Southern Veterinary Partners named 'Top Tiger' by Auburn UniversityAugust 9, 2018Southern Veterinary Partners (SVP), a veterinarian owned and operated a regional network of animal hospitals in the South, has been named an Auburn University's "Top Tiger," which recognizes the fastest-growing companies led by Auburn University alumni. Jay Price, DVM, CEO; Jeff Falone, DVM, chief medical officer; and Chase Whitworth, DVM, regional medical director, all graduates of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Barron Lakeman, chief development officer and graduate of Auburn University, received this honor. Based in Birmingham, Ala., SVP is the largest veterinary management company based in the South. It provides centralized support for its in-network animal hospitals, including marketing, HR, finance, inventory, and purchasing management, and provides enhanced benefits to team members. The hospitals retain their names, culture, and local commitment to their communities as well as veterinarians and staff. SVP's network includes 57 animal hospitals across 10 southern states.
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WSAVA awards Sri Lankan vet with first animal welfare honorAugust 9, 2018The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has named Nalinika Obeyesekere, Bsc, BVSc, MSc, a veterinarian from Sri Lanka, as the first recipient of a new award for companion animal welfare. The award, developed by WSAVA's Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (AWWC), recognizes individual veterinarians who have made a significant contribution to animal welfare and inspired others to play their part in advancing welfare globally. Dr. Obeyesekere graduated with a BSc in wildlife biology and management from the University of California Davis, and returned to Sri Lanka to work in the environmental sector. She also holds a BVSc at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and an MVSc from Murdoch University in Australia. She is now the owner-director of Pet Vet Clinic in Sri Lanka. According to WSAVA, her passion for animal welfare is a consistent theme throughout her work: A founding member and director of education of the Society of Companion Animal Practitioners of Sri Lanka. She has been instrumental in developing continuing education in Sri Lanka, championing higher standards of veterinary practice and adopting a one health approach. She has pioneered behavioral therapy with veterinary teams and owners, and is active on a range of …
KSU selects first NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowshipsAugust 9, 2018Five graduate students from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine have been awarded National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Scientist Training Program fellowships. The awardees will receive tuition, stipends, and funds for supplies and travel from a five-year, $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). The students were selected for their interest and expertise in emerging animal diseases, diseases that infect both animals and people, or foreign animal diseases that threaten global health and food security. Once they complete the fellowship program, they are committed to working at the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York and, ultimately, the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF), which is under construction adjacent to the university's Manhattan campus. The selected students already have received training in high-containment facilities that work with pathogens that will be studied at NBAF. The fellowship recipients, who will be mentored by professors with whom they have worked with for at least one to three years, are Kaitlynn Bradshaw, a master's student in veterinary biomedical science; Chester McDowell, a concurrent doctor of veterinary medicine …
Meet the 2018 National Veterinary Scholars award recipientsAugust 7, 2018The 29th annual National Veterinary Scholars Symposium drew more than 650 veterinary students from across North America and Europe, animal health researchers, and leaders from more than 36 veterinary schools, to view research accomplishments by veterinary students completing summer research internships. The Boehringer Ingelheim-sponsored program, which allows veterinary schools to introduce first- and second-year veterinary medical students to biomedical research, was held Aug. 4-5 at Texas A&M University. Presentations and panel discussions provided students with perspective on various topics, including global food security and sustainability, emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. "Innovation in both animal and human health is inextricably linked, and to address unmet clinical need in both areas we need motivated and skilled scientists and researchers," said Fabian Kausche, Ph.D., MS, AMP, global head of research and development for BI's Animal Health business. "Over the last few decades, more than 3,000 veterinary students have participated in this annual program and benefited from this tremendous experience and exposure to career pathways. The impact of such experiential learning programs to the students involved, to industry and to human and animal patients is significant." At each of the more than three dozen participating institutions, BI Veterinary Scholars are assigned …
Colin Harvey honored with 2018 WSAVA Scientific Achievement AwardJuly 12, 2018Colin Harvey, BVSc, FRCVS, DACVS, DAVDC, has received the 2018 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Award for Scientific Achievement in recognition of his work to highlight the importance of veterinary oral and dental health in companion animals as well as in developing tools to support the incorporation of dental procedures and dental preventive strategy into daily veterinary practice. The award will be presented during this year's WSAVA World Congress, Sept. 25-28 Singapore. Dr. Harvey graduated from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Sciences before completing an internship and surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He was trained in dental procedures by faculty of the School of Dental Medicine at the UPenn. Until his retirement in 2013, he was professor of surgery and dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania, a position he held for 33 years. As a boarded specialist in both surgery and dentistry (charter diplomate of American Veterinary Dental College), he introduced a range of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures into clinical, teaching, and research activities. This led to improvements in the major oral surgery reconstructive techniques necessary for cancer patients, as well as in the management of oral trauma …
