.”

Dr. Atkins has played a large role in the delivery of the university’s DVM program, according to John Kastelic, professor and head of the Department of Production Animal Health, University of Calgary. “He has 300 to 400 hours of contact time spent with students annually for lectures and laboratories,” said Kastelic. “He draws on his decades of practice experience and huge library of photographs and videos to convey his message. He consistently receives extremely high rankings from veterinary students in teaching assessments.”

Dr. Atkins has won many awards for his contributions to veterinary medicine, including the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association of the Year Award, Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award and a University of Calgary Union Teaching Excellence Award through nomination by veterinary students.

Student Rae-Leigh Pederzolli said Dr. Atkins is one of the most involved professors and mentors that a student could ask for, and that didn’t stop after she left school. “As a new graduate, I have called Dr. Atkins late at night and early in the morning only to hear happiness in his voice to hear from me while wondering what case was presented to me that day,” said Pederzolli. “I am grateful that he hasn’t retired yet, but even then his phone will always be on.”

Dr. Atkins is an active member of numerous veterinary organizations, including AABP, where he served as president in 1992 and received the AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year Award in 1988. He is an Honor Roll member of AABP and the 14th recipient of the Mentor of the Year Award, which was established in 2007.

AVC Names Carter King 2019 Consultant of the Year

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:11:33 GMT

During the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) Conference this week, the Academy named Carter King, DVM, 2019 Consultant of the Year. Dr. King unfortunately passed away in July 2019. Born in Texas, King was a fourth-generation rancher and earned his DVM degree from Texas A&M University. He practiced in Texas and worked in Colorado for several years before joining Cactus Feeders in Amarillo in 2006. He was an Honorary Director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a board member of the Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show in Ft. Worth, and a past member of the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Zoetis sponsors the prestigious AVC Consultant of the Year Award.

AABP Student Members Collect $275,000 in Scholarships and Awards

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:11:12 GMT

Just over $275,000 in scholarships, awards and other support was awarded to veterinary students and graduate veterinarians at the 2019 52nd American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference held September 12-14 in St. Louis, Mo. The awards, funded by AABP members, AABP partners and the AABP Foundation, will enable recipients to further pursue their careers in bovine medicine.

”The AABP Foundation administers all of the charitable functions of AABP. In 2019, over $300,000 in awards, scholarships, education grants, externship grants and funding of clinical research was supported by the AABP Foundation,” says AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich. “Supporting students and clinical research is a major mission of both AABP and the AABP Foundation. This funding is made possible through the generous donations of our members as well as the support of our industry partners including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Animal Health and Zoetis.”

Amstutz Scholarships ($7,500 each)

Grace Ertle, Michigan State University
Elisabeth Forker, Iowa State University
Karalyn Lonngren, University of Pennsylvania
Shelbey Nagle, Washington State University
Meghan Oswald, Cornell University
Jonathan Richardson, Purdue University
Austin Wenck, University of Wisconsin

Find out more about the Amstutz Scholarship at https://aabp.org/about/amstutz_winners.asp

AABP Foundation Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Awards sponsored by Merck Animal Health ($5,000 each)

Austin Ashbacher, Iowa State University
McKenzie Beals Weber, Iowa State University
Thomas Duff, University of Minnesota
Landon Fitzgerald, Washington State University
Elisabeth Forker, Iowa State University
Lauren Gentle, University of California-Davis
Mary Liebenstein, University of Minnesota
Kyle Longcore, Michigan State University
Caitlyn Mullins, North Carolina State University
Kathryn Osborne, Michigan State University
Rae-Leigh Pederzolli, University of Calgary
Luiza Placheta, University of Missouri
Morgan Richard, Louisiana State University
Dallas Shaw, Washington State University
Nicholas Shen, Lincoln Memorial University
Austin Wenck, University of Wisconsin
Janelle Wiser, North Carolina State University
Nathan Yerian, University of California-Davis

Find out more about the award at https://aabp.org/about/student_rec_winners.asp .

