Drs Neal Benjamin and Jessica Seate were named the 2022 recipients of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation Hogg Scholarship during the American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s 53rd Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on February 27, 2022.
Established in 2008, the scholarship is named for Dr Alex Hogg who was a leader in swine medicine and pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology after 20 years in a mixed-animal practice. The scholarship is awarded annually to an AASV member who has been accepted into a qualified graduate program to further their education after years as a swine practitioner. Former Hogg Scholarship recipients Drs Meghann Pierdon, Angela Baysinger, Kate Dion, and AASV Foundation Chair Ross Kiehne reviewed the 2022 applications.
After receiving his doctor of veterinary medicine in 2016 from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Benjamin worked exclusively as a swine veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Services. In June 2021, he became the Director of Health and Production at Valley Pork. With a strong desire to improve individual and herd immunogenetics and overall herd health, he is pursuing a PhD in genetics at the University of Illinois’ Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology. With a passion for teaching, he would like to serve as a liaison between veterinarians and geneticists.
Dr Seate earned her doctor of veterinary medicine from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She has dedicated her career to swine medicine, providing veterinary services to one of the world’s leading swine producers as well as technical veterinary service for two world-renowned animal health companies. She is currently the Director of Veterinary Science at Animal Science Products, Inc. Dr Seate has been active in the AASV since veterinary school. She is an active member of the AASV PRRS Task Force and Pork Safety, Early Career, Student Recruitment, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees. She has been a member of the Program Planning Committee twice. She plans to use the Hogg Scholarship to help fund her master’s of veterinary science degree at the University of Illinois.