The American Association of Swine Veterinarians announces an opportunity for veterinary students to make a scientific presentation at the AASV Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California on Sunday, March 2, 2025. 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 (2024-25) student member of the AASV at the time of submission and must not have graduated from veterinary school prior to March 2, 2025. Submissions are limited to one abstract per student.
Abstracts and supporting information must be submitted online at cmt3.research.microsoft.com/AASV2025. Submissions must be completed before 11:59 pm Central Daylight Time on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 (firm deadline). Late submissions will not be considered. Students will receive an email confirmation of their submission. If they do not receive the confirmation email, they must contact Dr Justin Brown (brownjt@iastate.edu) by Friday, September 13 with supporting evidence that the submission was made in time; otherwise the abstract will not be considered for judging.
The abstracts will be reviewed by an unbiased, professional panel consisting of private practitioners, academicians, and industry veterinarians. Fifteen abstracts will be selected for oral presentation in the Student Seminar at the AASV Annual Meeting. Students will be notified of the review results by October 15, 2024, and those selected to participate will be expected to provide the complete paper or abstract reformatted for publication in the conference proceedings by November 15, 2024.
Student Seminar
Student participants will receive presentation awards and compete for scholarships awarded through the AASV Foundation. The oral presentations will be judged to determine the scholarship amount.
The Zoetis Foundation has provided a $26,250 grant to the AASV Foundation to support awards and the top student presenter scholarship. This includes a $750 award for the student presenter of each paper selected for oral presentation at the meeting. Through the Zoetis Foundation’s grant, the AASV Foundation will also award a $5000 scholarship to the student whose project and oral presentation are judged best overall.
Elanco Animal Health provides $20,000 in additional funding, enabling the AASV Foundation to award scholarships of $2500 each for 2nd through 5th place, $1500 each for 6th through 10th place, and $500 each for 11th through 15th place.
Student Poster Session
Abstracts that are not selected for oral presentation in the Student Seminar will be considered for presentation in a poster session at the Annual Meeting. Those who participate in the poster session will receive a $500 presentation stipend funded by the AASV Foundation through a grant from the Zoetis Foundation. All students selected to make a poster presentation will be expected to supply a brief paper formatted for publication in the conference proceedings by November 15. The guidelines for preparing posters for the display are available at aasv.org/annmtg/2025/posters.php.
Veterinary Student Poster Competition
The presenters of the top fifteen poster abstracts compete for scholarship awards ranging from $200 to $500 in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition, sponsored by United Animal Health. See aasv.org/annmtg/2025/postercomp for poster judging details.
In all cases, the student presenter is required to attend the meeting in person to make the presentation. Recorded/virtual presentations will not be accepted unless the meeting converts to an entirely virtual event.
Complete information for preparing and submitting abstracts is available at aasv.org/annmtg/2025/studentseminar. The rules for submission should be followed carefully. For more information, contact the AASV office by phone, 515-465-5255, or email, aasv@aasv.org.
Call for Submissions – Industrial Partners
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians invites submissions for the Industrial Partners oral and poster sessions at the 56th AASV Annual Meeting. This is an opportunity for commercial companies to make brief presentations of a technical, educational nature to members of the AASV. The conference will be held March 1-4, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
The oral sessions consist of a series of 15-minute presentations scheduled from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Sunday, March 2. A poster session takes place the same day. Poster authors will be required to be stationed with their poster from noon until 1:00 pm, and the posters will remain on display throughout the afternoon and the following day for viewing.
SUBMISSION PREREQUISITE: All companies submitting topics for presentation during the Industrial Partners sessions must register to participate in the AASV Technical Tables Exhibit before October 1.
SUBMISSION LIMIT: Restricted program space necessitates a limit on the number of presentations per company. Companies that are a member of the Journal of Swine Health and Production Industry Support Council and sponsor the AASV e-Letter may submit three topics for oral presentation. Companies that are either a member of the JSHAP Industry Support Council or sponsor the AASV e-Letter may submit up to two topics. All other companies may submit one topic for oral presentation. In addition, every company may submit one topic for poster presentation, but the topic must not duplicate the oral presentation. All topics must represent information not previously presented at the AASV Annual Meeting or published in the meeting proceedings.
To participate, send the following information to aasv@aasv.org by October 1, 2024:
- Company name
- Presentation title
- Brief description of the presentation content
- Presenter name (one only) and contact details (mailing address, telephone number, and email address)
- Whether the submission is intended for oral or poster presentation
Receipt of submissions will be confirmed by email. Presenters will be notified of their acceptance by October 15 and must submit a paper by November 15 for publication in the meeting proceedings. Failure to submit the paper in a timely manner will jeopardize the company’s future participation in these sessions.
