The AASV Student Recruitment Committee is pleased to announce the selection of Amanda Anderson, a second-year veterinary student at Iowa State University (ISU), as the incoming Alternate Student Delegate to the AASV Board of Directors.
Growing up in Iowa, Anderson was involved in 4-H, FFA, family farming activities, and spent time at local veterinary clinics. Through those activities, she became interested in food-animal veterinary medicine at an early age. “I gained an appreciation for livestock production and found my passion for health and medicine,” Anderson recalls.
As an undergraduate majoring in animal science at ISU, Anderson strived to gain a well-rounded perspective of the swine veterinary profession. Beginning as a research intern under Dr Derald Holtkamp, she not only learned about disease transmission and biosecurity, but she also made numerous contacts in the industry, exciting her about swine veterinary medicine.
Anderson also spent part of her undergraduate time conducting research and site visits as a Veterinary Project Manager for Smithfield Hog Production. There, she managed rotavirus research under Dr Jeremy Pittman, collected samples, analyzed diagnostic data, and provided recommendations. Her enthusiasm for her research projects in this role motivated her to pursue a Master of Science in Veterinary Preventive Medicine concurrently with her DVM.
Anderson has held multiple positions of service in her academic career. Anderson’s excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills she learned as an Iowa officer for the National FFA Association will help her serve AASV as the Alternate Student Delegate. She has also held the office of president for the ISU Pre-veterinary Club, serves as a student representative for curriculum and hospital recommendations for the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine Food Animal Advisory Board, and represented the first year class and volunteered as a wet lab committee member for the ISU Student AASV Chapter. She is currently the vice president of the ISU Student AASV Chapter.
Anderson has participated in the AASV Annual Meeting in the past, both as a student poster presenter and as a Research Topics participant. Selected for the 2020 Veterinary Student Poster Competition, Anderson will present research from her 2019 summer internship at Pipestone Veterinary Services at the AASV Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
Inspired by participation, mentorship, and connections she has made through AASV, Anderson hopes to become more involved as a leader in the progress of the organization. “Each year it becomes more apparent that the association is made up of many diverse, motivated individuals who are quickly moving the industry forward through innovation and collaboration,” she states.
In her role as the Alternate Student Delegate, Anderson is excited to connect with more food animal interested veterinary students. “I hope to get more students involved, assist in making them aware of the opportunities available through AASV, and drive the organization forward as the next generation.”
As the daughter of AASV Past President Dr Matt Anderson, Amanda carries on a legacy within AASV. After graduation, she plans to join a swine-specific practice with health, management, and production responsibilities. She hopes to participate in research, product development, and eventual ownership.
Anderson will assume her duties as Alternate Student Delegate during the 2020 AASV Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The current alternate delegate, Jamie Madigan (NCSU, 2021), will assume the delegate position currently held by Jonathan Tubbs (Auburn, 2020), who will rotate off the board. Jamie and Amanda 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 Amanda to the AASV Board of Directors and thanking Jonathan for his service!
Start your AASV leadership path: join an AASV committee
The AASV Board of Directors establishes committees to address specific issues associated with swine veterinary medicine and provide recommendations for actions to the AASV leadership. The AASV committees are an integral part of the leadership structure within AASV. They also serve as a great way for members to participate in developing positions for the association, learn about particular issues, and meet other members.
Each AASV committee typically conducts a face-to-face meeting during the AASV Annual Meeting. The majority of AASV’s 15 issue-based committees will meet on Saturday morning during the 2020 AASV Annual Meeting. Committees generally handle additional business by email or conference call during the remainder of the year. All committee meetings are open to any AASV member, including student members. Only committee members are eligible to vote.
The committees are a critical part of the AASV leadership, and we appreciate the efforts of the volunteer members. Visit the committee web pages on the AASV website (aasv.org/members/only/committee.php) to learn more about the committee activities and view the meeting agendas.
If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact the committee chair or AASV Director of Communications, Dr Abbey Canon at canon@aasv.org. We hope to see you at a committee meeting!
Visit the AASV Well-Being Center at the 2020 Annual Meeting; pick up an AVMA Wheel of Well-being
Well-being – the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy – is something you can practice every day, whether you have 3 minutes or 3 hours. Right now, take 30 seconds and smile. Smiling is a powerful tool that can fend off sadness, anxiety, and nervousness.
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians is committed to providing members resources to promote well-being.
The American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) Wheel of Well-being highlights three dimensions of wellness – physical, social, and emotional – with tips for activities you can do at home, at work, and on-the-go, like the smiling tip previously mentioned. It also includes a clear pocket to insert a reminder of what you are passionate about, such as a photo, a word, a quote, or anything else that motivates you to be at your best. Learn more about the Wheel of Well-being at youtube.com/watch?v=5FmDQZ_p0UU.
The AVMA strives to be a nationally recognized leader in promoting health, well-being, and diversity for the veterinary profession. The AASV is excited to partner with AVMA and CareCredit in their efforts to advance wellness and help promote a healthy physical and emotional environment in veterinary medicine. By sharing the AVMA Wheel of Well-being, we hope to help inspire swine veterinarians, team members, and their clients to incorporate these and other wellness practices into their daily lives.
For more resources on well-being and other related topics, please visit aasv.org/Resources/Wellbeing and avma.org/wellbeing.
Be sure to pick up a free AVMA Wheel of Well-Being, participate in interactive activities, gather and share healthy tips to support a culture of well-being, and find other wellness resources at the AASV Well-being Center in the Centennial Foyer at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta during the 2020 Annual Meeting.
Visit early, supplies are limited!
Salary Survey 2020
The AASV is conducting its seventh survey of swine-veterinarian income and benefits. Active members of AASV (non-retired veterinarians) in the United States and Canada are asked to watch for information regarding the 2020 survey in the AASV e-Letter, and to participate by using the electronic survey form on the AASV website.
Similar surveys have been conducted every 3 years since 2002. Members have found the resulting salary and benefit summary useful when seeking employment or preparing to hire veterinary professionals in the swine industry. The survey results have also been used to inform veterinary students about the career opportunities available in swine medicine.
Members of AASV are divided into two survey groups according to their employment type. The practitioner survey should be completed by members engaged in private practice, as well as those who oversee pig health for a production or genetics company. Members who work for a university, corporation, or government and are engaged in education, research, technical services, public health, or regulatory work should complete the survey for public/corporate veterinarians.
In addition to 2019 income and benefits, the survey requests information about education and training, employment type, and hours worked. Responses are confidential and the results are reported in a manner to assure participant anonymity.
The overall results of the salary and compensation review will be published and distributed for use by AASV members and students. Previous survey results are available for members to access on the AASV website under the Member Center menu tab.
AASV Annual Meeting proceedings online
The proceedings of the 2020 AASV Annual Meeting are available at aasv.org/annmtg/proceedings for members to download.
The proceedings are available in the following formats:
- The “big book” of all the regular session papers in a single PDF file with a linked table of contents
- Seminar booklets: a PDF file for each seminar
- Individual papers in the Swine Information Library: aasv.org/library/swineinfo/
To access the files, make sure your AASV membership has been renewed for 2020. You’ll need your AASV website username and password to log in. If they are not handy, contact the AASV office or use the “Reset Password” link in the upper right of the AASV website (aasv.org) to have them emailed to you.