Drs Melissa Billing, Kate Dion, and Joseph Thomas were named the 2021 recipients of AASV Foundation Hogg Scholarships on February 28 during the AASV 52nd Annual Meeting.
Established in 2008, the scholarship is named for Dr Alex Hogg, who was a leader in swine medicine and pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology after 20 years in a mixed-animal practice. The scholarship is awarded annually to an AASV member who has been accepted into a qualified graduate program to further his or her education after years as a swine practitioner. Former Hogg Scholarship recipients Drs Alex Ramirez, Angela Baysinger, and Meghann Pierdon reviewed the 2021 applications.
Dr Melissa Billing earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. After 10 years with Smithfield Foods as a swine production veterinarian, she joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a swine key account veterinarian. Dr Billing has been active in the AASV since veterinary school. For the past three years, she has served on the AASV Board of Directors, representing the northeastern part of the United States. She has chaired the Operation Main Street Committee and served on the Annual Meeting Planning Committee. She plans to apply the Hogg Scholarship to help fund her master’s of veterinary science degree with a concentration in livestock systems health at the University of Illinois.
After receiving her doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 2011 from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Kate Dion joined Hanor Company, where she serves as a veterinarian and the animal well-being/quality assurance manager. Because of her continued interest in learning, she began taking online classes through the Graduate Certificate Program in Veterinary Preventive Medicine through Iowa State University. She formally transferred her credits into a full master’s degree program at Iowa State University, under the direction of Drs Daniel Linhares and Derald Holtkamp, in 2019. Her current research concentrates on biosecurity and understanding how pathogens enter negative herds. In the true spirit of Dr Hogg, Dr Dion works hard to disseminate her findings to help support swine veterinarians.
Dr Joseph Thomas earned his master’s of science and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from Iowa State University in 2016. As Dr Hogg served his country in the US Navy, Dr Thomas served in the US Army Veterinary Corps during 2016–2019. After his uniformed service duty, Dr Thomas joined AMVC as an associate veterinarian. He returned to Iowa State University as a post-doctoral research associate and diagnostician trainee in 2020, where he began his work toward a PhD in veterinary microbiology in January 2021. Dr Thomas plans to use the scholarship to help him quickly and efficiently complete his PhD.
Dr Melissa Billing
Dr Kate Dion
Dr Joseph Thomas
AASV Foundation increases research funding to $100,000; funds four proposals
In recognition of the value and need for research with direct application to the swine veterinary profession, the AASV Foundation increased the amount of funding available for research proposals in 2021 from $60,000 to $100,000. Dr Lisa Tokach, chair of the AASV Foundation, announced the selection of 4 research proposals for full or partial funding during the AASV Foundation Luncheon Meeting on February 28th, held during the AASV Annual Meeting. The foundation granted funds to support efforts by researchers at the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and South Dakota State University, in addition to an independent researcher.
The Foundation granted $25,111 to Dr Guilherme Milanez Preis and co-investigator Dr Cesar Corzo from the University of Minnesota to fund the proposal, “Assessing Senecavirus A shedding and transmission in growing pig populations.” The two objectives of the study are to describe Senecavirus A (SVA) shedding patterns over time in growing pig populations and assess the state of infection in piglets after comingling in the nursery. This project will expand current knowledge on the epidemiology of SVA, especially during the grow-finishing phases, and be key to enabling swine veterinarians to build the next steps toward controlling and eliminating SVA. Results will be shared as a summary in producer-oriented publications, in a peer-reviewed journal, and as oral presentations at swine veterinary conferences (eg, AASV Annual Meeting and Allen D. Leman Swine Conference).
Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators from Iowa State University received $30,000 to fund the proposal “Generation of antisera against six commercial PRRSV modified live virus vaccines to evaluate their in vitro cross-neutralization against genetically diverse field and laboratory isolates of PRRSV.” They plan to generate antisera against six commercial PRRSV-2 MLV vaccines in experimentally vaccinated pigs and conduct in vitro cross-neutralization assays to determine the neutralizing antibody titers of each vaccine antisera against PRRSV-2 field isolates representing different genetic lineages and sublineages. Investigators will share results at various swine meetings and expect one publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Drs Ben Hause, Chun-Ming Lin, and Eric Nelson at South Dakota State University along with their co-investigators were awarded $27,700 to fund the project, “Etiological role of rotavirus infection in enteritis and porcine respiratory disease complex.” The overarching goal of this project is to understand the nature of porcine rotavirus infections and associated pathological changes in porcine lungs. Results will be shared in the form of a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript, submitted for consideration for presentation at conferences, and shared in trade publications.
The Foundation granted $17,189 to partially fund Dr Darwin Reicks’ project, “Investigating differences in the source of Serratia and other bacteria in boar semen.” The objective of this project is to build on previous studies and identify the differences between boars who are part of a batch of semen where Serratia was identified and boars who were not. In addition, further comparisons will be made between boar studs that have never identified Serratia in extended semen and those that frequently identify Serratia and experience downstream fertility losses. Results will be shared at the 2022 AASV meeting and through peer-reviewed publication.
