Accolades
Organizations
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians honored five members with awards March 8 during the AASV's 41st annual meeting in Omaha, Neb.
And the AASV Foundation gave a veterinarian $10,000 for continuing education and 15 veterinary students scholarships together worth $25,000 for their presentations on research in swine medicine.
Dr. Thomas G. Gillespie (PUR '79) received the Swine Practitioner of the Year Award. He is the owner and founder of Rensselaer Swine Services and Jasper Swine Pharm. in Rensselaer, Ind. He was AASV president in 2005 and has served on the board of directors and as the AASV Foundation secretary. He has also served on committees of the Indiana VMA and the AVMA, and he was the chair of the Indiana Board of Animal Health from 1994-2000. He is a lecturer and consultant and is certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners with a specialization in Swine Health Management.
Dr. Reid C. Philips (ISU '81) received the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award. He is the manager of swine technical services for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, and he trains technical and sales team members on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, directs his company's PRRS research grant awards, consults with customers, and coordinates his company's veterinary liaison team.
Dr. Michelle L. Sprague (ISU '05) received the Young Veterinarian of the Year Award. She is a partner with and director of sow health for the Audubon-Manning Veterinary Clinic in Audubon, Iowa; a member of the AASV Pig Welfare Committee; and an active member of the Iowa VMA and AVMA. She also works with the AASV Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program.
Dr. Jerome O. Geiger (IL '80) received the Meritorious Service Award. He has been an active AASV member for 30 years, and he currently serves as chair of the Pig Welfare Committee, the alternate AASV representative to the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee, and chair of the Animal Care Committee of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. He is the technical service manager for health assurance at Pig Improvement Company. Formerly he chaired the AASV Audit Committee, served as district director, and was a member of the planning committee for three AASV annual meetings.
Dr. Robert B. Morrison (SKW '79) received the Howard Dunne Memorial Award, which is given to AASV members for important contributions and outstanding service to the AASV and swine industry. He is a past AASV president, was the first executive director of the Journal of Swine Health and Production, and gave the keynote address during the 1994 AASV meeting. Dr. Morrison is a professor of epidemiology and applied statistics in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He helped develop one of the first master's degree programs for veterinary practitioners. He has authored scientific papers in epidemiology and records analysis and provided critical assistance in pseudorabies control and eradication in the upper Midwest. He is developing means for regional PRRS control and elimination in Minnesota.
Dr. Eric J. Neumann (IL '92) received the AASV Foundation Hogg Scholarship, a $10,000 award named for Dr. Alex Hogg. The scholarship is awarded to veterinarians who, like Dr. Hogg, pursue graduate education after years in swine practice. Dr. Neumann is a former director of swine health and information for the National Pork Board, and he is currently a lecturer in swine medicine and epidemiology at Massey University in New Zealand, where he is working on a doctorate in veterinary epidemiology.
Brent Carmichael, a third-year veterinary student at Iowa State University, received a $5,000 scholarship from the AASV Foundation for the second consecutive year. He received this year's prize for his presentation "The impact of pooling piglet serum samples on PRRSv PCR performance in sow herds being monitored for time-to-negative interval." Four other students received $2,500 each, five received $1,500, and five received $500.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica gave four veterinarians Achievement in PRRS Research Awards during the AASV meeting.
Dr. Morrison, who also received the Howard Dunne Memorial Award, received the PRRS research award for a study comparing whole-herd exposure programs in eliminating the PRRS virus from sow herds.
Dr. Paul E. Yeske (ISU '85) received the award for a study evaluating airborne shedding of Ingelvac PRRS ATP vaccine in commercial conditions.
Dr. Josh M. Bowden (ISU '09) received the award for a study assessing the impact of vegetative environmental buffers on local aerosolized spread of PRRS virus.
Dr. Mark A. Wagner (ISU '97) received the award for a study evaluating aspirin for reducing fever and improving performance in weanling pigs with uncomplicated PRRS virus infections.
The National Academies of Practice inducted five veterinarians as members during its annual meeting, March 19-20. The NAP is an interdisciplinary group that seeks to address problems in health care. The group inducted the following veterinarians.
Dr. Steven W. Atwood (UP '80) is founder of Animal Health Care Associates in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. In 2006, he earned an MD degree from the University of Health Sciences Antigua School of Medicine. He is chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Veterinary Medicine. He also serves on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and Falmouth Academy.
Dr. Heather Case (MIN '98) directs the AVMA Scientific Activities Division and serves as AVMA coordinator of emergency preparedness and response. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, she oversees AVMA activities in areas ranging from public health to animal drugs. A former member of the AVMA Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams, she deployed for Hurricane Katrina and now is helping develop VMATs to respond to future disasters.
Dr. Fred G. Garrison (COR '71) is the founder of Centreville Animal Hospital in Centreville, Va., and an advocate of the benefits of the human-animal bond. He has worked with the Delta Society, which seeks to improve human health through service and therapy animals. He has been active with the Virginia and Northern Virginia VMAs.
Dr. John R. Herbold (TEX '69) served more than two decades of active duty with the Air Force. He held field and staff assignments in preventive medicine, aerospace medicine, and occupational and environmental health. He is now on the faculty at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He is past president of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the Texas Public Health Association.
Dr. Jan K. Strother (TUS '86) is founder of the North Alabama Cat & Bird Veterinary Clinic in Hartselle, Ala. She is a candidate for AVMA vice president. She is currently the Alabama alternate delegate in the AVMA House of Delegates and chair of the Alabama VMA Human-Animal Bond Committee. She served as president of the Alabama VMA and chair of the former AVMA Council on Public Relations.