The AASV Foundation plans to award up to $100,000 in 2023 to support research with direct application to the swine veterinary profession and is now receiving proposals to be considered for funding.
Proposals are due by 12:00 pm Central Time on January 12, 2023 and may request a maximum of $30,000 per project. The announcement of projects selected for funding will take place during the AASV Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
Proposed research should fit one of the five action areas stated in the AASV Foundation mission statement (see sidebar). The instructions for submitting proposals are available on the AASV Foundation website at aasv.org/foundation/2023/research.php. A panel of AASV members will evaluate and select proposals for funding, based on the following scoring system:
- Potential benefit to swine veterinarians/swine industry (40 points)
- Probability of success within timeline (35 points)
- Scientific/investigative quality (15 points)
- Budget justification (5 points)
- Originality (5 points)
A summary of the research previously funded by the foundation is available at aasv.org/foundation/research.htm.
For more information, or to submit a proposal:
AASV Foundation 830 26th Street, Perry, IA 50220-2328 515-465-5255; foundation@aasv.org
Veterinary students: Apply for $5000 scholarship by December 31
To assist future swine veterinarians with their educational expenses, the AASV Foundation and Merck Animal Health are pleased to offer the AASVF-Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarships. Ten $5000 scholarships will be awarded to sophomore and junior veterinary students in 2023. Applications are due December 31, 2022 for scholarships that will be announced during the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting.
Second- and third-year veterinary students enrolled in AVMA-accredited or -recognized colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, or the Caribbean Islands are eligible to apply. All applicants must be current (2022-2023) student members of AASV. Students who have previously been awarded one of the scholarships are not eligible to reapply. Previous scholarship recipients are recognized at aasv.org/foundation/scholarshipwinners.htm.
To apply, students submit a resume and the name of a faculty member or AASV member to serve as a reference, along with written answers to 4 essay questions. The application and instructions are available at aasv.org/foundation/2023/AASVF-MerckScholarships.php.
A committee of 4 conducts the selection process. Two AASV Foundation board members and two AASV members-at-large rank the applicants by scoring their past and current activities, level of interest in swine veterinary medicine, future career plans, and financial need. The scholarship recipients will be announced during the luncheon on Monday, March 6 at the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting in Aurora, Colorado (attendance not required). The scholarship funds will be disbursed after the conference.
The AASVF-Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program is part of how Merck Animal Health and the AASV Foundation fulfill a shared mission of “supporting the development and scholarship of students and veterinarians.” For more information on scholarships and other AASV Foundation programs, see aasv.org/foundation.
Early career swine vets: Apply for debt reliefApplications are now being accepted for three $5000 scholarships to be awarded to early-career swine practitioners through the Dr Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt Relief Endowment. The scholarship recipients will be announced during the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting.
The scholarships are available to AASV members who are between 2 and 5 years post graduation from veterinary school (DVM/VMD graduation years 2018, 2019, or 2020), engaged in private practice, and who carry a significant student debt burden.
The scholarship program was initiated in 2019 with a $110,000 contribution to the foundation by the Conrad Schmidt and Family Endowment. Strong interest by applicants prompted the foundation board to increase the number of scholarships awarded to 3, beginning in 2021.
The scholarship application form is available at aasv.org/foundation/debtrelief.php. Applications are due January 31, 2023. The following criteria will be used to select the scholarship recipient:
1. Joined AASV as a student enrolled in an AVMA-recognized college of veterinary medicine.
2. Attended the AASV Annual Meeting as a student.
3. Maintained continuous membership in AASV since graduation from veterinary school.
4. Is at least 2 years and at most 5 years post graduation from veterinary school (2018, 2019, or 2020 DVM/VMD graduates).
5. Has been engaged in private veterinary practice, 50% or more devoted to swine, providing on-farm service directly to independent pork producers. Veterinarians who work for production companies, pharmaceutical companies, or universities are not eligible for the scholarship.
6. Has a significant student debt burden.
For more information, contact the AASV Foundation: foundation@aasv.org.
Hogg Scholarship available to practitioners seeking MS or PhD
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation is now accepting applications for the prestigious Hogg Scholarship, established to honor the memory of longtime AASV member and swine industry leader Dr Alex Hogg.
The intent of the $10,000 scholarship is to assist a swine veterinarian in his or her 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. Seventeen swine practitioners, recognized at aasv.org/foundation/hoggscholars, have been awarded the scholarship since it was established in 2008.
Applications for the scholarship will be accepted until January 31, 2023. The scholarship recipient will be announced Sunday, March 5 during the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting.
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 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 below, and on the AASV website at aasv.org/foundation/hoggscholarship.htm.
Hogg Scholarship application requirements
An applicant for the Hogg Scholarship shall have:
1. Three or more years of experience as a swine veterinarian, either in a private practice or in an integrated production setting
2. Five or more years of continuous membership in the AASV
Applicants are required to submit the following for consideration as a Hogg Scholar:
1. Current curriculum vitae
2. Letter of intent detailing his or her plans for graduate education and future plans for participation and employment within the swine industry
3. Two letters of reference from AASV members attesting to the applicant’s qualifications to be a Hogg Scholar
Applications and requests for information may be addressed to:
AASV Foundation 830 26th Street Perry, IA 50220 foundation@aasv.org
Foursome of individuals sweeps the team competition
Eleven teams of golfers – many of them perennial participants – enjoyed clear weather as they pitted their skills against the challenging Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames, Iowa during the annual AASV Foundation Golf Outing on August 31. In the end, it was the team of four individual registrants brought together by chance that took first place overall in the best ball competition. The winners were announced by event coordinator Josh Ellingson during the concluding pork dinner sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Golfers Dakota Fiene, Daryl Hammer, Nick Knute, and Dan Rosener combined their efforts to lead the field, coming in at 11 strokes under par. The AMVC team of Josh Ellingson, Jason Hocker, Trey Kellner, and Nick Weihs took second place and Fairmont Vet Clinic golfers Justin Borchardt, Brian and Deb Roggow, and Danielle Sandberg claimed third to finish out the top flight.
