The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students during the AASV annual meeting in Dallas, Texas.
Brent Carmichael received the $5,000 scholarship for Top Student Presentation. Brent is a second-year veterinary student at Iowa State University. His presentation was titled "Pre-colostral stillborn piglet blood sampling procedure when a PRRSv positive sow herd is being monitored for time-to-negative interval." Alpharma Animal Health provided the financial support for the Top Student 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 $2,500 scholarships: Joe Bender, Iowa State University; Erin Kane, Kansas State University; Peter Lasley, Iowa State University; and Aaron Nystrom, University of Minnesota.
Five veterinary student presenters received $1,500 scholarships: Meggan Bandrick, University of Minnesota; Andrew Bents, University of Minnesota; Maria Clavijo, Universidad Central de Venezuela; Andrea Pitkin, University of Minnesota; and Jess Waddell, Iowa State University. Those student presenters receiving $500 scholarships were: Rafael Carreon, Universedade Federal de Uberlandia; Sara Dillon, North Carolina State University; Emily McDowell, Iowa State University, Jason Norris, University of Prince Edward Island; and Andrew Zwambag, University of Guelph.
Forty-six veterinary students representing 17 universities submitted abstracts for consideration. From those submissions, fifteen students were selected to present during the annual meeting. Alpharma Animal Health, sponsor of the Student Seminar, provided a $750 travel stipend to each student selected to participate. In addition to the oral presentations, 25 students were selected to present their research and case studies during the Student Poster Session. Each poster presenter received a $250 stipend courtesy of Alpharma Animal Health.
Judges representing private practice, academia and industry selected the recipients on the basis of communications skills in the writing of the abstract and the presentation of the case report, and on applicability of the research to swine medicine.