The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) held its 51st Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, March 7-10, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
The meeting participants enjoyed the opportunity to attend numerous educational sessions, including 11 preconference seminars, 2 general sessions, 3 break-out sessions, 1 research topic session, 3 industrial partners sessions, the student seminar, and a poster session featuring posters from students, researchers, and industrial partners. Saturday’s Emerging Technologies for the Swine Industry preconference seminar drew the most preregistered attendees. Discussions About How to Succeed Against the Flu seminar garnered the most attention from veterinarians on Sunday morning, while the Swine Medicine for Students preconference seminar was well attended by veterinary students. Sunday afternoon, veterinary students highlighted their research and experience to a large crowd during the student seminar.
Dr Jack Shere, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Associate Administrator in charge of emergency planning and response, held a special Wake up with USDA session early Monday morning to answer questions and hear concerns about emergency response. This new and late-breaking addition to the meeting was well-received; approximately 100 members attended, asking questions related to indemnity and national stop movements, among others.
Dr Bret Marsh, Indiana State Veterinarian, opened the Monday general session with the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture. During his presentation, titled “Trust the people”, he told attendees that government can work for the people. Describing foreign animal disease threats and the future of pork production in the United States, Dr Marsh emphasized that the US pork industry, with veterinary input, must determine its own fate.
Dr Bill Hollis, 2019 AASV Swine Practitioner of the Year, presented the Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture titled “Choosing a pathway forward in practice.” He described his vision on where the US pork industry may be going and how we might help along the way. He encouraged attendees to continue to build relationships with influential people and offered many suggestions on how to keep learning.
Dynamic speaker Dr Betsy Charles, from the Veterinary Leadership Institute, tied the Monday morning general session together with her presentation titled “Reset to positive.” In her talk, she described life as the navigation of good and terrible. She encouraged all attendees to focus on increasing their optimism levels, embracing their social support networks, and strengthening one’s ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat.
The Monday afternoon concurrent sessions encouraged veterinarians to consider disease control and elimination, biosecurity, and pharmaceutical issues. The Tuesday general session focused on two critical areas: swine welfare and foreign animal disease prevention.
In addition, 14 AASV committees met during the annual meeting to discuss important issues in swine health, public health, animal well-being, and membership. A new committee, established by the AASV Board of Directors at their October 2019 meeting, focused their discussions on identifying resources needed by early career swine veterinarians.
New to the meeting this year was an AASV Veterinarian Well-being Center. The center offered American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Wheels of Well-Being, interactive displays, tips to support a culture of well-being, hand sanitizers donated by Apiam Solutions, Camfil, and Newport Laboratories, and other well-being resources.
A social media booth sponsored by Elanco Animal Health encouraged and provided tips for members to stay connected with AASV and other industry partners on social media. They displayed the live #AASV2020 conversation in real-time.
The AASV Awards Reception was held Monday night, followed by the AASV Foundation’s annual fundraising auction. Dr George Charbonneau, 2016 AASV president and 2020 AASV Awards Selection Committee chair, introduced the recipients of the Swine Practitioner of the Year Award (Dr Joel Nerem), the Howard Dunne Memorial Award (Dr Glen Almond), the Meritorious Service Award (Dr Lisa Tokach), the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award (Dr Wesley Lyons), and the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award (Dr Jer Geiger).
Swine Practitioner of the Year
Dr Joel Nerem was named the 2020 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. The award is given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients.
A West Union, Iowa native, Dr Nerem received his BA from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and his DVM from Iowa State University. Dr Nerem began his career as a mixed-animal veterinarian at the Postville Veterinary Clinic in Postville, Iowa in 1996 before joining the Harmony Veterinary Clinic in Harmony, Minnesota. He recognized a passion for swine veterinary medicine and in 2001 went to work for Christensen Family Farms in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. In 2006, he joined Pipestone Veterinary Services where he currently serves as the Chief Veterinary Officer, instilling a culture of veterinary leadership and service to the 46 veterinarians he leads.