Merck, AVMF announce 2018 Veterinary Student Innovation AwardsJune 25, 2018Merck Animal Health and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) have announced the winners of the 2018 Veterinary Student Innovation Awards, a new award program designed to recognize graduating seniors at each veterinary school accredited through the American Veterinary Medical Association in the U.S. and Canada. Awards were given to students in good academic standing and who have demonstrated innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity in developing a project or product that inspires others within the veterinary profession. "At Merck Animal Health, we believe in the science of healthier animals," said Scott Bormann, Merck's North America vice president. "Part of what drives that science is the identification of new challenges and the development of initiatives to address them in our ever-changing industry. We're excited to partner with the AVMF to support these inspiring students." "We are pleased to recognize and support these outstanding veterinary students," said Jan K. Strother, DVM, chair, AVMF board of directors. "Not only have these students displayed entrepreneurial spirit, initiative and creativity, but they are also making a positive difference in their communities and in our veterinary profession." Award recipients include: Carolyn Benedetto, Louisiana State University Amanda Carlson, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Meredith Chamberlain, University of Prince Edward Island Caitlin Conner, Texas …
Merck, AVMF award $280K in scholarships to 56 veterinary studentsMarch 22, 2018Fifty six veterinary students from around the world have received scholarships from Merck Animal Health, in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). Through the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, select second-and third-year students pursuing careers in companion animal or large animal medicine each will receive a $5,000 scholarship (totaling $280,000) to support their educational endeavors. "We know that the cost of veterinary education can be a challenge but want to encourage talented students to pursue their dreams," said Scott Bormann, vice president, North America, Merck Animal Health. "We're honored to support these recipients, as the work they do throughout their careers will have an important impact on the animal health industry, helping to advance the well-being of both companion and large animals." The AVMF, the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association, has supported veterinary students for more than five decades. "The AVMF helps ensure the future of veterinary medicine by recognizing and supporting outstanding students," said Jan K. Strother, DVM, chair, AVMF board. "We are honored to partner with Merck Animal Health in providing these scholarship opportunities." Award recipients from U.S. and international veterinary schools …
ISU professor receives AAVMC 2018 Melcher awardFebruary 22, 2018 The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has named James A. Roth, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, the Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor in Iowa State University's (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine, as the recipient of the 2018 Senator John Melcher DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award. Dr. Roth directs the Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics, developed an internationally recognized Veterinary Biologics Training Program that trains employees and government officials on the United States Department of Agriculture's regulatory process, and helped establish the Center for Food Security and Public Health at ISU with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also developed an online course on emerging and exotic diseases for veterinary students that is part of the USDA's initial accreditation process for new veterinarians. Since 2011, more than 30,000 people have taken the course. He is currently working on developing global online training about animal disease outbreaks. Roth also is the recipient of the USDA APHIS Administrator's Award for contributions in Animal Health. The award will be presented officially during the AAVMC's 2018 Annual Conference and Assembly, March 2-4, in Washington, D.C.
Inaugural Feather in Her Cap awards go to 4 industry leadersFebruary 20, 2018Four women in the animal health industry have been recognized with inaugural Feather In Her Cap awards, recognizing their achievements and contributions and for mentoring and developing future women leaders. The award, established in 2017 as part of the nonprofit Feather In Her Cap Association Inc., honors women who have made outstanding contributions in animal health through scientific, industrial, or commercial excellence and by demonstrating commitment to mentoring women in the animal health industry. The four awardees, who each received a gold feather brooch and a feathered hat, are: Kimberly Allen, president of commercial operations for Henry Schein Animal Health, has served in various leadership positions within in the veterinary distribution industry for 36 years. She was the first woman to serve on and the first to chair the American Veterinary Distributors Association Board, serving several terms as president. Catherine Knupp, DVM, MS, executive vice president and president of research and development for Zoetis. She is a champion of the Zoetis Midwest Women's Mentoring Network, serving as a speaker at educational events and as a mentor. Marie-Paul Lachaud, DVM, head of European program management at Aratana Therapeutics Inc. The founder of the first animal health clinical research organization in …
Petplan announces 2018 Veterinary Excellence AwardsFebruary 14, 2018 Petplan pet insurance hosted its annual Veterinary Excellence Awards dinner early this month, naming six veterinary professionals and one exemplary pet parent 2018's winners. The awards event was held in tandem with the Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Fla. This year's winners: Practice of the Year: Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Fort Collins, Colo. Veterinarian of the Year: Thomas Newland, DVM, Adobe Animal Hospital, Scottsdale, Ariz. Practice Manager of the Year: Amanda Inman, Pet Care Clinic of Kokomo, Inc., Kokomo, Ind. Veterinary Technician of the Year: Jamie Rauscher, Animal Hospital of Towne Lake, Woodstock, Ga. Receptionist of the Year: Rebecca May, Town N' Country Animal Hospital, Burlington, N.C. Pet Parent of the Year: Danny Shelton, Cleveland Browns Defensive Lineman and Animal Health Advocate Nominees in each category were submitted by both professional peers and clients; then, each completed a rigorous application process to accept their candidacy and advance to the semifinalist and finalist rounds. The judging panel included veterinary professionals, several of whom are past award winners. "I'd like to extend a warm congratulations to each of this year's winners," said Natasha Ashton, Petplan co-founder and co-CEO. "It is an honor for all of us to witness …
