The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) held its 50th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, March 9-12, 2019. The meeting, held at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, drew record attendance of 1237 total attendees, including 770 paid registrants (also a record) and 110 veterinary students from 23 colleges of veterinary medicine. The conference participants hailed from 30 countries, with 308 attendees from outside the United States. The total attendance also included 290 exhibit representatives from 97 companies and organizations.

The meeting participants enjoyed the opportunity to attend numerous educational sessions, including 10 pre-conference seminars, 2 general sessions, 3 breakout sessions, 1 research topics session, 3 industrial partners sessions, the student seminar, and a poster session featuring 28 student posters, 25 research posters, and 14 industrial partner posters. Three Saturday seminars, AASV’s Got Talent, Emerging Technologies for the Swine Industry, and Effective Outbreak Investigations, were extremely popular with more than 95 attendees each, while the Diagnostics seminar garnered the most attention of the seminars on Sunday morning (137 attendees). Ninty-nine students or recent graduates attended the Swine Medicine for Students pre-conference seminar on Sunday morning. As always, the student seminar session held Sunday afternoon was very well attended. In addition, 14 AASV committees met during the annual meeting to discuss important issues in swine health, public health, animal well-being, and production.

Dr John Waddell opened the Monday general session with the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture. During his presentation, entitled “Built to last: 50 years of AASV,” he reflected on the past 50 years of the organization. He shared memories of swine veterinarians who gathered together in 1969 to organize the American Association of Swine Practitioners and focused on the people who continue the AASV legacy.

Dr Deborah Murray presented the Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture entitled “Today’s swine veterinarian: Challenges and opportunities for the future.” Her presentation described the changing profession and evolving needs of AASV members. She highlighted the novel ideas that students, the next generation of swine veterinarians, can bring to the industry. Strong mentorship offered by AASV members to younger veterinarians is important to encourage those ideas.

Accomplishments, lessons learned, and memories over the past 50 years were shared in special videos throughout the meeting, including the AASV Golden Anniversary video shown during the Monday general session. The videos were produced by AgCreate Solutions, Inc under the direction of AASV member Dr Sarah Probst-Miller, the company’s creative director and president. The Golden Anniversary video, along with the Veterinarian’s Oath video, session introduction videos, and general session presentation recordings, are available for viewing at www.aasv.org/members/only/video/.

The Monday afternoon concurrent sessions encouraged veterinarians to consider disease control and elimination, vaccinology and immunology, and production innovations. The Tuesday general session focused on critical transboundary disease threats and outbreak preparedness.

The AASV Awards Reception was held Monday night, followed by the AASV Foundation’s annual fund-raising auction. Dr Ron Brodersen, 2015 AASV president and 2019 AASV Awards Selection Committee chair, introduced the recipients of the Swine Practitioner of the Year Award (Dr William Hollis), the Howard Dunne Memorial Award (Dr Peter Davies), the Meritorious Service Award (Dr David Madsen), the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award (Dr Paul Thomas), and the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award (Dr Ron White). Dr Paul Ruen, AASV Foundation chair, presented the Heritage Award to Dr Steven Henry. This is only the fifth time the Heritage Award has been given.

A special thank you and award of gratitude was given to AASV Executive Director Dr Tom Burkgren. He is retiring after 25 years of service to the AASV. Past presidents, staff, and family gathered on stage during the awards ceremony to thank Dr Burkgren.

Swine Practitioner of the Year

Dr William Hollis was named the 2019 Swine Practitioner of the Year. 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 Hollis was born in Bushnell, Illinois, where he attended high school. During 1986-1987, Hollis served as the Illinois FFA president, and the National FFA vice president in 1988. He received a bachelor of science in agriculture and a doctor of veterinary medicine (1996) from the University of Illinois.

Hollis is currently a partner and veterinarian of Carthage Veterinary Service (CVS), which consults in over 10 states and provides consulting services in several other countries. In December 2018, Hollis was elected president of Professional Swine Management, the swine management service company he and other CVS partners founded in 2000.

Recognized by his peers as demonstrating strong proficiency and effectiveness in veterinary service, Hollis understands what constitutes sound science and bases decisions on data and information analysis, diagnostic interpretation, and intervention planning and communication. As a farm management advisor, he strives to build client partnerships that are both sustainable and profitable, facilitates producer family and industry networking, and invests in farm and industry staff training.