The presenting author is required to register* for and attend the meeting in person to make the presentation. Recorded/virtual presentations will not be accepted unless the meeting converts to an entirely virtual event.
*Presenters may register for the meeting either as a Tech Table representative or as an individual registrant (nonmember oral and poster presenters are eligible to register at the AASV regular member rate). The AASV does not provide a speaking stipend or travel reimbursement to Industrial Partners presenters.
Call for Abstracts – Research Topics
Plans are underway for the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) to take place March 1-4, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
As part of the meeting, there will be a session highlighting research projects related to swine health and production (virology, bacteriology, parasitology, environment, food safety, odor, welfare, etc.). Abstracts are now being accepted to be considered for presentation during the Research Topics session, which will be held Sunday, March 2.
Those interested in making a 15-minute oral presentation of previously unpublished, applied research must submit 2 copies of a one-sided, one-page abstract. One copy (for review purposes) should contain the abstract title but must omit the authors’ names and affiliations. Use 1-inch margins and 12 pt Times New Roman font. Tables and figures may be included but must fit on the page with the text. The submitted abstracts will be used for review purposes only.
Submit abstracts to aasv@aasv.org no later than August 15, 2024. Provide the presenting author’s name, mailing address, phone number, and email address within the email message accompanying each submission.
Abstracts not selected for oral presentation will be considered for poster presentation. All presenting authors will be notified of the selection results in September. Authors of abstracts selected for oral or poster presentation must provide a paper reformatted for publication in the conference proceedings by November 15, 2024.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary to be an AASV member to submit an abstract or participate if selected. Participation in the Research Topics oral and poster session is at the presenter’s expense. No speaking stipend or travel expense reimbursement is paid by the AASV.
The presenting author is required to register for and attend the meeting in person to make the presentation. Recorded or virtual presentations will not be accepted unless the meeting converts to an entirely virtual event.
Non-AASV member presenters may register for the meeting at the AASV regular member rate. Qualifying full-time graduate students must join AASV if they wish to register at the lower graduate student member rate.
AASV Board of Directors, committee leaders meet
The AASV Board of Directors met in West Des Moines, Iowa on April 24 and 25. On Wednesday, the board gathered with the AASV committee leaders to learn about recent committee activities and requests for board action, followed by a review of board member roles and responsibilities. The board convened for official business on Thursday. A summary of actions taken follows.
Swine Medicine Talks: The board approved the Student Engagement Committee’s motion for $2500 to fund the Swine Medicine Talks in 2024-25.
Swine Housing Decisions: The board voted to form a task force to prepare a letter addressing swine housing decisions. Members will include Drs Sara Hough, Maryn Ptaschinski, Bill Hollis, and a member of the AASV Pig Welfare Committee.
Boar Stud Health, Hygiene, and Sanitation Guidelines: The board approved revisions to the guidelines requested by the Boar Stud Committee.
Swine Faculty Workforce Survey: The board approved the Collegiate Activities Committee’s request to conduct a survey of the swine faculty workforce in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Virus Fact Sheets: The board voted to approve publication of two factsheets prepared by the PRRS Committee on PRRS virus next-generation sequencing and PRRS virus recombination.
Swine Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Resolution: As requested by the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) Elimination Task Force, the board voted to approve a resolution on PED virus health status certification for submission to the US SHIP House of Delegates.
Committee mission and name changes
Pharmaceutical Issues Committee Name and Mission Change: The board passed a motion to change the committee’s name to Pharmaceutical and Biologics Committee and approved a revised mission statement, available at aasv.org/members/only/committee/PharmaceuticalIssuesCommittee.php.
Student Engagement Committee Mission Change: The board approved revising the committee’s mission statement to include promotion of activities to support student development within the swine medicine profession. See aasv.org/members/only/committee/StudentRecruitmentCommittee.php.
Position statements
Position statements undergo review every 3 years on a rotating basis. See aasv.org/aasv/positions for all current positions.
The board voted to reaffirm the following AASV positions:
- Anti-Abuse Policy
- A North American program is needed to manage the risk of foreign animal disease introduction through feed ingredients
- Castration of Swine
- Permanent Identification of Swine
- Pig Welfare
- Swine Health Information Technology
The board voted to revise the following AASV positions:
- Influenza A Viruses
- Sow Housing
- Tail Docking and Teeth Clipping of Swine
The board voted to approve new AASV positions:
- PEDV Elimination
- Traceability
The board created a task force to prepare a new position statement on gene-editing technology.
Members of AASV can read complete AASV Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes at aasv.org/aasv/board.