AABP Foundation-Zoetis Scholarships ($5,000 each and a $750 travel stipend for those students attending the conference)

Elizabeth Endres, University of Wisconsin
Emily Griswold, University of Pennsylvania
Andrew Harding, Colorado State University
Scout Josey, University of Georgia
Colleen Potter, Michigan State University
Adam Strebe, University of Wisconsin
Emil Walleser, University of Wisconsin
Austin Whitmon, Mississippi State University
Janelle Wiser, North Carolina State University
Nathan Yerian, University of California-Davis

Find out more about the award at https://aabp.org/about/zoetis_winners.asp .

AABP Student Case Competition/Research Presentation Winners

Overall Winner: Margaret LaFlamme, University of Tennessee

Clinical Case Report

First Place: Margaret LaFlamme, University of Tennessee

Research Report

First Place: Jessica Garcia, The Ohio State University
Second Place: Maddison Tyrrel, Iowa State University

Find out more about the Student Case Competition at https://aabp.org/Students/case/default.asp?year=2014&type=StudentCase .

2019 AABP Research Summaries Graduate Student Awards

These awards are funded in part by the Bovine Respiratory Disease Symposium.

First Place: Dr. Kathryn Bach, Cornell University, Effect of storage time and temperature on total calcium concentrations in bovine blood
Second Place: Mr. Chris McMullen, University of Calgary, Evolution of the nasopharyngeal bacterial microbiota from spring processing to 40 days after arrival at the feedlot in beef calves
Third Place: Dr. Sam Rowe, University of Minnesota, Selective Dry Cow Therapy on US Dairy Farms: Impact on Udder Health and Productivity

2019 AABP Foundation Competitive Research Grants

Dr. Alvaro Garcia-Guerra, The Ohio State University, Evaluation of on-animal sensors for early detection of disease and beef bull performance during the breeding season
Dr. Brian Aldridge, University of Illinois, Randomized field trial examining the economic benefits of targeted treatment of hyperketonemia in transition dairy cows

Find out more about the Competitive Research Grants at https://foundation.aabp.org/research_proposal/default.asp .

2019 AgriLabs Dr. Bruce Wren Continuing Education Awards ($5,000 each)

(Beef) Dr. Lauren Mack, Plainville, Kan.
(Dairy) Dr. Kendra Wells, Seymour, Wis.

Find out more about the award at https://aabp.org/Members/ce_award/default.asp .

2019 Quiz Bowl Winners – University of Calgary

Twenty-seven teams representing 20 veterinary schools participated in the 2019 Quiz Bowl. The University of Calgary had two teams, and the team of Brenden Hilgartner, Megan Dick, Nurmo Atabayev and Rae-Leigh Pederzolli pulled off the win.

The 2020 53rd AABP Annual Conference will be held September 24-26 in Louisville, Ky.

CSU Honors George Seidel

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:11:12 GMT

George Seidel probably needs a bigger display case. He’s accumulated a long list industry awards and academic honors, padded last week with Colorado State University’s 2009 Livestock Leader Award.

Seidel, an emeritus University Distinguished Professor at Colorado State University, has spent his career at the forefront of bovine reproduction research, and continues to collaborate with other CSU researchers and test theories on his own herd of purebred and commercial Angus cattle.

Among Seidel’s achievements over 40 years on the CSU faculty:
• He founded one of the first embryo-transfer laboratories in the world at CSU in 1973.
• He was the first scientist to successfully split an embryo to create two clones.
• He was instrumental in developing the processes for sex-sorting semen, a technology in common use today.
• Seidel was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1992.
• He has published over 200 research articles in scientific journals.
• He has developed and tested numerous synchronization and artificial insemination protocols for beef and dairy cattle.

Over the years, Seidel has collaborated with other CSU researchers and students to conduct trials in his own herd at Rabbit Creek Angus Ranch near Livermore, Colo. Most recently, he’s managed a herd of heifers to evaluate his concept for an “all-heifer, no-cows” production system. This experimental system uses sexed semen to allow each heifer to replace herself with a heifer calf. Once calves are weaned, their dams ship to a feedlot for finishing, at a young enough age to produce high-value carcasses with USDA Quality Grades of Choice or better. Seidel notes that 70% of the feed nutrients used in a cow-calf operation go to cows, and 70% of that is for maintenance. Cows generally lose value before selling as culls at around six years of age. In the heifer system he says, all animals on the ranch are growing and gaining value. Economically, he says the system might fit better in regions with more abundant year-round forages than in the northern Colorado foothills, but his early results indicate the system can reduce feed requirements and greenhouse gas emissions by about 30%

Seidel grew up on a dairy operation in Pennsylvania, earned his BS at Penn State, his MS and PhD degrees at Cornell and completed a post-doctoral program at Harvard before joining the faculty at CSU.

Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame Inducts Johnson, Glock

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:11:08 GMT

At the 2019 52nd American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Annual Conference in St. Louis, Mo., two outstanding and long-time cattle veterinarians were inducted into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame (CPVHOF) in front of hundreds of their veterinary peers. Dairy veterinarian Dr. Andy Johnson, Green Bay, Wis., and beef cattle veterinarian and diagnostician Dr. Robert Glock, Marana, Ariz., were recognized for their dedication to the health and well-being of cattle.

“The beef and dairy industries have been fortunate to have had the wisdom, vision and determination provided by the 2019 inductees into the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame,” says Dr. Brent Meyer, cattle technical services for Merck Animal Health. “Drs. Andy Johnson and Robert Glock changed the landscape of production medicine in both the beef and dairy industries. Their influence has impacted many colleagues, students, and producers. Their legacies will last generations.”

Established in 2011, the CPVHOF honors the traditions of production veterinary medicine and the individuals who have made a lasting impact on the profession. Through early mornings, late nights and harsh weather conditions, veterinarians are a steadfast and essential part of cattle production. The CPVHOF celebrates the rich traditions of cattle production veterinary medicine by honoring the exceptional veterinarians who have made lasting contributions to their profession. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and Bovine Veterinarian Magazine.

Dr. Andy Johnson – Dairy Inductee

Dr. Andy Johnson, graduated with his DVM from the University of Minnesota in 1976. Known as “The Udder Doctor”, he currently resides in Green Bay, Wis. and is employed by Grande Cheese Company as their herd health and wellness veterinarian He also does private consulting worldwide on milk quality. For over 35 years he operated his consulting business, Total Herd Management Services, Inc.

Johnson has consulted in 32 countries and 46 U.S. states. He has consulted on dairies ranging from 20 to over 20,000 dairy cows. His specialties are quality milk production, new parlor design and performance, and cow comfort. He chaired the NMC subcommittee on milking machine evaluation and developed the new airflow protocols that have become the U.S. standards.

Johnson served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), was president of the National Mastitis Council (NMC) and resident of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. He lectures at many state, national, and international meetings. He organizes and teaches the popular AABP milk quality preconference seminar. His articles are frequently seen in most of the dairy publications as well as scientific journals.

Johnson was named Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year (1994), received the AABP award for Excellence in Preventative Dairy Medicine (1989), was awarded AABP’s highest honor – Practitioner of the Year (1998), and was named “Quality Veterinarian of the Year” at AABP (2003). In September 2013, he was named one of the 20 most influential veterinarians in the North America by Bovine Veterinarian Magazine. In January 2019, Johnson received the NMC Award of Excellence for Contributions in Mastitis Prevention and Control, the highest award given to an individual internationally for improving milk quality. This award has been given eight times in NMC’s 58-year history.

Dr. Robert Glock – Beef Inductee

Dr. Robert Glock received his DVM from Iowa State University in 1961, and his PhD from Iowa State in 1971. He became a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Pathology in 1974. He was employed at a practice in Jewell, Iowa, prior to graduation, then was a virologist from 1961-1963 for the U.S. Army in Fort Detrick, Md. Glock practiced in Edgerton, Wis., until 1967, he then joined the Iowa State Department of Pathology where he taught and remained until 1981.

From there, Glock served with Central Arizona Veterinary, Casa Grande, Ariz., as a lab director through 1987. He then joined Colorado State University through 1998, then returned back to Arizona, this time the University of Arizona where he was a research scientist and pathologist until 2016.

Glock has been active with the Salmonellosis Committee of the United States Animal Health Association, the Foreign Animal Disease Committee of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association BQA Committee and the AVMA Council on Research.