Hollis is a Pork Quality Assurance Plus Advisor, serves on the National Pork Producers Council Animal Health Food Security Policy Committee, and serves on the National Pork Board Swine Health Committee. He has served on the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates representing AASV, on the AASV Board of Directors representing District 5, and continues to serve on the AASV Operation Mainstreet Committee. Hollis is an active participant in the National Pork Board Operation Main Street program giving local presentations to raise awareness about modern pork production.

Asked to comment about receiving this award, Hollis replied, “This is a dream come true to be recognized by my peers in the industry. There have been many people in my life who have helped me continue to grow as a veterinarian and a business owner. My family has supported some crazy long days and time away. I really appreciate the recognition.”

Hollis and his wife, Brigit, who is also a veterinarian, have been married 23 years and reside in Hamilton, Illinois. They have an 18-year-old daughter, Bailey, and a 16-year-old son, Ben.

Howard Dunne Memorial Award

Dr Peter Davies received the 2019 Howard Dunne Memorial Award which recognizes an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.

Davies was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, and spent much of his youth in the wool and wheat producing region around Newdegate where his grandfather was a pioneer farmer and his uncle always kept a few pigs for fun. There, he became interested in “all creatures great and small,” and never considered a profession other than veterinary medicine.

Davies received a bachelor of veterinary science with honors from the University of Melbourne in 1975, and a doctor of philosophy from the University of Sydney in 1983. He has practiced as a clinical veterinarian in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. From 1984-1986, he worked as a livestock advisor on an agricultural and community health project for small farmers in the northeast of Brazil. During 1987, recognizing the importance of veterinary expertise and specialty with life balance, he became involved in swine research as a senior veterinary officer for the South Australia Department of Agriculture, from where he was recruited to work at the University of Minnesota in 1991.

Davies has educated veterinary students in swine health and production, epidemiology, and food safety at North Carolina State University, Massey University in New Zealand, and the University of Minnesota, where he was the Allen D. Leman Chair of Swine Health and Productivity during 2003-2009. Described as a lifelong learner, Davies has facilitated lifelong learning opportunities for practitioners, including a peer group program titled Epidemiological Skills for Swine Practitioners. Davies and the current Leman Chair, Dr Cesar Corzo, are collaborating to create an updated iteration of that program to commence later in 2019. Davies has served on several National Pork Board and AASV committees, has provided leadership for AASV and Leman Swine conferences, and regularly has been an invited speaker at international meetings on swine health and pork safety.

Dr Davies has an extensive body of research and publications in swine health, antimicrobial use and resistance, and zoonotic and food-borne pathogens, including Salmonella and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He is now in the midst of a 5-year study of infectious disease risks at the human-swine interface funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Focused on MRSA, hepatitis E, and influenza, the research participants are practicing AASV members along with a control group of companion animal veterinarians.

Davies was a member of the International Scientific Committee of the International Research Center in Veterinary Epidemiology, Copenhagen, Denmark, during 2000-2007, currently serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, and is on the editorial board for the Merck Veterinary Manual.

When asked what it meant to him to receive the Howard Dunne Memorial Award, he responded, “I am humbled and honored to have my name added to the list of Howard Dunne Award recipients – a list of AASV icons, mentors, and friends who have served and guided the swine veterinary community through the years. I am indebted to countless colleagues who have educated me along the way, and to the AASV for including me in its culture of exchanging experiences and lifelong learning – every conversation is an education!”

Davies and his wife, Rebecca, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have two sons, JT and Brendan.

Meritorious Service Award

Dr David Madsen was named the 2019 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the AASV.

Born into a Nebraska family that raised purebred Hampshire pigs, Madsen became determined to become a veterinarian after following a local veterinarian on his father’s farm. He earned his doctor of veterinary medicine in 1969 from Purdue University. At graduation, he was the only member of his class with an interest in pigs. He was a swine veterinarian and practice owner in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, then moved to Nebraska to initiate SwinePro Associates, LLC, in partnership with Jack Anderson, DVM, in 1994. Madsen was also the Director of Health Services for Heartland Pork in Iowa, Premium Standard Farms/Murphy Brown in Missouri, and Smithfield in Princeton, Missouri. In his career as a swine veterinarian and producer, Madsen has seen the emergence of many important swine diseases, including atrophic rhinitis, pseudorabies, circovirus, Streptococcus suis, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

Madsen attended the pioneer class of the Executive Veterinary Program at the University of Illinois and achieved Diplomate status of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Swine Health Management in 1995, where he later served 10 years as the Vice-Regent, Credentials.

