The AASV and the veterinary profession lost a valued member, leader, and advocate for animal welfare when Dr Angela Baysinger passed away on March 8 of this year.
To honor Angela’s memory and further her commitment to improve the welfare of production animals, the Baysinger family made a generous contribution to the AASV Foundation to establish the Angela K. Baysinger Memorial Fund.
In accordance with the Baysinger family’s wishes, a working group of AASV members and Angela’s colleagues proposed – and the AASV Foundation board approved – that the foundation establish the following three initiatives to be supported by the proceeds of the memorial fund:
Angela Baysinger Memorial Scholarship
One or more annual scholarships focused on providing educational and mentoring support for students interested in production animal welfare. Up to $10,000 may be disbursed annually, with a maximum award of $5000 per student.
Angela Baysinger Memorial Lecture
A general session lecture ($3000 speaker honorarium) to be given annually during the AASV Annual Meeting to address production animal welfare. The 2025 AASV Annual Meeting will feature Dr Anna Johnson presenting the first Angela Baysinger Memorial Lecture: Advancing pig welfare together: Standing on the shoulders of Angela.
Support for the AVMA Animal Welfare Assessment Contest
Contributions of $7500 will be made in 2024 and 2025 to support the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Assessment Contest in honor of Angela.
The AASV Foundation invites AASV members and Angela’s friends and colleagues to make additional donations to the Angela Baysinger Memorial Fund to ensure the long-term viability of these initiatives.
Already, Merck Animal Health has added its support to the memorial fund. In making the contribution, Justin Welsh, DVM, executive director of Merck’s Livestock Technical Services, said “Merck Animal Health is proud to support the efforts of the AASV to honor Dr Angela Baysinger through this memorial fund. Angela was part of the Merck Animal Health family, and her legacy and contributions will live on through this effort.”
Donate in Angela’s honor
For more information about the activities to be supported by the memorial, and to honor Angela’s memory with your own support for production animal welfare, visit aasv.org/foundation/contribute/memorials.
Prospecting for the foundation
As AASV heads to the Golden State in 2025, the AASV Foundation Auction Committee is staking its claim on holding another successful fundraising auction. Committee members are already prospecting for auction items and cash donations, and they are banking on their partners (AASV members and sponsors) to lend a hand.
Good news – there is no hard labor involved! Just submit the donation form with a photo of your item (or a check). Your contribution will be recognized in the auction catalog as well as on the auction website, and your name will appear in the full-page JSHAP spread recognizing our auction donors.
Nuggets of gold
Every donation is a nugget of gold that helps the foundation fulfill its mission through its many programs. The foundation’s travel stipends, externship grants, and scholarships help attract veterinary students to the profession, while its research grants, debt-relief awards, and support for advanced certification programs provide opportunities for graduate veterinarians.
The rush is on!
Join the wagon train of foundation supporters: Submit your donation by December 1 using the form available at aasv.org/foundation/auctioninfo.
Researchers, submit your proposals for funding
The AASV Foundation announces the availability of up to $100,000 in funding for 2025 to support research with direct application to the swine veterinary profession.
Research proposals are due by 12:00 pm Central Time on December 13, 2024. Proposals are limited to a maximum request of $30,000 per project. Detailed submission instructions are available at aasv.org/foundation/research/call-for-proposals.
The projects selected for funding will be announced during the AASV-AASV Foundation Luncheon at the AASV Annual Meeting on Monday, March 3, 2025.
A panel of AASV members will review and select proposals based on the following criteria:
- Potential benefit to swine veterinarians and the swine industry (40 points)
- Likelihood of success within the proposed timeline (35 points)
- Scientific and investigative quality (15 points)
- Justification of the budget (5 points)
- Originality of the research (5 points)
A summary of previously funded research can be viewed at aasv.org/foundation/research/funded/.
Early-career swine veterinarians: Twelve $7500 debt-relief grants to be awarded
The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce two opportunities for AASV members to apply for debt relief. Applications are due December 1 for a total of twelve $7500 grants awarded at the 2025 AASV Annual Meeting. While the application process is the same for both opportunities, the eligibility requirements are different as described below and at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/debt-relief-grants.
Dr Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt-Relief Scholarships
The Foundation will award two $7500 scholarships to AASV members 2 to 5 years post-graduation from veterinary school (2020, 2021, or 2022 graduates) who are engaged in private veterinary practice devoted 50% or more to swine, providing on-farm service directly to independent pork producers. The recipient must have maintained AASV membership since joining as a student and must also have attended the AASV Annual Meeting while in veterinary school.
AASVF/Zoetis Foundation Student Debt-Relief Grant Program
For the second year, the AASV Foundation has partnered with the Zoetis Foundation to award ten $7500 grants to swine veterinarians to help relieve their student debt burden. In addition to private practitioners, AASV members who work for production companies, universities, or pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to apply. Any member who graduated from an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine in the years 2015 through 2022, joined AASV as a student member, and whose career since graduation has been 50% or more devoted to swine is eligible to apply.
Those who meet eligibility requirements for the Schmidt scholarship also qualify for the AASVF/Zoetis Foundation grant and will automatically be considered for both opportunities from the same application. Previous recipients are recognized at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/debt-relief-grants/#recipients, and are not eligible to reapply for either award.
To apply, complete and submit the application available at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/debt-relief-grants by December 1. The scholarship recipients will be announced during the 2025 AASV Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.
Hogg Scholarship available to practitioners seeking MS or PhD
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation is accepting applications for the prestigious Hogg Scholarship. Established in 2008, the intent of the $10,000 Hogg Scholarship is to assist a swine veterinarian in their 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. To date, 21 swine practitioners have been awarded the scholarship and are recognized at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/hogg-scholarship.