Many recognize Dr Nerem’s proficiency and effectiveness in his delivery of veterinary services. He is well respected by both colleagues and clients. Dedicated to the profession, he is frequently sought after for idea-generating discussions, collaboration, and second opinions. Listening carefully, asking questions, and communicating effectively to reach goals ensures Dr Nerem builds and establishes trust with everyone he works with. He uses critical thinking to make evidence-based and data-driven decisions to provide the best outcome for pig and producer, always considering the well-being of both.
Dr Nerem exhibits a passion for key issues facing the swine industry and an unmatched ability to transform those issues into new initiatives to address animal and public health concerns. For example, Dr Nerem is a strong voice in promoting responsible antibiotic use in swine and decreasing antimicrobial resistance. He oversees the Pipestone Antimicrobial Resistance Tracker initiative, which was developed to engage the Pipestone System and Pipestone Veterinary Services customers in the areas of antimicrobial resistance surveillance and antibiotic use.
Asked to comment about receiving this award, Dr Nerem replied, “I am truly humbled and honored to be named the 2020 Swine Practitioner of the Year. This award is reflective of the great people who have invested in me throughout my career: mentors, farmer clients, business partners, colleagues, family, and friends. I am truly blessed by the opportunity to do what I do every day, and I would not be the person I am today were it not for the impact these people have had on my life.”
Dr Nerem lives in Edgerton, Minnesota with his wife, Denise, and their three children: Emily, Hannah, and Maren.
Howard Dunne Memorial Award
Dr Glen Almond received the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ 2020 Howard Dunne Memorial Award. The award recognizes an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.
With a personal mission of improving pig health and production through education, research, and service, Dr Almond has provided outstanding service to the AASV and the entire swine industry for decades.
He has been a member of the AASV Program Planning Committee, helping to prepare the educational program for at least seven annual meetings. An active member of the AASV Collegiate Activities Committee, he continues to advocate for swine curriculum and students with swine interest. Dr Almond’s efforts to enhance the knowledge of swine veterinarians are evident through his service on the Journal of Swine Health and Production editorial board, his participation on the Pig Welfare Symposium Steering Committee, and the countless scientific abstracts, journal articles, and book chapters he has authored.
Dr Almond has participated on the North Carolina Pork Producers Council’s Board of Directors and the National Pork Board’s Welfare Committee. His service as a veterinary consultant, ad hoc reviewer for numerous international scientific journals and institutional publications, and a member of service committees within his department, college, and university help describe his commitment to the industry.
Perhaps Dr Almond’s most notable contribution to AASV and the swine industry is his commitment to swine-interested students worldwide. He is a professor of pig health and production medicine at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and advises veterinary students, summer interns, international students, and graduate students. Extremely generous of his time devoted to students, his open-door policy demonstrates his drive to help others succeed. As a mentor, he is highly supportive of students and continues to advocate for their success.
Dr Almond credits his own success to the success of his students. “Perhaps the most important individuals who contributed to my career are my current and past students. Their success is my success. I am genuinely proud of their success and contributions to the AASV and the pork industry.” Today, his mentees provide care to one-third of the US swine breeding herd.
Dr Almond holds a BS from the University of Guelph, a DVM and an MS from the Ontario Veterinary College, and a PhD in reproductive physiology and immunology from North Carolina State University. He also thanks his wife, Dr Judith McLaren, and son Christopher.
Meritorious Service Award
Dr Lisa Tokach was named the 2020 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the AASV.
Originally from Barnesville, Minnesota, Tokach grew up with beef cattle, Quarter Horses, and a few pigs raised for home consumption, with the understanding that animals were a priority and must be cared for first. Milking dairy cows through high school and college, she expected she would become a dairy veterinarian. She has been ever passionate about production agriculture, but it was a swine research project at North Dakota State University (NDSU) that sparked her interest in swine production.
Dr Tokach completed her undergraduate studies in animal science at NDSU. She received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Minnesota in 1990. In 2001, Dr Tokach was certified as a diplomate in Swine Health Management to the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and recertified in 2011.
Dr Tokach’s early service to AASV began at the encouragement of her mentor, Dr Steve Henry. In her first year after graduation from veterinary school, she joined the Public Relations Committee. Dr Tokach has served on the Pig Welfare Committee and represented AASV on the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Committee. Dr Tokach has been integral in AASV’s progress as a professional organization. She helped form new committees, including the Human Health and Safety Committee and the Student Recruitment Committee, helped establish the AASV Foundation, and continues to connect AASV with members by chairing the AASV Annual Meeting Social Media Center. She served two terms on the AASV Board of Directors representing District 7 and was the 2002 AASV president.
