Iowa State confers Stange, Switzer awards

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Dr. Conzemius
Dr. Michael Conzemius
Dr. Meador
Dr. Vincent Meador
Dr. O’Connor
Dr. Donald O’Connor
Dr. Stein
Dr. James Philip Stein

Four alumni of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine were honored Oct. 29, 2016.

Recipients of the 2016 Stange Award for Meritorious Service were Drs. Michael Conzemius, Vincent Meador, and Donald O’Connor.

The William P. Switzer Award in Veterinary Medicine was presented to Dr. James Philip Stein for his contributions to society and the Iowa State veterinary college.

Dr. Conzemius (Iowa State ’90), a professor of surgery and director of the Clinical Investigation Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally recognized researcher in orthopedic biomechanics and joint injury and treatment. He is an expert in osteoarthritis, fracture osteomyelitis, biomechanics of osteonecrosis, and stem cell therapy for cartilage injury and repair. He holds several patents, including two for a canine total elbow implant.

Before joining the University of Minnesota in 2006, he was an associate professor at Iowa State and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Meador (Iowa State ’81), owner of Pacific Tox Path LLC, based in Ellensburg, Washington, and affiliate professor at the University of Washington, is an expert in toxicologic pathology, contributing to the technology transfer of research information and international control programs for preclinical drug safety.

Previously, Dr. Meador was vice president and global head of pathology at Covance Inc., a contract research company. He also was the executive director of comparative biology and safety assessment at Amgen Inc. for three years and director of toxicology and pathology at Eli Lilly and Co. for 12 years.

Dr. O’Connor (Iowa State ’76) played an important role in Wisconsin’s animal disease control efforts for 25 years. After spending 10 years as a dairy practitioner, Dr. O’Connor became an epidemiologist for the state of Wisconsin. He is credited with developing programs to control rabies, chronic wasting disease, avian influenza, Salmonella infection in poultry, and equine infectious anemia.

He was a member of the team of veterinarians that developed the current U.S. Department of Agriculture program to control bovine tuberculosis in cervids. Under his direction, Wisconsin was one of the first states to eradicate pseudorabies.

Dr. Stein (Iowa State ‘75) and a classmate established a veterinary clinic in a Wisconsin town that lacked veterinary services for pets and livestock. After seven years, he returned home to Muscatine, Iowa. There, along with other community service, he helped develop a shelter for victims of domestic violence, a YMCA/YWCA, and an agricultural learning center.

He is chairman of the board of directors of Central Bancshares. He has worked part time at a veterinary clinic and as a consultant in dairy production. He has been an avid supporter of the Iowa State veterinary college, including by serving on its fundraising advisory council.