The AASV held its 43rd annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, March 10-13, 2012. The meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Denver, drew 1004 total attendees, including 558 paid registrants and a record 164 veterinary students. The participants represented 30 countries including the United States. Total attendance included 220 allied industry representatives manning a record 75 technical tables. The students in attendance represented 27 veterinary schools from seven countries!
The theme of this year’s meeting was “Integrating science, welfare, and economics in practice.” The participants were presented with numerous educational sessions, including nine preconference seminars, two general sessions, three concurrent sessions, research topics, Industrial Partners sessions, 15 Student Seminar presentations, and 54 posters.
Dr Dean Boyd opened the Monday General Session with the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture. His presentation, entitled “How to integrate science into practice to improve business viability,” explored the impact of animal health and performance on economic viability in pork production. Dr Lisa Tokach followed up with the Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture entitled “Science, welfare, and economics: Are they cornerstones or just a balancing act?” She provided a thought-provoking look into daily practice challenges in contrast to global perspectives derived from her recent experiences with the Heifer International Program.
The second half of the Monday morning session included presentations on swine immunology, applying evidence-based population medicine in practice, and improving the welfare of the diseased or injured pig.
The Tuesday General Session was devoted to swine influenza and regional control and elimination of the PRRS virus.
All of the General Session presentations on Monday and Tuesday were video recorded and will be posted in the video library of the AASV Web site in the near future.
In addition, 15 AASV committees met during the annual meeting, and the Board of Directors convened at the close of the meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The 2013 annual meeting will be held March 2-5 in San Diego, California, and the board selected New Orleans, Louisiana, as the site for the 2016 annual meeting.
Swine Practitioner of the Year award
Dr George Charbonneau received the 2012 Swine Practitioner of the Year award. The award is given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients.
Dr George Charbonneau, recipient of the Swine Practitioner of the Year Award  |
Dr Charbonneau grew up in Arnprior, Ontario. He obtained his DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1981 and established a veterinary practice serving southwestern Ontario. His current practice, South West Ontario Veterinary Services, is located in Stratford, Ontario, and is restricted to swine health and production management.
Dr Charbonneau has been very active in the Canadian swine industry. He has served as the president of the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians, Ontario Association of Swine Veterinarians, and the Ontario Pork Congress. He was involved in the formation of and served as the initial chairman of the Ontario Pork Industry Council. He currently serves in the leadership of the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians and as a district representative on the Board of Directors of the AASV.
Dr Charbonneau has received numerous awards from the Canadian swine industry as well as the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association’s Outstanding Veterinarian Award in 2008.
“It is with great appreciation that I accept the AASV Swine Practitioner of the Year award,” Dr Charbonneau commented. “I am very honored to be in the company of the practitioners who have received this award in the past. I have enjoyed the challenges offered by swine practice and the opportunities that it provides. Participation in the AASV has been a great benefit over the years and I very much appreciate the sense of ‘community’ that is a great part of being an AASV member. I would like to thank the AASV for this recognition. I would also like to thank my wife and children for the support that they have given to me as I pursued a career in swine practice.”
Dr Charbonneau and his wife, Ann Coyle, currently reside in Stratford, Ontario. They have a daughter, Amy, and a son, Matt.
Howard Dunne Memorial Award
Dr Tom Stein was named the 2012 recipient of the Howard Dunne Memorial Award given annually to an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.
Dr Tom Stein, recipient of the Howard Dunne Memorial Award  Photo courtesy of Sara Quail |
Dr Stein is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on information systems, reporting, and analysis for pork production. He has served as the CEO of MetaFarms since its inception in 2000.
A native of Illinois, Dr Stein received his undergraduate degree in animal science from Purdue University and earned his DVM degree from the University of Illinois. He completed a master’s degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota and went on to earn a PhD in clinical epidemiology and veterinary medicine. Dr Stein’s PhD thesis project at the University of Minnesota focused on the design and development of the PigCHAMP record-keeping system.
