Schultz honored for immunology research
More than 500 scientists from around the world attended the 99th annual Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Dec. 2-5, 2018, in Chicago, including 157 graduate students and 49 postdoctoral research associates.
The meeting was dedicated to Ronald Schultz, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, for his work in veterinary virology and immunology. In 1982, Dr. Schultz became the founding chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at Wisconsin's veterinary school, a position he held until his retirement in 2016.
Dr. Schultz spent his career emphasizing the translational aspects of immunological research, especially the development and assessment of immunodiagnostics and vaccines in domestic animal species.
A founder of the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists, Dr. Schultz served as the organization's first president in 1979. Years later, in 1994, he was president of CRWAD. Dr. Schultz is the first recipient of the AAVI Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award and is an honorary diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists.
Keynote presentation
The third CRWAD Council Keynote was presented by Dr. Guy Palmer, chair in global health and a professor of pathology and infectious diseases at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Palmer spoke about animal health as a driver to achieve sustainable development goals. Additional keynote presentations are available on the CRWAD website.
Leadership
The 2018 CRWAD officers were Drs. Christopher Chase, South Dakota State University, president; Qijing Zhang, Iowa State University, vice president; David A. Benfield, The Ohio State University, executive director; and CRWAD Council members—Drs. Amelia Woolums, Mississippi State University; M.M. Chengappa, Kansas State University; Charles Czuprynski, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Annette O'Connor, Iowa State University; and Paul Morley, Colorado State University.
AVEPM awards
The Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine presented the 2018 Calvin Schwabe Award to Dr. Alfonso Torres, professor emeritus at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Torres is a former deputy administrator of Veterinary Services within the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as well as a former director of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center on Plum Island, New York. In 2003, Dr. Torres joined Cornell University as a professor and associate dean for public policy at the veterinary college, retiring in 2015.
The Mark Gearhart Memorial Graduate Student Award was presented to Lauren C. Wisnieski, Michigan State University.
Recipients of the AVEPM student awards for best oral presentations were Casey Cazer, Cornell University; Ilya B. Slizovskiy, University of Minnesota; and Sondra H. Lavigne, University of Pennsylvania.
AAVI awards
The American Association of Veterinary Immunologists presented Dr. Laurel Gershwin the 2018 AAVI Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award.
Dr. Gershwin has taught immunology for 38 years as a professor at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, and her research focuses are immune responses in the lung with emphasis on IgE-mediated pathogenesis, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, and associated vaccinology.
Society for Mucosal Immunology Trainee Awards recognizing outstanding oral presentations went to the following students: Sankar Renu, The Ohio State University; Gun Temeeyasen, Iowa State University; Ameer Megahed, University of Illinois; and Javier Garza, West Virginia University.
Recipients of the AAVI student awards were as follows: First place, oral—Amanda Amaral, North Carolina State University; second place, oral—Alejendro Hoyos-Jaramillo, University of Georgia; third place, oral—Glenn Hamonic, University of Saskatchewan; and first place, poster—AGM Rakibuzzaman, North Dakota State University; second place, poster—Victoria Mutua, University of California-Davis; and third place, poster—Juliet Chepngeno, The Ohio State University.
ACVM awards
The American College of Veterinary Microbiologists named Dr. Ab Osterhaus the 2018 Distinguished Veterinary Microbiologist. A professor of virology at universities in Germany and the Netherlands, Dr. Osterhaus is an internationally recognized researcher and principal investigator of numerous major scientific projects. He is currently director of the Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in Hanover, Germany.
ACVM student award winners were as follows: Don Kahn Award—Sarah Raabis, University of Wisconsin-Madison; oral presentation—Tessa E. LeCuyer, Washington State University; Miyagari Shoyama, Michigan State University; and Syeda Hadi Anum, Michigan State University; and poster presentation—Marvin A. Ssemadaali, North Dakota State University.
Other awards
The Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine student award was presented to Brent Skinner, Kansas State University.
The American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists presented student awards to Kyle Hoffman, University of Missouri, and Kathryn Reif, Kansas State University.
The NC1202 North Central Multistate Committee for Research on Enteric Diseases of Swine and Cattle gave the following student awards: Lynn Joens Award, first place, oral presentation—Yixuan Hou, The Ohio State University, and second place, oral presentation—Ti Lu, University of Nebraska. The David H. Francis Award for best poster presentation, first place—Kristina Cere, Cornell University, and second place—Taylor Wherry, Iowa State University.
The Biosafety and Biosecurity Award, sponsored by the Animal Health Institute and Joseph J. Garbarino Foundation, was presented to the following students: first place, oral—Emily Cook, University of Georgia, and second place, oral—Jordan Pelkmans, University of Guelph. An award for best poster presentation went to Emily John, Atlantic Veterinary College.