Dr Alex Hogg’s career serves as the ideal model for successful applicants. After 20 years in mixed animal practice, Dr Hogg pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology. He subsequently became the 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 here, and on the AASV website at aasv.org/foundation/swine-veterinarians/hogg-scholarship/.
Hogg Scholarship Requirements
Applicants 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 for consideration as a Hogg Scholar:
- 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
Selection of Hogg Scholars is made by a three-person panel composed of previous recipients of the Hogg Scholarship. Panel members each serve a 3-year term, with one member rotating off as a new member added each year.
To apply for the Hogg Scholarship, application materials previously outlined must be received by December 1 via email, foundation@aasv.org, or mail to:
AASV Foundation 830 26th Street Perry, IA, 50220
The scholarship recipient(s) will be announced during the AASV-AASVF Luncheon at the AASV Annual Meeting on Monday, March 3.
Sophomore and junior veterinary students: Apply for $10,000 by December 31
The AASV Foundation, in collaboration with Merck Animal Health, is pleased to once again offer the AASVF-Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarships to assist with the educational expenses of aspiring swine veterinarians. Merck has generously contributed $50,000, allowing the AASV Foundation to award five scholarships of $10,000 each in 2025.
Veterinary students in their second or third year, enrolled in AVMA-accredited or recognized veterinary colleges in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands, are eligible to apply. Applicants must be current student members of the AASV for the 2024-2025 academic year. The application process requires submission of a resume, the name of a faculty member or AASV member for reference, and responses to four essay questions. Detailed application instructions are available at aasv.org/foundation/veterinary-students/aasvf-merck-scholarship. The deadline for applications is December 31.
Please note that students who have previously received this scholarship from the AASV or the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) are not eligible to reapply.
A committee comprising two AASV Foundation Board members and two AASV members-at-large will review and score the applications. Each essay question response will be evaluated on a scale from 1 to 10, with a total possible score ranging from 0 to 40 points.
The scholarship winners will be announced on Monday, March 3, during the AASV-AASV Foundation Luncheon at the 2025 AASV Annual Meeting in San Francisco (attendance not required).
The AASVF-Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program reflects Merck Animal Health’s and the AASV Foundation’s commitment to support the development and scholarship of students and veterinarians interested in the swine industry. For additional information about scholarships and other AASV Foundation initiatives, visit aasv.org/foundation.
Golfers tee off for the foundation
Forty-six golfers on twelve teams enjoyed comfortable weather and collegial camaraderie as they played their way around Veenker Memorial Golf Course to support the AASV Foundation on September 10.
The golfers hosted by Pharmgate Animal Health (Dakota Fiene, Daniel Fedders, Jeffery OKones, and Jason Hengeveld) topped the field with a score of 60, winning in a tiebreaker over the team from Iowa State University composed of Justin Brown, Scott Radke, Shawn Steverson, and Brian Yarborough. Golfers hosted by VRI, including Ryan Saltzman, Joe Thomas, Rick Sibbel, and Ben Crawford, made up the third-place team finishing with a score of 66.
The liberal use of mulligans, which were sold to provide additional support to the foundation, contributed to many of the low scores recorded in the 18-hole best ball team contest. However, golfers were forced to rely on pure talent – or good luck – to prevail in the individual contests hosted by several of the golf hole sponsors, which included Agri-King, Aurora Pharmaceutical, Huvepharma, Insight Wealth Group, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, Metafarms, National Pork Producers Council, and Veterinary Pharmaceutical Solutions.
Sponsors also helped keep the golfers well fed and hydrated throughout the day. Lunch was sponsored by Merck Animal Health, beverages were provided by Zoetis, and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health generously supported the concluding pork dinner.
Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of golfers and sponsors, the event raised support for the foundation’s many programs, including scholarships for students and graduate veterinarians, research grants, student debt relief, swine externship grants, travel stipends for students attending the AASV Annual Meeting, Heritage videos, and more.
As he has done for the past several years, Dr Josh Ellingson coordinated the event for the foundation and announced the following team and individual contest winners:
First flight
First place, hosted by Pharmgate Animal Health: Dakota Fiene, Daniel Fedders, Jeffery OKones, and Jason Hengeveld
Second place, hosted by Iowa State University: Justin Brown, Scott Radke, Shawn Steverson, and Brian Yarborough
Third place, hosted by VRI: Ryan Saltzman, Joe Thomas, Rick Sibbel, and Ben Crawford
Second flight
First place, hosted by Merck Animal Health: Jack Creel, Michelle Sprague, Steve Sprague, and Mike Bauer
Second place, hosted by Zoetis: Brian Roggow, Deb Roggow, James Kloeckner, and Javen Holm
Third place, hosted by Pharmacosmos: Chris Olsen, Wesley Lyons, Chelsea Hamilton, and Jacob Stratton
Third flight
First place, Wayne Freese and Dan Rosener
Second place, hosted by Zoetis: Josh Ellingson, Dave Pyburn, Darran Miller, and Ben Schmaling
Third place, hosted by Topigs Norsvin: Tyler Dick, Amber Stricker, Mitch Christensen, and Brent Sexton
Individual Contests
Hole #2, Chipping contest, sponsored by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health: Shelby Ramirez, Jason Hengeveld, and Michelle Sprague
Hole #4, Longest Putt: Dan Fedders
Hole #10, Longest Drive: Chris Olsen
Hole #11, Closest to the pin, tee shot, sponsored by Huvepharma: Shelby Ramirez
Hole #17, Closest to the pin: Javen Holm
Hole #18, Longest putt, sponsored by Aurora Pharmaceutical: Jason Hocker