AASV officers (left to right): Dr Kerry Keffaber, Dr Rodney
“Butch” Baker,
Dr Paul Ruen, Dr Randy Jones. Photo courtesy of Tracy Ann Raef
Dr Butch Baker, Ames, Iowa, was installed as the president of the AASV at the association’s annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. He succeeds Dr Kerry Keffaber, North Manchester, Indiana, who is now immediate past president. Dr Paul Ruen, Fairmont, Minnesota, has ascended to president-elect. The newly elected vice president is Dr Randy Jones.
Dr Rodney “Butch” Baker (AUB ’78) is a senior clinician in the Food Supply Veterinary Services Unit at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to joining the staff at Iowa State in 2006, he was a clinical associate professor at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr Baker’s career in veterinary medicine began as a mixed-animal practitioner in Kentucky. After 17 years in private practice, he spent a year in the animal-health industry, 4 years with a pig breeding-stock company, and 3 years as director of health assurance in a large integrated pork-production company.
During his term, Dr Baker plans to focus the membership on political activism and publicity management by encouraging grass-roots leadership on issues facing the swine industry. He has a strong interest in delivering evidence-based solutions from medicine to politics.
Dr Paul Ruen (MN ’92) is a practitioner at the Fairmont Veterinary Clinic in Fairmont, Minnesota, a predominately swine practice that also provides management services to clients. Active in the AASV since 1988, Dr Ruen was a district director on the AASV Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008. During the 2002 International Pig Veterinary Society meeting in Ames, Iowa, Dr Ruen served on the Production and Management Scientific Committee. He is a frequent speaker and lecturer at the AASV annual meetings and the Leman Conference in Minnesota. Dr Ruen grew up in southeastern Minnesota, on a diversified pig, cow-calf, and grain farm.
Dr Randy Jones (NCSU ’85) is the owner and operator of a veterinary practice limited to swine health and medicine in Kinston, North Carolina. Prior to that, he was a mixed-animal practitioner for 9 years. A member of the AASV since 1985, Dr Jones was serving his second term as an AASV board member representing southeastern United States before his election to the office of vice president. He is a former president of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Growing up on a cow-calf farm in western North Carolina, Dr Jones’ original career focus was bovine health and medicine. But he was influenced into the direction of swine medicine by enthusiastic swine veterinarians Drs Harvey Hilley and Gary Dial. That influence grew when his employer and mentor, Dr Charles Randall, took him to his first AASV annual meeting in 1986.
Alternate Student Delegate selected
The AASV’s Student Recruitment Committee selected Daren Miller (Purdue) as the 2009 Alternate Student Delegate to the AASV Board of Directors. The Student and Alternate Student Delegates are non-voting members of the AASV Board and represent the interests of student members.
While Daren was growing up, his family ran a contract-research business specializing in swine near Terre Haute, Indiana, sparking his interest in swine production. He also participated in 4-H and the National Junior Swine Association, and worked for a local veterinarian, which furthered his interest in swine medicine.
Daren replaced 2008 Alternate Delegate Jess Waddell (ISU), who became the 2009 Student Delegate following the completion of Lynda Gould’s (U of IL) term as 2008 Student Delegate during the AASV Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas. Please join us in thanking Lynda for her service and congratulating Jess and Daren on their opportunities to continue working with the board to address issues of importance to the profession and our student members.
Call for papers – AASV 2010 Student Seminar and scholarships
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians announces an opportunity for up to 15 veterinary students to make scientific presentations during the Student Seminar at the AASV annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Interested students are invited to submit a one-page abstract of a research paper, clinical case study, or literature review for consideration. The submitting student must be a current (2009-2010) student member of the AASV at the time of submission (the membership application is available at https://aasvsecure.securesites.net/secure/member_form.html).
Abstracts and supplementary materials must be received by Dr Alex Ramirez (alex@aasv.org) by midnight on Friday, September 25, 2009 (firm deadline). All material must be submitted electronically. Late abstracts will not be considered. The abstracts will be reviewed by an unbiased, professional panel consisting of a private practitioner, an academician at a school from which no students have submitted an abstract, and an industry veterinarian. Students whose papers are selected for presentation at the meeting will be notified by October 15, 2009, and will be expected to provide the complete paper or abstract for publication by November 16, 2009.
To help defray the costs of attending the AASV meeting, Alpharma Animal Health provides a $750 honorarium to the student presenter of each paper selected for the seminar.
Veterinary students whose papers are selected for presentation at the meeting will be eligible to compete for one of several veterinary-student scholarships awarded through the AASV Foundation. The oral presentations will be judged to determine the amount of the scholarship awarded.
Alpharma Animal Health funds a $5000 scholarship for the student whose paper, oral presentation, and supporting information are judged best overall.
The Eli Lilly & Company Foundation, on behalf of Elanco Animal Health, has provided $20,000 in additional funding, enabling the AASV Foundation to provide awards of $2500 each for 2nd through 5th place, $1500 each for 6th through 10th place, and $500 each for 11th through 15th place.
Students whose papers are not selected for oral presentation in the Student Seminar will be eligible to be considered for participation in a poster session at the annual meeting. Alpharma and the AASV fund a stipend of $250 for each student who is selected and participates in the poster presentation.
Complete information for preparing and submitting abstracts is available on the AASV Web site at https://www.aasv.org/annmtg/2010/studentseminar.htm. Please note: the rules for submission should be followed carefully. For more information, contact the AASV office (Tel: 515-465-5255; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org).