The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation is pleased to offer the Hogg Scholarship, established to honor the memory of longtime AASV member and swine industry leader Dr Alex Hogg.
The intent of the scholarship is to assist a swine veterinarian in his or her efforts to return to school for graduate education (resulting in a master’s degree or higher) in an academic field of study related to swine health and production. Twelve swine practitioners, recognized at aasv.org/foundation/hoggscholars.htm, have been awarded this prestigious scholarship since it was established in 2008.
Applications for the $10,000 scholarship will be accepted until January 31, 2021, and the scholarship recipient will be announced Sunday, February 28 during the 2021 AASV Annual Meeting.
Dr Alex Hogg’s career serves as the ideal model for successful applicants. After twenty years in mixed animal practice, Dr Hogg pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology. He subsequently became Nebraska swine extension veterinarian and professor at the University of Nebraska. Upon “retirement,” Dr Hogg capped off his career with his work for MVP Laboratories. Always an enthusiastic learner, at age 75 he graduated from the Executive Veterinary Program offered at the University of Illinois.
The scholarship application requirements are outlined below, and on the AASV website at aasv.org/foundation/hoggscholarship.htm.
Hogg Scholarship Application Requirements
An applicant for the Hogg Scholarship shall have:
- Three or more years of experience as a swine veterinarian, either in a private practice or in an integrated production setting
- Five or more years of continuous membership in the American Association of Swine Veterinarians
Applicants are required to submit the following:
- Current curriculum vitae
- Letter of intent detailing his or her plans for graduate education and future plans for participation and employment within the swine industry
- Two letters of reference from AASV members attesting to the applicant’s qualifications to be a Hogg Scholar
Applications and requests for information may be addressed to: AASV Foundation 830 26th Street, Perry, IA 50220, Tel: 515-465-5255, aasv@aasv.org.
Applications due January 31 for $5000 debt-relief scholarships
The AASV Foundation has increased the number of student debt-relief scholarships to be awarded in 2021. Three $5000 scholarships will be provided to early-career swine practitioners through the “Dr Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt Relief Endowment,” which was renamed to honor the donors who established the scholarship program.
The scholarships are available to AASV members engaged in private practice who are 2 to 5 years post graduation from veterinary school (2016-2018) and who carry a significant student debt burden.
The scholarship program was initiated two years ago with a $110,000 contribution to the foundation by the Conrad Schmidt and Family Endowment. Dr Schmidt, a charter member of AASV, explained, “Together, Judy and I noticed that many new DVM graduates interested in swine medicine begin their professional life with heavy educational debt obligations. It is our desire to help AASV members who have dedicated their professional skills to swine herd health and production.”
Since then, the number of applicants for the scholarship demonstrated a need to expand the program to support more early-career swine veterinarians who are carrying a heavy student debt load.
Applications are being accepted through January 31 for the scholarships to be awarded during the 2021 AASV Annual Meeting. The application form is available at aasv.org/foundation/debtrelief.php. The following criteria will be used to select the scholarship recipient:
- Joined AASV as a student enrolled in an AVMA-recognized college of veterinary medicine
- Attended the AASV Annual Meeting as a student
- Maintained continuous membership in AASV since graduation from veterinary school
- Is at least 2 years and at most 5 years post graduation from veterinary school (2016, 2017, 2018 DVM/VMD graduates)
- Has been engaged in private veterinary practice, 50% or more devoted to swine, providing on-farm service directly to independent pork producers. Veterinarians who work for production companies, pharmaceutical companies, or universities are not eligible for the scholarship.
- Has a significant student debt burden
For more information, contact the AASV Foundation: aasv@aasv.org, 515-465-5255.
Foundation solicits research proposals, due January 15
In recognition of the value and need for research with direct application to the swine veterinary profession, the AASV Foundation has increased the amount of funding available for research proposals in 2021 from $60,000 to $100,000.
Proposals are now being accepted. They are due January 15, 2021 and may request a maximum of $30,000 (US$) per project. The announcement of projects selected for funding will take place during the 2021 AASV Annual Meeting.
Proposed research should fit one of the five action areas stated in the AASV Foundation mission statement (see sidebar).
The instructions for submitting proposals are available on the AASV Foundation Web site at aasv.org/foundation/2021/research.php.
A panel of AASV members will evaluate and select proposals for funding, based on the following scoring system:
- Potential benefit to swine veterinarians/swine industry (40 points)
- Probability of success within timeline (35 points)
- Scientific/investigative quality (15 points)
- Budget justification (5 points)
- Originality (5 points)
A summary of the research funded by the foundation over the past 14 years is available at aasv.org/foundation/research.htm.
For more information, or to submit a proposal:
AASV Foundation 830 26th Street Perry, IA 50220-2328 515-465-5255 aasv@aasv.org
AASV Foundation Auction: full speed ahead!
With Dr Chase Stahl at the helm, the AASV Foundation Auction Committee is navigating its way through the choppy waters of conducting a successful fundraising auction during the now-virtual AASV Annual Meeting. Despite the new direction, the crew is making excellent headway, as evidenced by the varied array of items assembled for bids at aasv.org/foundation/2021/auctionlist.php.
Their efforts – and your participation – are important, because the foundation depends upon the annual auction proceeds to supplement its investment income in order to fund the many research grants, student travel stipends, swine externship grants, and scholarships it awards every year.
Since the AASV Annual Meeting is being held online, the auction is following in its wake. Some features of the auction will be the same as in the past. For example, you are already accustomed to viewing and bidding on the silent auction items from your phone or other digital device. The bidding site will be available in February; go to aasv.org/foundation/2021/auctionlist.php to access the link and sign up for your bidding number to start bidding!
There will be featured Live Auction items as in the past, but there will not be a live (or virtual, for that matter) auctioneer. Instead, you will bid using the bidding app, just like the silent auction. But be sure to pay close attention to the closing time for the “Live Auction” items, as they have different closing times from the Silent Auction items.
Don’t miss out – remember, you can use the Max Bid feature on any live or silent item to avoid last-minute disappointment when the bids close. After the auction, the donor of each item will ship it directly to the winning bidder.
The best part: you don’t have to be registered for the meeting to participate in the auction. Truly, we can all join together as we navigate the future of the AASV Foundation!
All aboard, mateys!