Glock has been a member of numerous organizations such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Swine Veterinarians (president 1976-1977), Comparative Gastroenterology Society, American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and more.

He received the AASV Howard Dunne Memorial Award (1995), the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Stange Award for Meritorious Service (2003) and the AAVLD Life Membership (2005) Academy of Veterinary Consultants Outstanding Service Award (2011).

Glock has also been published in over 90 scientific and outreach publications.

AABP Honors Dairy and Beef Veterinarians

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:11:08 GMT

The top honor that an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) member can obtain in his or her career is the AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year award sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. This year, this prestigious award was given to Dr. Arn Anderson, Bowie, Texas, at the 2019 52nd AABP Annual Conference in St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 12-14. The award honors a veterinarian in active practice who is active in organized veterinary medicine and has made significant contributions to bovine medicine.

Several other bovine veterinarians were also honored at the Annual Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon on September 14. They are:

AABP Award of Excellence

Sponsored by AABP, recipients must be involved in teaching, research, industry or government areas. The recipient’s professional activities must have had a consistent and direct influence on daily activities of veterinarians in bovine practice. The 2019 recipient is:

Dr. Sandra Godden, St. Paul, Minn.

Zoetis Distinguished Service Award

The recipient of this award is an individual who, through long and continued service, has promoted the goals of the AABP and whose accomplishments have served as a model for service to bovine agriculture through organized veterinary medicine. The 2019 recipient is:

Dr. Christine Navarre, Baton Rouge, La.

Merck Animal Health Mentor-of-the-Year Award

The recipient of this award is an AABP member who has been engaged in the field of veterinary medicine for at least 25 years and has served as both advisor and role model to pre-veterinary and/or veterinary students. This award is given to a member who embodies this spirit whether in practice, the clinic, or the classroom. The 2019 recipient is:

Dr. Chuck Guard, Ithaca, N.Y.

Boehringer Ingelheim Excellence in Preventive Medicine Awards

This award recognizes individual member practitioners or practices that have developed outstanding preventive medicine programs. Because of differences in management goals and needs, one award is given to recognize an outstanding program for dairy production, and one for beef production. The 2019 recipients are:

(Dairy) Dr. Gabe Middleton, Orrville, Ohio
(Beef) Dr. Breck Hunsaker, Preston, Idaho

Dr. James A. Jarrett Award for Young Leaders

Recipients of this award have graduated veterinary school within 10 years, have given extraordinary service to the AABP in a manner that significantly enhances the mission of the organization, and whose contributions will help ensure the current and future success of the AABP. The 2019 recipient is:

Dr. Carie Telgen, Greenwich, N.Y.

Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame

The Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame annually recognizes one beef and one dairy veterinarian for their lifelong commitment to bovine veterinary medicine. This award is sponsored by AABP, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Bovine Veterinarian and Merck Animal Health. The 2019 inductees are:

(Dairy) Dr. Andy Johnson, Green Bay, Wis.
(Beef) Dr. Bob Glock, Marana, Ariz.

Student Chapter and Faculty Advisor Awards

New in 2016, these awards recognize the activities and involvement of an AABP student chapter, as well as the activities and mentorship of a faculty advisor to bovine veterinary students. The 2019 recipients are:

Student Chapter – Lincoln Memorial University
Faculty Advisor – Dr. Eric Gordon, The Ohio State University

Find out more about AABP awards and past recipients at https://aabp.org/about/pastawards.asp .

ARS Veterinarian Honored for Scientific Achievement

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:10:05 GMT

Amy L. Vincent and Feng Gao, both scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), received the Arthur S. Flemming Award on Monday for their outstanding scientific achievements in the fields of animal health and remote sensing, respectively.

Vincent is a medical veterinary officer with the ARS National Animal Diseases Center in Ames, Iowa. Gao is a physical scientist with the agency’s Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.

They were among 12 total award recipients from across the Federal government who were honored Monday during a recognition ceremony on the campus of George Washington University (GWU). Together with the Arthur S. Flemming Commission, GWU’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration presents the awards annually in recognition of the outstanding achievements of Federal employees with three to 15 years of service.