In 1990, Dr Stein founded Knowledgeworks, Inc, a management consulting and software development firm. Knowledgeworks was acquired by MetaFarms in late 1999. MetaFarms provides a suite of online software, known as i-Production, using the software-as-a-service model. Their software integrates production, financial, and marketing data into a seamless, manageable, and useable set of reporting and analysis tools. These services enable pork production companies to manage their businesses more profitably and participate in synchronized supply chains. MetaFarms is located in Burnsville, Minnesota, and its software is used by pork producers around the world.
Dr Stein lives with his wife Deb in Bloomington, Minnesota. They have four children residing in the Minneapolis area.
Meritorious Service Award
Dr Morgan Morrow was honored as the 2012 recipient of the AASV Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the AASV.
Dr Morgan Morrow, recipient of the Meritorious Service Award  |
Dr Morrow studied veterinary science at the University of Queensland, Australia. Following graduation, he joined the Commonwealth Government Department of Primary Industry. He subsequently went to work for PIC Australia, which ultimately resulted in a move to Franklin, Kentucky. He completed a masters and PhD at the University of Minnesota with Dr Al Leman. He is currently a professor in the Department of Animal Science at North Carolina State University.
Dr Morrow is probably responsible for initiating, overseeing, and expanding more AASV membership benefits than any other single individual. Dave Brown, AASV Webmaster, noted that “Morgan was very likely the first member to try to log in to the members-only area of the very new AASV Web site in 1997. In addition, he served as one of the primary moderators for the SWINE-L discussion list that preceded the AASV-L members-only list (which he was also instrumental in establishing).”
“It is truly an honor to receive this award,” noted Dr Morrow. “I have always enjoyed working in the communications area and am particularly pleased to see the way the podcast program has been embraced by the veterinary students. This competitive program enables students to interview speakers at our annual conference on the topic of their presentations. This program gives students an opportunity to develop a working relationship with the speaker and by researching the issues, they better understand the topics. Members of the AASV benefit by being able to listen to the interview as they drive from farm to farm.”
Dr Morrow served as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Swine Health and Production beginning in 1993, the first year of the journal’s existence. His more than 10 years of service on the editorial board include late 1993 through 1996, and 2004 through 2010. He served as chair of the Communications Committee from at least 1998 until 2010, and many of his contributions to the AASV are a result of his dedicated leadership of the committee.
From 1997 through 2002, Dr Morrow facilitated a number of workshops on communications topics at the AASV Annual Meeting, designed to enhance members’ interpersonal communication and negotiation skills.
In 2000, Dr Morrow oversaw a proposal to enhance and expand the AASV Web site. After receiving approval for this project from the board of directors, he worked closely with Webmaster Dave Brown to implement several new Web-based benefits for AASV members, including the weekly e-Letter.
Dr Morrow and his wife Sjaan reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have three children, Sophie, Tim, and Emily.
Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year
The Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr Deborah Murray. It is given annually to an AASV member 5 or fewer years post graduation who has demonstrated the ideals of exemplary service and proficiency early in his or her career.
Dr Deborah Murray, recipient of the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award  |
Dr Murray is a 2006 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and received the Swine Certificate at graduation. She grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her parents, Robert and Nancy Smith, and two brothers, Dean and Doug.
Following graduation, she joined Marcus/Remsen Veterinary Clinic, a mixed-animal veterinary practice in northwest Iowa. In 2007, she “landed her dream job” at New Fashion Pork (NFP) headquartered in Jackson, Minnesota. At NFP, she is an integral part of a production management team responsible for producing 1.2 million market hogs per year. Dr Murray works side by side with the sow and grow-finish production managers to ensure that the company’s standard operating procedures are properly implemented and executed.
She has also earned the respect of her veterinary colleagues and has spoken several times at the Leman Swine Conference, the AASV Annual Meeting, and, most recently, at the 2011 Iowa State University Swine Disease Conference. She has been an AASV member since 2002.