Dr Teddi Wolff chaired the scientific subcommittee responsible for reviewing and scoring the proposals received for consideration, and she joins the Foundation in thanking Drs Deb Murray, Tom Petznick, Joe Rudolphi, Jess Waddell, and Mike Eisenmenger for their participation on this important subcommittee. Each of the 14 proposals submitted was given careful consideration.
An overview of past and current projects funded by the foundation is available at aasv.org/foundation/research.htm. The foundation will issue its next call for research proposals in the fall of 2021.
Dr Guilherme Milanez Preis
Dr Jianqiang Zhang
Dr Ben Hause
Dr Darwin Reicks
Three AASV members receive Dr Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt Relief Scholarship
During 2021, the AASV Foundation increased the number of student debt-relief scholarships. Three $5000 scholarships were awarded 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. Recipients Drs Claire LeFevre, Henry Johnson, and Daniel Gascho were announced February 28 during the American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s 52nd Annual Meeting.
The purpose of the $5000 scholarship is to help relieve the student debt of recent veterinary graduates engaged in swine practice who still have significant debt burden. Qualified applicants must have been engaged in private practice with at least 50% of their time devoted to swine, providing on-farm service directly to independent pork producers.
All three recipients were 2017 graduates and have been continuous members of the AASV since joining as students. As students, all had attended the AASV Annual Meeting multiple times.
Dr Claire LeFevre, a University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine graduate, is the commercial farm veterinary lead at Carthage Professional Swine Management, LLC. Approximately 31,000 sows are under her direct care. She is responsible for herd health, development of herd health protocols, and on-farm employee training through programs such as PQA Plus. Dr LeFevre explained that opportunities provided by the AASV were critical to her education, professional development, and success as a swine veterinarian. She is an active member of the newly formed AASV Early Career Committee and enjoys giving back to the association.
Dr Henry Johnson, a University of Illinois graduate, is a veterinarian with the Swine Vet Center in Saint Peter, Minnesota. He works with various sized family farms to better the health and production of their animals to ensure a safe and reliable food product for consumers. He strives to teach production staff how important they are in maximizing day one piglet care and identifying sick animals. He enjoys supporting students, providing the same mentorship he received through the AASV, and fostering the next generation of swine veterinarians.
Dr Daniel Gascho, a graduate of Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, is the top associate veterinarian at Four Star Veterinary Service, LLC, Swine Health Care, in Indiana. His clients range from potbellied and show pigs to large commercial herds. He almost exclusively serves private and family farm clients. Taking advantage of the multiple student events and opportunities offered at the AASV Annual Meetings, Dr Gascho made long-lasting connections he continues to rely on.
The AASV Foundation thanks Drs Ross Kiehne, Lisa Tokach, and Nathan Wink-elman for reviewing the applications.
The scholarship was initiated with a generous $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. As a long-time AASV member and animal industry supporter, it was our desire to help AASV members who have dedicated their professional skills to swine herd health and production. We hope that this endowment will grow over time to assist in reducing the educational debt load of AASV members as they begin their professional journeys.”
Dr Claire LeFevre
Dr Henry Johnson
Dr Daniel Gascho
Veterinary students receive $5000 scholarships from AASV Foundation, Merck Animal Health
Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, continued its commitment to the swine industry’s next generation of veterinarians by partnering with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation (AASVF) to sponsor the 2021 recipients of the AASVF/Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarships, awarded March 1 at the 52nd Annual AASV Meeting.
“At our core, we are committed to investing in veterinary students who are the future leaders in advancing The Science of Healthier Animals,” said Justin Welsh, DVM, Executive Director, Livestock Technical Services, Merck Animal Health. “Through our partnership with AASVF, we are helping to build students’ knowledge of swine health and well-being as they prepare for a career in this important field.”
“The Merck Veterinary Student Scholarship Program has been instrumental in expanding the AASV Foundation’s mission to develop veterinary students into swine veterinarians,” said Harry Snelson, DVM, AASV Executive Director. “The scholarships have a direct and immediate impact on the awardees by helping veterinary students address the financial challenges related to the tuition and fees involved in veterinary education. It is especially rewarding for the members of the AASV Foundation to see that Merck Animal Health shares their values of support for future swine veterinarians.”
The 2021 recipients of the $5000 scholarship are:
- Hayley Bowling, University of Saskatchewan, class of 2023
- Tyler Dick, University of Minnesota, class of 2022
- Isaac Goldner, University of Illinois, class of 2023
- Katyann Graham, Iowa State University, class of 2023
- Anthony Holowka, Lincoln Memorial University, class of 2022
- Madison Kapraun, University of Illinois, class of 2022
- Kristofer Kovach, Iowa State University, class of 2023
- Seth Melson, University of Minnesota, class of 2023
- Rachel Patton, The Ohio State University, class of 2022
- Sydney Simmons, North Carolina State University, class of 2023
The scholarship program assists the Foundation’s mission to support the development and scholarship of veterinary students interested in the swine industry. Second- and third-year students enrolled in American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited or recognized colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands are eligible for the scholarship. The AASV Foundation thanks Drs Lisa Tokach, Teddi Wolff, Brian Roggow, and Jordan Gebhardt for judging this year’s applications. Learn more at aasv.org/foundation.