Madsen became a charter member of the American Association of Swine Practitioners (now AASV) in 1969. He served as a District Director for the AASV Board in 1992 and as AASV president in 2001. He represented AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) House of Delegates for 12 years, and was selected to represent all food-animal veterinarians on the 7-person committee to write the AVMA Overarching Principles of Animal Welfare. Serving on the AASV Foundation Board, Madsen was integral in the support of future swine veterinarians. He proposed that the foundation develop a free pre-conference seminar for students and recent graduates by funding the speaker expenses. He planned and moderated the first AASV student pre-conference seminar; that event has grown into one of the best-attended AASV conference seminars. Madsen proposed the phrase, “Ensure Our Future: Leave a Legacy,” adopted as the motto by the AASV Foundation Board.

When asked to comment about receiving the award, Madsen responded, “AASV has been a large part of my professional, educational, and personal career, providing lifelong learning and introducing me to a large number of outstanding individuals. Although it took me 23 years to become involved with association tasks, my involvement was both rewarding and enlightening, to say nothing of challenging and entertaining. I would trade my experiences through AASV with no other opportunities.”

David and his wife, Sandie, have a daughter, Jenna, who lives in Minnesota with her husband, John, and daughters Ellie and Sophia. Retiring in 2014, David and Sandie currently live in Dillon, Montana, where he serves as Swine Outreach Coordinator for the Montana Board of Livestock, working with 4-H and FFA groups across the state. He also works as a part-time general practitioner in a mixed practice and provides surgical services for the local animal shelter.

Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award

The AASV’s Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr Paul Thomas. It is given annually to an AASV member five or fewer years post-graduation who has demonstrated the ideals of exemplary service and proficiency early in his or her career.

Thomas grew up on a farrow-to-finish swine and row-crop farm near Camanche, Iowa. Family has made a large impact on his career choices. His father encouraged all Thomas children to learn as much science as possible. He has three brothers and a sister-in-law who are all veterinarians; spending time with his older brother, Pete, in the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab solidified his interest in veterinary medicine.

Dr Thomas received a bachelor of science in animal science (2009), doctor of veterinary medicine (2013), and a master of science in veterinary preventive medicine (2015), all from Iowa State University. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC) and AMVC Management Services as an associate veterinarian, where he is currently employed.

Dr Thomas works with sow farms and grow finish pigs within the AMVC system, consults with clients, and supports SMEC operations by teaching 4th year veterinary students and conducting PigPROS seminars to introduce industry stakeholders to the process and constraints of modern pork production. Early in his career, Dr Thomas is a respected role model for students, colleagues, and other young swine veterinarians. As a teacher, he creates a rich, witty, and interactive learning environment for all participants. As a veterinarian, he adapts easily to provide the best service for each client and communicates in a way that caretakers, co-workers, clients, owners, and superiors can all understand, respect, and appreciate.

Upon acceptance of the award, Dr Thomas commented, “I’m very honored to receive this award. I have a great deal of respect for the AASV and my colleagues in this profession, so to be recognized by them means a lot to me. I’m very thankful to the veterinarians and staff I work with at AMVC and SMEC for the incredible mentorship and support I’ve received from them early in my career and to my wife, Jennifer, for her constant support.”

Jennifer says, “I am so proud of my husband. As his wife, I know how dedicated he is to his profession, job, and clients. Paul always strives to do the maximum in whatever he is trying to achieve and always puts his clients and others first.”

Thomas and Jennifer have a 1-year-old son, Augustin (Gus), and live in Audubon, Iowa.

Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award

Dr Ron White received the 2019 American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ 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.

Originally from Osceola, Iowa, White helped many farmers in his area, including one who raised timber pasture pigs. He first became interested in science, livestock, and veterinary medicine by growing up on an acreage raising 4-H projects and helping a local farmer gather, process, and sort pigs. Dr White received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1990, and completed the Executive Veterinary Program at the University of Illinois in 1998.