Interested in joining a committee? Contact the AASV office by email, aasv@aasv.org, or phone, 515-465-5255.
AASV attends student career events
Several members volunteered to represent AASV at two spring student career events.
The American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association (APVMA) Symposium is an event that brings together pre-veterinary students from across the country to attend lectures, hands-on laboratories, and networking events. The 2024 symposium expo, which was held Saturday, March 9 at North Carolina State University, showcased the diversity of the profession. Attendees included 495 students and 29 advisors from 29 liberal arts colleges and universities. Attendees were able to choose from 30 lectures and 18 hands-on labs and visit 71 exhibitors at 40 different tables. The AASV sponsored the swine necropsy wet-lab.
Please thank the following members who volunteered their time to distribute student recruitment resources and represent the swine veterinary profession: Drs Lisa Becton, Kayla Castevens, Mary Battrell, Jenna Scott, Daniel Boykin, Daniel Carreno, Brian Cerrito, Glen Almond, and Sara Hough. One volunteer commented, “We had a few students stop by that I think might be interested in swine production, but equally as important, we had a chance to share with those who are not.”
Learn more about the APVMA at apvma.org and the AASV Student Recruitment Committee at aasv.org/members/only/committee/StudentRecruitmentCommittee.php.
The mission of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) is to promote academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences. The annual training conference and career expo was held March 20-24, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. More than 5000 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from around the United States had the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops, network, and explore careers. More than 100 companies representing crops, food processing, academia, agri-finance, government, and animal agriculture attended the career expo.
Please thank Drs Wesley Lyons and Heather Fowler for representing AASV and the swine veterinary profession. They reported that more than 200 highly engaged students visited the booth.
Learn more about MANRRS at manrrs.org and the AASV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at aasv.org/members/only/committee/DEI.php.
Scholarships available for MentorVet Leap; apply by August 2
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians and MentorVet collaborated in spring 2023 to offer 5 scholarships to swine veterinarians early in their careers. After a successful pilot, AASV has again approved funding for scholarships for early-career swine veterinarians to participate in the 2024 MentorVet Leap program. Four additional scholarships are available for the fall 2024 MentorVet Leap program.
The MentorVet Leap program is a 6-month, entirely virtual, evidence-based mentorship and professional development program that aims to promote well-being and decrease burnout in the transition into veterinary practice. The mentorship program has been adapted to meet the needs of early-career swine veterinarians including swine-specific case examples and paired mentorship with a more experienced swine veterinarian.
In addition to paired mentorship, the program provides holistic support to veterinarians through a combination of professional skills training, financial and mental health coaching, and peer mentorship. Mentees engage in a self-paced online curriculum and then meet monthly with other early-career veterinarians to discuss shared challenges and share perspectives on how to create a sustainable career path.
Jenna Scott, DVM, a 2023 AASV MentorVet Leap scholarship recipient, shared, “MentorVet Leap is a great way to gain knowledge and learn skills to better navigate early-career veterinary practice. Through the MentorVet Leap program, I have also been paired with an excellent mentor whom I plan to stay in communication with after the program ends. I have found it very helpful to have a supportive person to talk to about goals and stresses associated with work.”
During the 2023 pilot, small-group discussions were facilitated by a MentorVet team member allowing early-career swine veterinarians to connect with one another and share experiences. After participating in the program in spring 2023, swine veterinarian Jordan Buchan shared, “Being able to discuss topics such as self-care, professional boundary setting, and conflict resolution, amongst many others, with colleagues in the same discipline of veterinary medicine, was life changing. In addition, being assigned an external professional mentor in the industry continues to be a great asset. I actively use the lessons learned during my participation in MentorVet every day in my career. I am very grateful to AASV for funding my enrollment in the program and know it will continue to be transformative for many young swine veterinarians in the future.”
The fall 2024 Leap program will take place August 11, 2024 to January 31, 2025. The deadline to apply for the fall 2024 scholarship is August 2, 2024. AASV members who have received their veterinary degree in the past 5 years (Classes of 2020-2024) can apply for a scholarship to participate in the MentorVet Leap Program by visiting mentorvet.net/scholarships.
AASV PRRS Committee publishes factsheets
The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Committee identified the need for educational materials on the use and interpretation of whole genome sequencing in the field and understanding recombination of the PRRS virus. The PRRS Committee published two factsheets to address this need. “When to use next-generation sequencing for clinical and epidemiological decisions related to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus,” and “Implications of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus recombination and practices that may facilitate its occurrence under field conditions” are available on the AASV website at aasv.org/documents/NGS-Factsheet.pdf and aasv.org/documents/Replication-Recombination-Factsheet.pdf.