Veenker Pro Shop gift cards were awarded to members of the first-, second-, and third-place teams in each of 3 flights of golfers. A variety of individual contests hosted by golf hole sponsors and the foundation supplemented the team competition and gave individual golfers the opportunity to win prizes for their driving, chipping, and putting.
The success of the fundraiser is due in no small part to the generous support of faithful sponsors. For several years, Boehringer Ingelheim has sponsored the awards dinner, APC has funded the box lunches, and Zoetis has hosted the beverages for the day. Ten golf-hole sponsors participated in this year’s event by providing on-course giveaways, games, and contests for the golfers to enjoy. Please join the foundation in thanking Furst McNess Company, Huvepharma, Insight Wealth Group, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health, Merck Animal Health, National Pork Producers Council, Pharmgate Animal Health, Phibro Animal Health, Ralco, and United Animal Health for their support!
The event raised nearly $13,000 to help support a variety of AASV Foundation activities, including scholarships, research grants, student debt relief, swine externship grants, travel stipends for students attending the AASV Annual Meeting, and more.
And the winners are:
First flight
First place: Dakota Fiene, Daryl Hammer, Nick Knute, and Dan Rosener
Second place, hosted by AMVC: Josh Ellingson, Jason Hocker, Trey Kellner, and Nick Weihs
Third place, hosted by Fairmont Vet Clinic: Justin Borchardt, Brian Roggow, Deb Roggow, and Danielle Sandberg
Second flight
First place, hosted by Phileo/ISU DVM Class of 2016: Chelsea Hamilton, Chris Olsen, and Scott Radke
Second place, hosted by NPPC: Pete Houska, Jeff Kindwall, Derrick Sleezer, and Greg Thornton
Third place, hosted by Phibro Animal Health Corp: John Charley, Dennis Dwyer, Ron Kaptur, and Mark Rooney
Third flight
First place, hosted by Norbrook: Leland Brown, Matt Garvin, Brad Gulker, and Brian Van Beek
Second place, hosted by Topigs Norsvin: Mitch Christensen, Trevor Schwartz, Ethan Spronk, and Amber Stricker
Third place, hosted by APC: Bryan Allen, Nathaniel Carney, Nathan Duncan, and Yanbin Shen
Individual contests
Hole #2, Chipping contest, sponsored by Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health: John Charley and Nate Duncan
Hole #5, Closest to the target: Mitch Christensen
Hole #6, Closest to the pin, sponsored by Merck Animal Health: Kent Schwartz
Hole #9, Longest putt, sponsored by United Animal Health: Steve Sprague and Ethan Spronk
Hole #11, Closest to the pin, sponsored by Huvepharma: Ethan Spronk
Hole #12, Closest to the pin, 2nd shot: Nick Weihs
Hole #14, Longest drive: Deb Roggow
Hole #18, Drawing for cooler, sponsored by Pharmgate Animal Health: Ethan Spronk
One more thing to BE
The 2023 AASV Annual Meeting theme calls upon swine veterinarians to “BE” and fill a variety of roles within their families, jobs, communities, and profession. It just so happens that the AASV Foundation was formed in 1989 to support and assist with that very effort! The foundation’s mission is to “empower swine veterinarians to achieve a higher level of personal and professional effectiveness.”
Over the years, the foundation has initiated and funded a variety of programs to help potential and current swine veterinarians BE the best they can be. Scholarships, travel stipends, and externship grants help budding swine vets navigate their way into the profession. Foundation-funded research projects add to the body of knowledge that practitioners rely upon to advise their clients. The Hogg and American College of Animal Welfare Scholarships provide opportunities for graduate veterinarians to obtain advanced degrees and certifications. These are just a few of the ways the AASV Foundation continues to motivate and support swine veterinarians in their efforts to BE more.
Of course, these programs all require money. Fortunately, AASV members and friends of the profession know how to BE generous. This is no better demonstrated than by the results of the 2022 AASV Foundation fundraising auction, which raised over $112,000 to support the very programs previously described. Thank you to ALL whose generosity made this success possible!
BE generous – Donate an item for the foundation auction!
The annual auction fundraiser is essential for providing immediate and ongoing support for the many scholarships and grants doled out each year. Please BE generous and consider donating an item – or making a cash contribution – for the 2023 auction.
The Auction Committee members are reaching out to potential donors to solicit auction items and cash donations for the auction, but don’t wait – please contact a member of the committee if you are interested in supporting the auction this year. To ask questions or discuss possibilities, contact one of the committee members listed at aasv.org/foundation/2023/auctioninfo.php.
Auction donations due December 1
To donate, complete the donation form at aasv.org/foundation/2023/auctioninfo.php and submit a description and image of your item by December 1. 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 item donors.
As in recent years, the silent auction will be conducted virtually via ClickBid, and auction donors are asked to keep their donation for shipment to the winning bidder after the auction. The live auction will be held immediately following the Monday evening awards reception at the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting in Aurora, Colorado.
Just think, your contribution will enable yourself, your colleagues, and your profession to BE so much more! To get started, just BE generous.