Beginning his career in mixed animal practice as an associate and owner, Dr White joined Solvay Animal Health as a technical services veterinarian specializing in swine medicine in 1994. He then joined Fort Dodge Animal Health as the Swine Unit Business manager and served as Senior Swine Research Manager. In 2005, Dr White joined Iowa Select farms as Director of Biosecurity and Health before joining Pfizer Animal Health in 2008. Dr White currently serves as Group Director, International Diagnostic Medicine for Zoetis. Dr White has served on a variety of AASV committees and chaired the AASV Foundation golf outing for many years. Recognizing the importance of student encouragement and inclusion at meetings, Dr White has also reviewed student presentations.

Dr White has presented information on livestock health and production at numerous international and regional meetings. He thoroughly enjoys meeting new veterinarians and producers, understanding different production systems, and investigating methods to improve herd health and production through improved use of diagnostics, and credits the inclusiveness of AASV with providing the connectivity to many contacts.

When asked to comment on what the award meant to him, Dr White said, “I am grateful to receive the 2019 AASV Technical Service/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the year award. I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award. AASV has been a large part of my professional career providing education and interaction at meetings with swine veterinarians from around the world. I would like to thank the AASV membership, my family for their support, and my colleagues for the fantastic technical support network.”

White and his wife, Sue, reside in Ames, Iowa, and have two sons, Brady and Trevor.

Annual Business Breakfast

American Association of Swine Veterinarians President Dr Scanlon Daniels reported on the association’s membership and activities during the annual business breakfast on Tuesday, March 12th. The 2019 AASV officers, Drs Nathan Winkelman, President; Jeff Harker, President-elect; Mary Battrell, Vice President; and Scanlon Daniels, Past President, were installed. The board welcomed recently elected district directors: Drs Gregory Kline (re-elected District 3), Megan Potter (re-elected District 7), Monte Fuhrman (re-elected District 8), and Cristina Quijano Alvarez (District 10). Dr Daniels also welcomed Jamie Madigan (North Carolina State University, 2021), incoming alternate student delegate, to the AASV Board of Directors, and thanked outgoing student delegate Jordan Gebhardt (Kansas State University, 2019). Jonathan Tubbs (Auburn, 2020) assumes the role of student delegate. Honored guests at the business breakfast included Dr John de Jong (American Veterinary Medical Association president), Dr Chuck Lemme (American Veterinary Medical Association Executive Board liaison to the AASV), Dr Patrick Webb (National Pork Board), and Dr Dan Kovich (National Pork Producers Council).

AASV Foundation announces student scholarships

Recipient of the $5000 scholarship for Best Student Presenter during AASV’s Student Seminar: Kimberlee Baker, Iowa State University. Pictured with Kimberlee is Dr Lucina Galina (left) of Zoetis, sponsor of the Student Seminar and Best Student Presenter Award.

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students.

Kimberlee Baker, Iowa State University, received the $5000 scholarship for top student presentation. Her presentation was titled “Detecting porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by pooling pen-based oral fluid samples.” Zoetis provided the financial support for the Top Student Presenter Award.

Additional scholarships totaling $20,000 were funded by Elanco Animal Health as shown in the accompanying photos.

Four veterinary student presenters received $2500 scholarships: Sam Baker, Iowa State University; Enise DeCaluwe-Tulk, University of Guelph; Erin Kettelkamp, University of Illinois; and Marjorie Schleper, University of Minnesota.

Five veterinary student presenters received $1500 scholarships: Daniel Brown, University of Illinois; Brandi Burton, University of Illinois; Kayla Castevens, North Carolina State University; Anne Szczotka, Iowa State University; and Abby Vennekotter, University of Illinois.

Those student presenters receiving $500 scholarships were: Matt Finch, Iowa State University; Matthew Herber, University of Pennsylvania; Joshua Hewitt, Iowa State University; Sophia Leone, Colorado State University; and Katelyn Rieland, University of Minnesota.

Forty-four veterinary students from 14 universities submitted abstracts for consideration. From those submissions, 15 students were selected to present during the annual meeting. Zoetis, sponsor of the Student Seminar, provided a $750 travel stipend to each student selected to participate.

AASV Committees meet

Fourteen issue-based committees met during the 2019 AASV Annual Meeting. The AASV Board of Directors establishes committees to address specific issues associated with swine veterinary medicine and provide recommendations for actions to the AASV leadership. The AASV committees are an integral part of the leadership structure within AASV, and they also serve as a great way for members to participate in developing positions for the association, learn about particular issues, and meet other members. During 2018, more than 250 AASV members volunteered to serve on at least one committee, with many serving on multiple committees, providing expertise and valuable experience focused on swine health, public health, animal well-being, and production.