“It’s quite an honor to have two of our researchers honored for their achievements in the same year,” commented ARS Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young. “Dr. Vincent and Dr. Gao are very deserving of this prestigious award and embody ARS’s commitment to leveraging the very best that science, technology and talent have to offer in tackling critical needs areas.”

Among her achievements, Vincent led in profiling the genetic evolution of swine influenza type A viruses (IAV) and how this affects the animals’ immune responses to the pathogens. She also initiated a global nomenclature (naming) system to expedite vaccine selections, strain identification and comparisons, and studies of viral evolution and “mixing,” whereby influenza strains from different host species exchange their genes.

Starting in 2008, Vincent also led the way in establishing a national IAV surveillance system in collaboration with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The USDA surveillance system remains successful today, allowing stakeholders to analyze and monitor emerging swine influenza strains, as well as learn how they evolve genetically and compare to past virus strains that have circulated within the U.S. pig population.

This capability proved critical in 2009, when Federal and State public health officials used the surveillance system to orchestrate a multi-faceted response to U.S. outbreaks of H1N1, a new influenza strain that caused flu illness in both pigs and people and cost the U.S. pork industry over $1.58 billion in lost revenues from April to December of that year. Vincent’s contributions include developing a model system for selecting the most effective vaccines to use and avoiding strain-mismatches that can exacerbate rather than mitigate influenza symptoms in affected swine.

Gao was recognized for his outstanding work in the use of satellite imagery data to facilitate field-scale monitoring of crop and pasture conditions, water use and fluctuations in the balance of radiative energy resulting from land cover changes.

Flemming awards are presented to winners in one of five categories. Vincent was recognized in the Social Science, Clinical Trials and Translational Research category, while Gao was honored in the Applied Science and Engineering category.

Nomination Deadline Approaches for 2019 Hall of Fame

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:09:34 GMT

Nominations are sought for the 2019 Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame (CPVHoF). The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2019. One beef and one dairy veterinarian will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Established in 2011, the CPVHoF honors the rich traditions of production veterinary medicine and the individuals who have made a lasting impact on the profession. Through early mornings, late nights and harsh weather conditions, veterinarians are a steadfast and essential part of cattle production. Inductees are true pioneers whose achievements span their entire careers.

The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and Bovine Veterinarian magazine. Inductees will be honored at the 2019 52nd American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference on Sept. 13, 2019, in St. Louis, Mo.

Please email your nominations to:

Brent D. Meyer DVM, MS

Technical Services Veterinarian

Merck Animal Health-Cattle

Brent.meyer@merck.com

712-369-3720

Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:09:19 GMT

The Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame (CPVHoF) seeks nominations for its 2019 inductions.

The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2019, and the Hall of Fame will induct one beef and one dairy veterinarian.

Established in 2011, the CPVHoF honors the rich traditions of production veterinary medicine and the individuals who have made a lasting impact on the profession. Through early mornings, late nights and harsh weather conditions, veterinarians are a steadfast and essential part of cattle production. Inductees are true pioneers whose achievements span their entire careers.

The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and Bovine Veterinarian magazine. Inductees will be honored at the 2019 52nd American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference on Sept. 13, 2019, in St. Louis, Mo.

Please email your nominations to:

Brent D. Meyer DVM, MS

Technical Services Veterinarian

Merck Animal Health-Cattle

Brent.meyer@merck.com

712-369-3720

AVC Names Dr. Glenn Rogers Consultant of the Year

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:58 GMT

During the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) winter conference this week in Kansas City, members honored Dr. Glenn Rogers, Aledo, Texas with the prestigious AVC Consultant of the Year award.

Rogers, who has worked in private practice, academia and in industry, currently is semi-retired while running his ranch in Texas and providing some consulting services to beef-cattle clients

Rogers also serves as current president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP)

For 32 years, Zoetis has sponsored the prestigious award, which recognizes a single beef veterinarian for outstanding service to clients, the industry and the veterinary profession.