She continues to support AASV through all endeavors that help support the pig, the producer, and the swine veterinarian, even joining a new committee and chairing the Foundation Board this year. She has been a mentor to countless students early in their veterinary medicine paths trying to understand the balance of a successful professional career and happy and rewarding life.
Grateful for the association, Tokach stated, “I am extremely honored and humbled by this award. The AASV has given me so much in terms of learning opportunities, networking, and friendships. My involvement is only a small payback for everything I get out of it.”
Dr Tokach lives in Abilene, Kansas, where she is a veterinary clinician in general practice at Abilene Animal Hospital, PA. She specializes in swine population medicine and was named AASV Swine Veterinarian of the year in 2008. She attributes her success to her family – husband Mike; three children Sage, Rogan, and Fiona; her parents; two sisters; and her team at Abilene Animal Hospital.
In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking, beekeeping, riding mules, and serving organizations that work to solve world hunger.
Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year
Dr Jer Geiger received the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award. Established in 2008, the award recognizes swine industry veterinarians who have demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in delivery of veterinary service to their companies and their clients, as well as given tirelessly in service to the AASV and the swine industry.
Geiger is the product of a small family farm near Alhambra, Illinois. In addition to six children, the farm also raised purebred Durocs and Holsteins. Involved in selling breeding stock all his life, a career in veterinary medicine seemed like a natural evolution for Dr Geiger.
With two bachelor of science degrees, a master of science degree, and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree all from the University of Illinois, Dr Geiger is currently a Health Assurance Veterinarian for PIC North America and resides in Tennessee.
Dr Geiger worked as a private veterinary practitioner for eight years, but since then has served small producers, large producers, and corporate pork production systems. He has consulted in more than 20 countries around the globe.
Described by peers and mentees as a true servant leader, Dr Geiger has provided decades of service to the AASV. He represented District 10 on the AASV Board of Directors, volunteered as a member of the Program Planning Committee for three annual meetings, served as a member of the Swine Welfare Committee, and chaired the ad hoc Audit Committee. He represented AASV on the AVMA’s Welfare Committee and helped draft the AVMA euthanasia guidelines as a member of the AVMA’s Panel on Euthanasia Food and Fiber Animals Working Group.
With each day’s motivation to both learn and teach, Dr Geiger instilled his mantra to many students and early career veterinarians: “What do pigs need? Feed, water, air, and comfort!”
Upon acceptance of the award, Dr Geiger commented, “This would not happen without the support of a global health team and my family. It means a great deal to us; we are grateful for the recognition.”
Dr Geiger considers his greatest accomplishment to be his family – his wife Becky, daughter Rachael, son Nick, and Nick’s wife Kaitlynn.
Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year
The American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr Wesley Lyons. The award is given annually to an AASV member five or less years post graduation who has demonstrated the ideals of exemplary service and proficiency early in his or her career.
From Paris, Tennessee, Lyons grew up in a mixed-animal veterinary life. The son of a mixed-animal veterinarian, Lyons knew early on that he wanted to be a veterinarian. Showing Romagnola beef cattle across the United States, showing livestock in 4-H and FFA, and serving as the Tennessee State FFA Treasurer helped to shape his life and career.
Dr Lyons received a bachelor of science degree in animal science (2010) and his doctor of veterinary medicine degree (2014) from the University of Tennessee. A member of the Pipestone Veterinary Services team since 2016, he is currently the regional health director and oversees health and production recommendations for managed sow herds in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
An emerging leader in swine health and production, Dr Lyons has served on the National Pork Board’s Animal Welfare Committee since 2015, participated in the National Pork Producers Council Veterinary Public Policy and Advocacy Program, served as a member of the 2019 Pig Welfare Symposium Steering Committee, and completed the Illinois Pork Producers Association’s Future Leaders Program.
During October 2019, Dr Lyons shared his story of pork production and delivered the historic 10,000th Operation Mainstreet presentation to nurses at the Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Fall Forum in Rockford, Ill.