Hayley Bowling
University of Saskatchewan
Madison Kapraum
University of Illinois
Tyler Dick
University of Minnesota
Kris Kovach
Iowa State University
Isaac Goldner
University of Illinois
Seth Melson
University of Minnesota
Katyann Graham
Iowa State University
Rachel Patton
The Ohio State University
Anthony Holowka
Lincoln Memorial University
Sydney Simmons
North Carolina State University
Oklahoma State University veterinary student receives David A. Schoneweis Scholarship
Mindi Bracy, a third-year student at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, was awarded the David A. Schoneweis scholarship during the AASV Annual Meeting.
The children of the late Dr David Schoneweis established a scholarship in his memory to benefit swine-interested students from Kansas State University (KSU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU). The $1000 scholarship is awarded to a student or students from KSU or OSU who participate in the student oral or poster presentations during the meeting, based upon a selection rubric prepared with the oversight and approval of the Schoneweis family.
Bracy presented her research, “Risk factors for umbilical hernias in commercial pigs,” during the AASV Student Seminar. She was one of 15 students participating in the seminar competition.
Dr Schoneweis was born in Clay Center, Kansas and earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Kansas State University in 1956. He served two years in the US Army Veterinary Corps before teaching clinical sciences at Oklahoma State University for six years. After two years in private practice in Lawrence, Kansas, he joined the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine faculty in 1966, where he received his master’s degree in surgery and medicine in 1971 and taught food animal medicine for 30 years. Dr Schoneweis was a charter member of the American Association of Swine Practitioners (AASP) and served on the association’s Board of Directors in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1997, he received the AASP Meritorious Service Award for his lifetime of support for the association and in recognition of his work with students as a professor of food animal medicine at KSU and OSU.
Thankful for the scholarship, Bracy said, “I am honored to receive the David A. Schoneweis Scholarship. It is encouraging and exciting to be a part of a career that supports veterinary students and invests in their futures. I cannot thank the family of Dr Schoneweis enough for their generosity toward me and my passion for the swine industry.”
Leman and Heritage Fellows recognized
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation (AASVF) is committed to fund research, scholarships, externships, tuition grants, and other programs and activities that benefit the profession of swine veterinary medicine. The Foundation relies on the generous support of donors to fulfill this commitment.
During the recent AASV Foundation Luncheon held February 28, 2021, during the AASV Annual Meeting, AASVF chair Dr Lisa Tokach announced new Leman and Heritage fellows.
This year, Drs Larry Coleman and W. Shamus Brown were recognized as Leman Fellows. Drs Brad and Eileen Thacker were recognized as Heritage Fellows. Four Star Veterinary Service honored and memorialized the late Dr Dale Hendrickson as a Heritage Fellow.
Leman
Named for the late industry leader and former AASV President Dr Allen D. Leman, this giving program confers the title of Leman Fellow upon those who make a contribution of $1000 or more to the foundation endowment.
Heritage
The Heritage Fellow program recognizes contributions of $5000 or more. In addition to monetary donations, other giving options such as life insurance policies, estate bequests, and retirement plan assets may be used.
Legacy
A donor, multiple donors, or a veterinary practice may establish and name a Legacy Fund with a gift of $50,000 or more. The fund may be named after the donor or another individual or group. The donor designates which of three foundation mission categories the fund’s proceeds will support: 1) research, 2) education, or 3) long-range issues.
If you are ready to lend your support and help build the endowment to ensure future support of the swine veterinary profession, visit aasv.org/foundation or contact the foundation by phone, 515-465-5255, or email, aasv@aasv.org.
AASV Foundation auction exceeds $100,000
Thanks to generous donors and competitive bidders, the hard work invested by the AASV Foundation Auction Committee paid off to the tune of $100,006! The annual fundraiser supports the many scholarships, swine research grants, debt-relief awards, swine externship grants, and other programs funded by the AASV Foundation each year. This year’s auction was entirely virtual, with two groups of donations. The silent auction items raised $11,296, while the 15 featured auction items brought $36,550. Cash contributions designated towards the auction provided another $52,160.
The 2021 Auction Committee was led by co-chairs Drs Chase Stahl, John Waddell, and Butch Baker. Many thanks to all who contributed to the success of this important fundraiser!
And the winners are…
Thank you to ALL who made a contribution or placed a bid on items in the auction.
Thanks to your generosity, the auction raised $100,006 for the AASV Foundation!
We are pleased to recognize the winning bidders who purchased one or more items at the auction:
Save the date! AASV Foundation Golf Outing
September 1, 2021 (Registration opens in July)
Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Ames, Iowa