Accolades
American Association of Bovine Practitioners
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners honored 10 individuals with special recognition during an awards luncheon Sept. 27 at the AABP conference in Charlotte, N.C.
Dr. Samuel Hutchins III (COR '58) received the AABP Amstutz-Williams Award, the AABP's highest honor, and an honorary membership. The Amstutz-Williams Award recognizes outstanding service to the veterinary profession. Hutchins is retiring as exhibits manager for the AABP conference after four decades of service. Through the years, the exhibitor program has provided product information to meeting attendees and financial support to the AABP. Hutchins also developed the exhibitor program for two meetings of the World Association for Buiatrics.
Dr. Tom Noffsinger (COL '73) received the AABP-Merial Award for Excellence in Preventive Veterinary Medicine in the beef category. Dr. Noffsinger serves as a consultant to feedlots in the areas of animal health, performance, and behavior—with an emphasis on low-stress cattle handling. He is a past president of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, an association of veterinarians who work with beef cattle. He practiced previously at the Twin Forks Clinic in Benkelman, Neb.
In the dairy category, the award went to Drs. John Day (CAL '87) and Laurie Day (CAL '89). The husband-and-wife team have been in dairy practice in southern Idaho for nearly two decades.
Dr. John Day works closely with the veterinary technician program at the College of Southern Idaho. He also works with a new program at Washington State University that sends veterinary students out to spend time with food animal practitioners.
In addition to dairy practice, Dr. Laurie Day operates a milk quality laboratory. She also has raised numerous puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, implementing and leading the state 4-H program for guide dogs.
Dr. David L. McClary (AUB '74) received the Pfizer Animal Health-AABP Distinguished Service Award. His contributions to the AABP include serving as president and as chairman of the Amstutz Scholarship Fund. He was instrumental in obtaining funds for the scholarships from the Eli Lilly Foundation through Elanco Animal Health, where he currently serves as senior cattle technical consultant. Previously, he worked at Auburn University. He is a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.
Dr. Bruce L. Hull (COR '65) is the Intervet Mentor of the Year. Veterinarians who supported Dr. Hull's nomination attested to his teaching ability, consideration of their concerns, and work ethic. He is an emeritus professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he taught food animal medicine from 1976 until his retirement in 2004. Previously, he was a faculty veterinarian at Iowa State University and spent two years serving in the Army.
Dr. Charles L. Guard (COR '80) received the Alpharma-AABP Award of Excellence. Dr. Guard is chief of ambulatory and production medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He has spent much of his career studying causes, effects, and treatment of lameness in dairy cattle. He helped create Cornell's Summer Dairy Institute, an eight-week program for prospective dairy practitioners. Previously, he practiced large animal medicine in New Hampshire.
Dr. Kee Jim (SKW '83) is the Fort Dodge Animal Health Bovine Practitioner of the Year. Dr. Jim is a founding partner of Feedlot Health Management Services, which operates in Canada and the United States. Throughout his veterinary career, he has emphasized the importance of data-based decision making and of commercial field trials. He also is a Canadian cattle producer active in industry groups. In June, he became a member of the new Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.
Dr. Michael Capel (COR '00) received the James A. Jarrett Young Leader Award. Dr. Capel became active in the AABP as a student, and he joined the membership committee after graduation—serving as chairman for the past five years. He has been instrumental in managing the AABP's education and externship grants, creating an externship database, and developing recruitment materials. He works as a managing partner of a mixed animal practice in upstate New York.
Leo Timms, PhD, is the fourth nonveterinarian to become an honorary member of the AABP. Dr. Timms has worked for the Iowa State University of Department of Animal Science since 1984, starting out in dairy extension and later adding duties in teaching and research. In 1985, he taught the first classes in production medicine at the veterinary college, and he has since tutored hundreds of veterinary students in dairy production medicine.
Industry
Dr. Rodger Main (ISU '96) recently received the Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and Pfizer Animal Health. Dr. Main is director of production systems for Murphy-Brown's Western Operations Hog Production Group in Ames, Iowa. He has worked in a variety of veterinary, production, and management roles for Murphy-Brown since graduating from veterinary college.
Academia
Dr. Alexander de Lahunta (COR '58) received the Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. de Lahunta has spent most of his career at the Cornell veterinary college focusing on neurology and anatomy. He is currently the James Law Professor of Veterinary Anatomy. Previously, he has been chairman of the Department of Anatomy and the Department of Clinical Sciences. He also served as hospital director.