AVC Honors Dr. Bruce Wren for Outstanding Service

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:58 GMT

During the recent Academy of Veterinary Consultants winter conference in Kansas City, AVC and AgriLabs honored Dr. W. Bruce Wren with its Outstanding Service Award, recognizing more than 60 years advancing bovine medicine and mentoring generations of young veterinarians.

Wren graduated from Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1958, and served as a U.S. Army Captain and Post Veterinarian at Fort Jackson, South Carolina from 1958 to 1960. He then returned to K-State to teach pathology and complete a Masters degree. He practiced in Kansas and served as a technical services veterinarian and pathologist with Armour-Baldwin Labs in Omaha. Returning to K-State in 1965, he taught pathology and completed a PhD in veterinary pathology. He then worked in industry, started his own pathology service and spent about four years with the University of Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Wren then spent 18 years as a technical services veterinarian with Pioneer Hi-Bred in Des Moines, Iowa, Sanofi Animal Health in Overland Park, Kansas, Rhone Merieux Animal Health, Merial in Athens, Georgia and AgriLabs in St. Joseph, Mo. Since 2009, AgriLabs has partnered with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) to support the Dr. Bruce Wren Continuing Education Awards, which provide two veterinarians – one in beef practice and one in dairy – with grants for their continued education.

Over his long career, Wren has served in leadership positions with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Association of Swine Producers (AASP), American Association of Industrial Veterinarians (AAIV), Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA); Kansas Veterinary Medical Association (KVMA); Iowa Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA), Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA); American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), Western Veterinary Conference, K-State Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association, AABP and AVC.

AAVLD Honors University of Kentucky Veterinarian Craig Carter

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:54 GMT

Craig Carter, director of the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, recently received two prestigious awards from the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians at its annual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

The E.P. Pope Award, named for one of the association’s founders, is the highest award the AAVLD bestows. Carter received it for his noteworthy and significant contributions to the association related to implementing and advancing veterinary diagnostic lab medicine.

Additionally, Carter, also professor of epidemiology for the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK College of Public Health, received the AAVLD Life Member Award to recognize his nearly 39 years of contributions to veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine.

“I am humbled to receive these two awards on behalf of everyone in the AAVLD and especially my faculty and staff at the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for all their hard work every day to improve and maintain the health and welfare of animals and public health in the commonwealth,” Carter said. “Many folks are not aware that our lab is open seven days a week to serve our clients. Our faculty and staff’s commitment to their work is nothing short of amazing—they make me look good every day. I am also so grateful to the entire administration of the College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, to UK and to our clients and stakeholders for their unwavering support in the sustainment and accomplishment of our laboratory mission. Finally, I thank my wonderful and beautiful wife Ronda for believing in me and supporting my career aspirations all these years.”

Carter earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctor of veterinary medicine degree and doctoral degree from Texas A&M University. After veterinary school, he ran a large animal ambulatory practice in Texas for five years and then later joined the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory as a clinical associate, where he created a Department of Epidemiology and Informatics to advance reporting and epidemiology services for the laboratory and its clients.

In 2005, UK recruited Carter to serve as a full professor of epidemiology, and in 2007, UK appointed him director of the UK VDL.

His research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, electronic animal health monitoring, computer-based clinical decision support and laboratory information systems. He has worked as a veterinary and public health consultant in more than 30 countries. Carter’s military career in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army spanned four decades. During his military service, he completed four wartime deployments. He commanded the first Army Reserve Veterinary unit into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and retired as a colonel in 2009. He received the American Veterinary Medical Association International Veterinary Congress Prize in 2016. Carter is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a distinguished scholar of the National Academies of Practice.

The mission of the UKVDL is to develop and apply state-of-the-art diagnostic methodology to improve animal health and marketability, to protect the public health and to assist in the preservation of the human-animal bond through the principles of One Health. The UKVDL is fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians

AVC Names Dr. Galen Weaver Consultant of the Year

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:06 GMT

During the recent Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) spring conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the group honored Galen Weaver as AVC Consultant of the Year for 2017.

For 32 years, Zoetis has sponsored the prestigious award, which recognizes a single beef veterinarian for outstanding service to clients, the industry and the veterinary profession.

Weaver, with Western Veterinary Associates, resides in Amarillo, Texas, and works primarily as a consultant in feedyards.