AASV News
Brent Sexton selected Alternate Student Delegate to AASV Board of Directors

The AASV Student Recruitment Committee is pleased to announce the selection of Brent Sexton (Iowa State University, 2018) as the incoming Alternate Student Delegate to the AASV Board of Directors.

Sexton is actively involved in a number of professional organizations and activities, including AASV and the Student Chapter of the AVMA. His veterinary-swine undergraduate work experience includes internships at Porcus Swine Veterinary in Odense, Denmark, and Harrisvaccines in Ames, Iowa. During the Porcus internship, he assisted with routine health consultations with swine producers, developed and implemented research techniques in clinical trials, compiled and analyzed data from those trials, and gained an understanding of European Union regulations and their effects on global agriculture. At Harrisvaccines, he learned the protocols associated with research and vaccine development, assisted with vaccine research and production, and formulated media for vaccine production.

This past summer, he participated in the Iowa State University Swine Veterinary Internship Program, conducting sow-farm biosecurity assessments with The Maschhoffs and Zoetis. He will be presenting the results of that research at the 2016 AASV Annual Meeting.

During 10 years of 4-H and FFA membership, he raised market, breeding, and show pigs and has served as the Iowa State Fair 4-H Swine Show Assistant Superintendent for the past 6 years. He has also attended and worked at the World Pork Expo for several years.

Following graduation, Sexton’s career objective is to work in a multi-veterinary practice in rural Iowa. He would like to eventually buy into a veterinary business and become a managing partner.

Sexton assumes his duties as Alternate Student Delegate during the 2016 AASV Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The current alternate delegate, Emily Mahan-Riggs, will assume the delegate position currently held by Chris Sievers, who will rotate off the board. Emily and Brent will represent student interests within AASV as non-voting members of the board of directors and the Student Recruitment Committee.

Please join us in welcoming Brent to the AASV Board of Directors and thanking Chris for his service!

AASV debuts new display at National FFA Convention

For the eighth consecutive year, AASV members and staff promoted the swine veterinary profession at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The AASV exhibit presented a fresh new look to convention-goers with the debut of a new, four-banner display. The eye-catching display features images of AASV members working with pigs and was designed for the association by graphic designer Tina Smith. The new display is easier to transport and quicker to set up than the previous AASV booth, which had been in service for more than 20 years.

Dr Todd Wolff coordinated the staffing of the display for the AASV Student Recruitment Committee, which oversees the association’s participation in the convention. He was assisted by fellow AASV members Drs Angela Baysinger and Natalie Baker, as well as AASV’s Director of Communication Dr Harry Snelson.

Over the course of 3 days, the AASV representatives visited with hundreds of high school and college students and their instructors about what it’s like to be a swine veterinarian. They shared videos, posters, and information about swine diseases, biosecurity, and production practices, and passed out copies of AASV’s recently revised “swine career brochure” to students interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. “Ag” educators snapped up AASV’s “advisor packet” of educational resources, exhausting the supply of 300 within the first 2 days of the convention.

The association expresses its appreciation to Joel Burkgren, who transported the display from the AASV office to Louisville and back, and assisted with setup and other logistical details associated with the exhibit.