When asked to comment on receiving the award, Dr Murray replied, “I am very honored and humbled to receive this award. There are many deserving young veterinarians who work very hard every day and contribute a great deal to the swine industry and I am very proud to be a part of this group, as well as a member of the AASV. I am also very blessed to have such a supportive family and to work for a great company.”
Dr Murray resides in Jackson, Minnesota, with her husband Will and son Weston.
Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year
Dr Brad Gramm was posthumously awarded the 2012 Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award. Established in 2008, the award recognizes swine-industry veterinarians who have demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in delivery of veterinary service to their companies and their clients, as well as given tirelessly in service to the AASV and the swine industry.
Dr Brad Gramm (deceased), recipient of the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award  Photo courtesy of LuAnn Gramm |
Dr Gramm was recognized for his years of service as the Senior Technical Services Veterinarian for Phibro Animal Health. In his position, Dr Gramm’s responsibilities included providing technical support for Phibro products and the sales force in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Those who knew him and worked with him, however, related that his real strength was his ability to interact with customers and his incredible sense of humor with co-workers. He always had a positive attitude toward the swine industry. He was scheduled to present at the 2011 AASV Annual Meeting in Phoenix, but was unable to travel due to his illness. He worked diligently preparing Dr Doug Weiss to give the presentation and was thrilled when it was arranged to have a speaker phone available so he could listen in and be a part of the presentation.
Dr Gramm joined the technical team at Phibro in 2001. He held a similar position with Pfizer Animal Health from 1988 until 2000, with a break from 1993 until 1997 when he served as the Cattle Marketing Manager for Pfizer. Dr Gramm received his DVM (1983) from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). He also completed the Executive Veterinary Program in Swine Health Management at the University of Illinois CVM in 2000.
Accepting the award for her husband, LuAnn Gramm said, “Brad enjoyed his career as a DVM and the relationships he developed over the years. Although his life on earth ended too soon, Brad’s legacy lives on in the relationships he established and the tireless efforts he put forth to promote the swine industry. I am so grateful to the AASV for selecting Brad as the winner of this prestigious award. Our children can reflect proudly on the comments shared about their dad and know that his colleagues thought so highly of him. Brad was a great man who lived out his Christian faith in all that he did.”
Dr Gramm and his wife LuAnn have three children: Ashlyn and Reid live with their mom in Bloomington, Illinois, and Alec currently attends Illinois State University.
Student Seminar and scholarships
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students during the 43rd AASV Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Trevor Schwartz received the $5000 scholarship for top student presentation. Trevor is a 3rd year veterinary student at Iowa State University. His presentation was titled “Effect of waste environment on survival of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae.” Pfizer Animal Health provided the financial support for the Best Student Presenter award.
Recipient of the $5000 scholarship for Best Student Presenter during AASV’s Student Seminar, Trevor Schwartz, Iowa State University. Pictured with Trevor is Dr Steve Sornsen of Pfizer Animal Health, sponsor of the Student Seminar Best Presenter Award.  |
Additional scholarships totaling $20,000 were provided by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation on behalf of Elanco Animal Health.
Four veterinary student presenters received $2500 scholarships: Jessica Abbott, Iowa State University; Michael Nagorske, University of Minnesota; Marisa Rotolo, Iowa State University; and Paul Thomas, Iowa State University.
Dr Meghann Pierdon (left), on behalf of Elanco Animal Health, presented scholarships funded by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. Recipients of the $2500 AASV Foundation scholarships were (from left) Michael Nagorske, University of Minnesota; Jessica Abbott, Iowa State University; Marisa Rotolo, Iowa State University; Paul Thomas, Iowa State University.  |
Five veterinary student presenters received $1500 scholarships: Cara Haden, Iowa State University; Sam Holst, University of Minnesota; Casey Rabbe, University of Minnesota; Jonathan Tangen, Iowa State University; and Megan Thompson, University of Minnesota.
