McClellan receives Meritorious Service Award

​Posted Sept. 14, 2016

The AVMA has presented the AVMA Meritorious Service Award to Dr. Roger O. McClellan, an international authority in comparative medicine, aerosol science, inhalation toxicology, and analysis of human health risks. Dr. McClellan received the award during the AVMA Convention 2016 Keynote Luncheon on Aug. 6. 

The Meritorious Service Award is for a veterinarian who has brought honor and distinction to the veterinary profession through personal, professional, or community service activities. Dr. McClellan was recognized for providing exemplary advisory service to federal agencies on environmental and occupational health issues, especially those concerning air quality. 

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​	​Dr. Roger O. McClellan	​

“Dr. McClellan has set the gold standard for his carefully designed research in toxicology and human health risk analysis,” said Dr. Joe Kinnarney, 2015-2016 AVMA president, in an announcement about the award. “His work has improved our understanding and assessment of the adverse health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to radiation and chemicals, and has had considerable influence on regulatory decisions and control measures.”

Dr. McClellan (Washington State ’60) has had a career as a scientist, mentor, manager of multidisciplinary research organizations, and scientific adviser. A diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology and the American Board of Toxicology, he led the Lovelace Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute in New Mexico and the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology in North Carolina. He has served as an adjunct professor at eight universities, including Duke University Medical Center, where he is currently consulting professor in community and family medicine, and the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, where he is clinical professor of toxicology.

Dr. McClellan has held leadership roles in professional organizations, frequently serves as an author and editor, and has presented at national and international forums regarding the application of science in assessing human health risks of technological developments. He has served on more than 100 national and international committees, translating scientific evidence on environmental and occupational health issues into public policy. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 1990.