The following are some key highlights from the committee meetings:

• The Pig Welfare Committee reviewed and reaffirmed the position statement on raising pigs without antibiotics. They also plan to propose alternative language for AASV Board consideration encouraging marketing programs to collaborate with AASV when making antibiotic-use related standards. The committee agreed to form a sub-committee to seek funding for boar euthanasia research and requested that AASV staff dedicate time to compile depopulation information. The committee discussed several other topics including changes to the Common Swine Industry Audit, African swine fever preparation, multiple transport movements of culled sows and boars, and the pain mitigation assessment protocol project.
• Discussion of the Nutrition Committee centered around African swine fever and testing feed or feed ingredients. Many pigs are fed by companies with hazard analysis and critical control point plans or foreign animal disease mitigation plans, but committee members expressed concerns about smaller herds or higher risk herds. The Nutrition Committee will work with the Communications Committee and Committee on Transboundary and Emerging Diseases to develop bulleted talking points about foreign animal disease prevention and feed to distribute to AASV members.
• The Boar Stud Committee discussed several items pertaining to the Health, Hygiene and Sanitation Guidelines for Boar Studs Providing Semen to the Domestic Market, referred to here as the Guidelines. The committee established a sub-committee to review antimicrobial use in semen extenders, with the goal of updating the Guidelines. They plan to review Guideline 1.4.2 to include lethargy as an early indicator of disease. Members continued to discuss issues around cull boar transportation and euthanasia. The committee plans to continue to monitor any new information that may become available about Senecavirus A, porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3), pestivirus, and African swine fever. The committee intends to hold a boar stud pre-conference seminar at the 2021 AASV annual meeting.
• During the well-attended Committee on Transboundary and Emerging Diseases meeting, members and newcomers participated in depopulation, feed risk, and PCV3 roundtables. They listened to updates from the Swine Health Information Center, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). They also heard presentations about the Secure Pork Supply plan and the business continuity database and dashboard (AgView). During the next year, the committee plans to review and provide new recommendations about Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae herd classification. A priority of the committee is to keep members updated about available testing options and provide resources for African swine fever.
• The AASV Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Task Force is requesting funding to support a second sub-committee meeting to continue review and revision of the AASV Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Herd Classification document. Revision was identified as a priority during 2018, and results of the first sub-committee review were presented during the 2019 meeting. Although significant advances were made, the task force emphasized the need to continue working on the guidelines to prepare a formal document for industry. The committee also discussed how to advance member knowledge of PRRSV and better use the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project to show regional status.
• The Influenza Committee intends to continue with their 2018 proposed survey of the membership to gain a better understanding of AASV member knowledge and concerns about zoonotic influenza risk at fairs and exhibitions. The committee would like to hold an influenza A virus pre-conference seminar every 2 to 3 years, beginning in 2020 or 2021. They expressed continued support for the influenza A virus of swine (IAV-S) surveillance program and raising awareness about the zoonotic potential of influenza.
• The Pork Safety Committee supports AASV, the National Pork Board (NPB), and NPPC development and use of an on-farm testing decision matrix following human illness associated with pork products. The committee discussed and recommended that AASV support continued toxoplasmosis research at the USDA Agriculture Research Service Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory.
• The Pharmaceutical Issues Committee reaffirmed the position statement on raising pigs without antibiotics. They discussed updates to the Prevention of Diseases Using Antibiotics flyer. With the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC), the committee intends to develop a swine antibiotic database of drug summaries to be made available to AASV members. The committee also plans to increase AASV member awareness of proposed state or local antibiotic legislation and provide talking points for AASV members to use with local elected officials.
• At the request of NPB, the Human Health and Safety Committee will review NPB needle safety videos. The committee will continue to support zoonotic influenza awareness among members and plans to work with the Membership Committee and the Communications Committee to address mental health and wellness among AASV members. They discussed a pre-conference seminar or short video vignettes to be shown during the annual meeting.
• The Membership Committee, composed of the immediate 20 past-presidents, strongly supported efforts initiated by the Human Health and Safety Committee to address mental health and provide wellness resources for AASV members.
• The Communications Committee is requesting to revise and broaden their mission statement to include statements on inward and outward facing communication, social media, and member resources for public interaction. With the AASV photo library complete, the committee plans to improve accessibility and usability to all AASV members. The committee discussed potential updates to the AASV website. The committee also would like to provide members with talking points to use in response to social media posts and recommended a media training pre-conference seminar for AASV members.
• The Student Recruitment Committee is requesting funding from the AASV Board to continue hosting, along with SMEC and the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine AASV Student Chapter, the Swine Medicine Talks series. The Swine Medicine Talks are a three-part live-streamed lecture series with expert speakers representing a wide range of topics. The committee requested data about program success from SMEC. The committee plans to develop PowerPoint slides briefly describing AASV and its value to student membership. These slides will be available for members to use in any student presentation. The committee also discussed a pre-conference seminar for young graduates that would include topics on student debt, buying into a practice, contract negotiations, insurance, and leadership.
• During their meeting at the faculty breakfast, the Collegiate Activities Committee decided to add two questions to the student abstract submission process, including date of data collection and enrollment in a dual-degree program. The committee will continue to encourage faculty involvement in AASV.
• The Operation Main Street (OMS) Committee discussed the growing demand for veterinarians as speakers as OMS expands its reach further into high-level influencer audiences such as human health professionals (nurses and schools of medicine), dietitians, food service, and grocer associations. The OMS committee will continue to encourage veterinarians to become trained OMS speakers to help fill the demand for veterinary presenters coast-to-coast. Specifically, the OMS committee would like to encourage veterinarians who are 3 to 5 years post-graduation to participate. Key messages for this year will be sustainable farming and emerging trends in agriculture that reduce environmental impact. Furthermore, the presentations will emphasize veterinarians as key drivers in food safety. A virtual farm tour by live stream will be combined with several select OMS presentations.