Dr Lyons has been an AASV member since 2011 when he joined as a student. He continues to serve the organization in leadership roles, first as a member of the AASV Swine Health Committee and now vice-chair of the Committee on Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. He has a special interest in pig welfare and survivability.
Nominated for this award by mentors, colleagues, and clients, all considered Dr Lyons’s commitment to clients and veterinary skillset to be exceptional and enhanced by his personality and ability to form lasting relationships. Not only is Dr Lyons an outstanding veterinarian striving to make evidence-based decisions for the best interest of animal and public health, he forms strong connections with clients and colleagues, making everyone feel valued. A client described Dr Lyons as, “A very fine veterinarian, but even better human being.”
Upon acceptance of the award, Dr Lyons commented, “I am both humbled and grateful to be selected for this honor. Being a swine veterinarian and getting the opportunity to work with family farmers has been fulfilling beyond expectation. Five years has flown by, and we’re just getting started!”
Dr Lyons lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with his husband, Preston.
Annual Business Breakfast
American Association of Swine Veterinarians President Dr Nathan Winkelman reported on the association’s membership and activities during the annual breakfast meeting on Tuesday, March 10th. The 2020 AASV officers, Drs Jeffrey Harker, president; Mary Battrell, president-elect; Mike Senn, vice president; and Nathan Winkelman, past president, were installed. The board welcomed newly elected district directors: Drs Sara Dillon Hough (District 2), Attila Farkas (District 5), Chase Stahl (District 9), and Susan Detmer (District 11). Dr Winkelman also welcomed Amanda Anderson (Iowa State University, class of 2022), as incoming Alternate Student Delegate to the AASV Board of Directors, and thanked outgoing Student Delegate Jonathan Tubbs (Auburn University, 2020). Jamie Madigan (North Carolina State University, 2021) assumes the role of Student Delegate. Honored guests at the business breakfast included Drs John Howe (AVMA president), Chuck Lemme (AVMA Executive Board liaison to the AASV), Dave Pyburn (NPB), Liz Wagstrom (NPPC), Yannin Rivas (Asociación Mexicana de Veterinarios Especialistas en Cerdos, AMVEC president), and Jose Antonio Padilla (AMVEC president-elect).
AASV Foundation announces student scholarships
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $25,000 to 15 veterinary students.
Nathan Fanzone, University of Pennsylvania, received the $5000 scholarship for top student presentation. His presentation was titled “Causes of lameness in sows euthanized for lameness.” Zoetis provided the financial support for the Top Student Presenter Award.
Additional scholarships totaling $20,000 were funded by Elanco Animal Health.
Four veterinary student presenters received $2500 scholarships: Melissa Hermes, University of Illinois; Kelly Hewitt, Iowa State University; Jamie Madigan, North Carolina State University; and Sabra McCallister, North Carolina State University.
Five veterinary student presenters received $1500 scholarships: Dayna Kinkade, University of Illinois; Jessica Kordas, University of Illinois; Kristen Leuck, University of Illinois; Megan McMahon, University of Minnesota; and Rebekah Schultz, University of Illinois.
Those student presenters receiving $500 scholarships were: Gabrielle Fry, Purdue University; Kathleen Kalbian, University of Pennsylvania; Broc Mauch, Iowa State University; Molly Neiley, University of Illinois; and Alexia Riley, University of Minnesota.
Fifty-six veterinary students from 13 universities submitted abstracts for consideration. From those submissions, 15 students were selected to present during the annual meeting. Zoetis, sponsor of the Student Seminar, provided a $750 travel stipend to each student selected to participate.
Student Podcast Award
Sam Baker, a second-year student in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, was awarded the Student Podcast Award for the most accessed podcast from the 2019 AASV Annual Meeting. Sam interviewed Dr Montse Torremorell about her presentation, “Influenza: Herd immunity and transmission,” which was accessed 24 times. Dr David Nolan announced Sam as the winner of the $400 award, sponsored by Huvepharma, during the 2020 AASV Annual Meeting.
Each year, 30 AASV student members select a speaker to interview during the AASV Annual Meeting for a podcast. The podcasts are then posted to the AASV website and promoted by the students in a friendly competition to gain the most traffic leading up to the following year’s annual meeting. This is a great networking opportunity for students that also helps develop a wonderful AASV member resource. We would like to thank AASV student members for their continued involvement and Huvepharma for their continued support of the Student Podcast Award.