Dr Meghann Pierdon (left), on behalf of Elanco Animal Health, presented scholarships funded by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. Recipients of the $1500 AASV Foundation scholarships were (from left) Sam Holst, University of Minnesota; Casey Rabbe, University of Minnesota; Megan Thompson, University of Minnesota; Cara Haden, Iowa State University; Jonathan Tangen, Iowa State University.  |
Student presenters receiving $500 scholarships were Kelsey Altholz, North Carolina State University; Kevin Dobesh, University of Nebraska/Iowa State University; Emily Kuntz, University of Illinois; Brittney McLamb, North Carolina State University; and Bethany Stammen, The Ohio State University.
Dr Meghann Pierdon (left), on behalf of Elanco Animal Health, presented scholarships funded by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation. Recipients of the $500 AASV Foundation scholarships were (from left) Kelsey Altholz, North Carolina State University; Emily Kuntz, University of Illinois; Brittney McLamb, North Carolina State University; Bethany Stammen, The Ohio State University; Kevin Dobesh, University of Nebraska/Iowa State University.  |
Veterinary students representing 14 universities submitted 47 abstracts for consideration. From those submissions, 15 students were selected to present during the annual meeting. Pfizer Animal Health, sponsor of the Student Seminar, provided a $750 travel stipend to each student selected to participate.
A panel of judges selected the recipients on the basis of communications skills in writing the abstract and the presentation of the report, and on applicability of the research to swine medicine.
Student Poster Competition
The AASV provided an opportunity for 15 veterinary students to compete for awards in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition at the association’s 43rd annual meeting in Denver, Colorado. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc sponsored the competition, offering awards totaling $4000.
On the basis of scores received in the original judging of abstracts submitted for the AASV Student Seminar, the top 15 abstracts not selected for oral presentation at the annual meeting were eligible to compete in the poster competition.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc announced the following awards during the AASV Luncheon on March 12:
$500 award: Shamus Brown, Iowa State University – Top student poster entitled “Detection of PRRSV and SIV in oral fluids from pigs one week postweaning.”
$400 awards: Daren Miller, Purdue University, and Jonathan Van Blarcom, University of Pennsylvania.
$300 awards: Deanne Day, Iowa State University; Amelia Naher, Washington State University; and Drew White, Iowa State University.
$200 awards: Jordan Graham, Iowa State University; Jared Jacobson, Iowa State University; Kurt Kuecker, Iowa State University; Jeffrey Ling, Massey University; Brent Pepin, Iowa State University; Abigail Redalen, University of Minnesota; Megan Schnur, Purdue University; Michael Slattery, Iowa State University; and Lisa Thompson, North Carolina State University.
In addition to the poster competition awards, each student poster participant received a $250 travel stipend from Pfizer Animal Health.
Annual Business Breakfast
Dr Randy Jones reported on the association’s membership and activities. He stated that there are 1721 members, including 387 student members. Dr Jones thanked outgoing directors Drs Bill Minton (District 1) and John Baker (District 4), and Jessica Hendrickson, student delegate to the board, for their service. He congratulated re-elected board member Dr Bill DuBois (District 7) and incoming directors Drs Lynette Holman (District 1) and Jeff Harker (District 4), and alternate student delegate Joshua Duff.
Honored guests at the business breakfast included Dr Rene Carlson (American Veterinary Medical Association President), Dr Chet Rawson (AVMA Executive Board Liaison), Dr Paul Sundberg (National Pork Board) and Dallas Hockman (National Pork Producers Council). Each guest addressed the audience with updates from their respective organizations.
New officers
Dr Tara Donovan, Richland Center, Wisconsin, was installed as the president of the AASV during the Business Breakfast on March 13. She succeeds Dr Randy Jones, Kinston, North Carolina, who is now immediate past president. Dr Matt Anderson, Algona, Iowa, has ascended to president-elect. The newly elected vice president is Dr Michelle Sprague, Audubon, Iowa.
Save the dates
The 2013 annual meeting is scheduled for March 2-5, 2013, in San Diego, California.
Photo courtesy statement
Except as noted, photos are courtesy of Tina Smith.