The committees are a critical part of the AASV leadership, and we appreciate the efforts of the volunteer members. If you are interested in learning more about the committee activities, visit the committee web pages on the AASV web site (www.aasv.org/members/only/committee/). Contact the committee chair or the AASV office to join a committee.

AASV proceedings and videos online

Even if you weren’t able to attend the AASV Annual Meeting in Orlando, you can still benefit from the many excellent presentations delivered at the meeting. The conference proceedings, including the pre-conference seminar booklets, are available for all AASV members to download at www.aasv.org/library/proceedings/, or look under the “Resources” menu tab on the AASV Web site for “AASV Meeting Proceedings.” All you need is your AASV member username and password with 2019 dues-paid status.

On the web site you will find:

• The “big book” containing all the papers for the regular meeting sessions in a single PDF file with a hyperlinked table of contents,
• Seminar booklets—a PDF file for each seminar, and
• Individual papers for each presentation in the Swine Information Library (www.aasv.org/library/swineinfo/).

Members can also access the conference videos at www.aasv.org/members/only/video. Along with the Golden Anniversary video, you can view the Veterinarian’s Oath video, seminar and session introduction videos, and recordings of the general session and the Vaccinology and Immunology breakout session presentations.

If you have forgotten your AASV username or password, select the “Reset Password” link in the upper right of the AASV website to receive them by email. Need to pay your 2019 AASV membership dues? Go to ecom.aasv.org/membership. Please allow a few days for your membership record to be updated.

Thank you, AASV Annual Meeting sponsors!

Members of AASV attending the annual meeting make a substantial investment in the form of registration fees, travel, lodging, meals, and potential loss of income while away from work. However, the cost of attendance would be even greater – or the quality of the meeting experience reduced – if it were not for the financial support provided by corporate sponsors for refreshments, meals, social activities, as well as scholarships and travel stipends for veterinary students. The AASV extends its sincere appreciation for the sponsorship of meeting events by the following companies:

• Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc (AASV Luncheon)
• CEVA Animal Health (Refreshment Break Sponsor)
• DSM Nutritional Products (Exercise Class)
• Elanco Animal Health (AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarships, Social Media Center)
• Hog Slat (Refreshment Break Co-sponsor)
• Merck Animal Health (AASV Awards Reception, Student Swine Trivia Event, Student Reception, AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarships)
• Newport Laboratories (Veterinary Student Travel Stipends, Veterinary Student Poster Scholarships)
• Quality Technology International (Refreshment Break Sponsor)
• Stuart Products (Praise Breakfast)
• Zoetis (Welcome Reception, AASV Studet Seminar and Student Poster Session, AASV Foundation Top Student Presenter Scholarship)

The AASV is also grateful to the 97 companies and organizations that provided support through their participation in the 2019 Technical Tables exhibit.

Thank you all!

Photos are courtesy of Tina Smith.