These and other podcasts can be found in the AASV Podcast Library at aasv.org/podcast/.
AASV announces student poster competition awardees
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians provided an opportunity for 15 veterinary students to compete for awards in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition. United Animal Health sponsored the competition, offering awards totaling $4000.
Based on scores received in the original judging of abstracts submitted for the AASV Student Seminar, the top 15 abstracts not selected for oral presentation at the annual meeting were eligible to compete in the poster competition. A panel of three AASV practitioners interviewed the competing students and scored their posters to determine the scholarship awards.
United Animal Health announced the following awards during the AASV Luncheon on March 9th.
$500 scholarship: Amanda Anderson, Iowa State University – Top student poster titled “Analysis of porcine parvovirus maternal antibody decay in replacement gilts by hemagglutinin inhibition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.”
$400 scholarships: Sam Baker, Iowa State University; and Matthew Boulanger, University of Pennsylvania.
$300 scholarships: William Boyd, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine; Rachel Stika, Iowa State University; and Heather Walker, Ohio State University.
$200 scholarships: Nicholas Benge, Iowa State University; Krista Carroll, Iowa State University; Amberly Jergens, Iowa State University; Brian Johnson, University of Illinois; Kris Kovach, Iowa State University; Will Miller, Michigan State University; Calie Peterson, Iowa State University; and Tyler Pieper, University of Illinois.
In addition to the poster competition awards, each student poster participant received a $250 travel stipend from Zoetis and the AASV.
AASV proceedings and videos online
Even if you missed the AASV Annual Meeting in Atlanta, you can still benefit from the many excellent presentations delivered at the meeting. The conference proceedings, including the pre-conference seminar booklets, are available for all AASV members to download at aasv.org/library/proceedings/ or look under the “Resources” menu tab on the AASV website for “AASV Meeting Proceedings.” All you need is your AASV member username and password with 2020 dues-paid status.
On the website you will find:
- The “big book” containing all the papers for the regular meeting sessions in a single PDF file with a hyperlinked table of contents,
- Seminar booklets–a PDF file for each seminar, and
- Individual papers for each presentation in the Swine Information Library (aasv.org/library/swineinfo/).
Members can also access the conference videos, including videos of the general sessions and disease control, prevention, and elimination breakout sessions, at aasv.org/members/only/video.
If you have forgotten your AASV username or password, select the “Reset Password” link in the upper right of the AASV website to have it emailed to you. Need to pay your 2020 AASV membership dues? Go to ecom.aasv.org/membership. Please allow a few days for your membership record to be updated.
Thank you, AASV Annual Meeting sponsors!
Members of AASV attending the annual meeting make a substantial investment in the form of registration fees, travel, lodging, meals, and potential loss of income while away from work. However, the cost of attendance would be even greater – or the quality of the meeting experience reduced – if it were not for the financial support provided by corporate sponsors for refreshments, meals, social activities, as well as scholarships and travel stipends for veterinary students. The AASV extends its sincere appreciation for the sponsorship of meeting events by the following companies:
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA (AASV Luncheon)
- Diamond V (Refreshment Break Co-sponsor)
- DSM Nutritional Products (Exercise Class)
- Elanco Animal Health (AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarships, Social Media Center)
- Hog Slat (Refreshment Break Co-sponsor)
- Huvepharma (Student Podcast Award)
- Merck Animal Health (AASV Awards Reception, Student Swine Trivia Event, Student Reception, AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarships)
- Newport Laboratories (Veterinary Student Travel Stipends)
- Quality Technology International (Refreshment Break Co-sponsor)
- Stuart Products (Praise Breakfast)
- United Animal Health (Veterinary Student Poster Awards)
- Zoetis (Welcome Reception, AASV Student Seminar and Student Poster Session, AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarship)
The AASV is also grateful to the companies and organizations that provided support through their participation in the 2020 Technical Tables exhibit. Thank you all!
Photos are courtesy of Tina Smith
Save the date
The 2021 Annual Meeting will be held February 27 - March 2 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco, California.