0
Dr Michelle Sprague, 2014 AASV president and chair of the 2018 Awards Selection Committee, introduced the recipients during the association's 49th Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.
Swine Practitioner of the Year
Dr Mary Battrell was named 2018 Swine Practitioner of the Year. 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.
Dr Battrell was born and raised on a family farm in Albany, OH. Her family farmed 250 - 600 acres of cropland, had a cow-calf operation, raised 250 feeder steers each year and had a 100-head farrow-to-finish swine operation. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from The Ohio State University followed by a Master's degree in Animal Science with a focus in ruminant nutrition from the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation, she moved to Iowa and worked as a sales representative for the Upjohn Company.
Battrell earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree and a master's degree in swine production medicine from Iowa State University in 1995. She began her veterinary career in North Carolina working for Dr. Fred Cunningham. A year later, she accepted a position with Brown's of Carolina in Kenansville, NC where she worked for three years. Following her time at Brown's, she was employed as a technical services veterinarian for Pharmacia before returning to Smithfield Hog Production at the Murphy Family Farms Rose Hill office in 2000. She is currently the staff veterinarian for Smithfield Hog Production's East Central Region and is responsible for the health and well-being of 140,000 sows farrow to finish. She has been actively involved in the development of the Smithfield Animal Care Program and serves as chair for that committee.
Asked to comment about receiving this award, Dr Battrell replied, "Swine practitioners do an excellent job of caring for their animals and providing a safe and wholesome product for the consumer. It is incredibly humbling to be selected among them for this award. God has blessed me with a loving family, outstanding mentors, and co-workers that have guided me throughout my career. I am grateful for my Smithfield team, our care givers, and contract growers that work hard every day to put the pig's needs first. I am proud to be a part of this industry. Thank you for the opportunities and for this recognition."
Dr Battrell and her husband, Wayne Banks, reside in Garland, NC with their son Don Banks.
Howard Dunne Memorial Award
Dr Dick Hesse received the 2018 Howard Dunne Memorial Award which recognizes an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.
Hesse was born in Mitchell, South Dakota. He attended Huron College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975 with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and education. From 1976 to 1979, he served as a Biological Research Assistant in the Virology Division at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD where he received his training in classical virology. Following his time at USAMRIID, Hesse was a research assistant in the South Dakota State University Diagnostic Laboratory's virology section until 1981 and then was a research scientist with Solvay Animal Health.
Hesse received a master's degree in 1982 from South Dakota State University and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the University of Nebraska in 1993. Hesse was a scientist and Group Leader in the Virology Section at Schering-Plough Animal Health until 1997 and Manager of Virology Biologics, Research and Development at Intervet until 2006. Currently, Hesse is a professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. He is also the Director of Diagnostic Virology at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Hesse was awarded the Army's Distinguished Service Medal for Lassa Fever research in 1979 and the Schering-Plough Excellence Award for the development of a PRRS vaccine. Additionally, he has received the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Hesse has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications, presentations, and/or patents. In addition, he has led the development of at least 12 USDA-licensed vaccines. He has been active in a number of AASV committees and currently serves on the National Pork Board Swine Health Committee.
When asked what it meant to him to receive the Howard Dunne Memorial Award he responded, "I am blessed to be able to work with so many talented and dedicated people across the swine industry. To be recognized by them is the highest honor I have ever received and it means more to me than anyone will ever know."
In 1974, Dick married Debby Anderson, his high school sweetheart. They lived a number of places but mostly raised the family in Omaha Nebraska. They have 4 children : Chris, Josh, Jacque and Andrea, and 11 grandchildren. Sadly, Debby passed away in 2014.
Meritorious Service Award
Dr Elizabeth Wagstrom was named the 2018 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians' Meritorious Service Award. The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the AASV.
Dr Wagstrom was raised in Montevideo, Minnesota, where she became an avid horse lover. This early interest in horses channeled her interest and education in the agricultural field. Wagstrom attended the University of Minnesota where she obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in Agricultural Economics and Animal Science. While living in Faribault, Minnesota, Wagstrom worked at a variety of jobs that revolved around the agricultural and science fields. One of the jobs was with Oxford Labs, a swine vaccine company headquartered in Worthington, Minnesota. Her time spent at Oxford Labs was a launching point for her work in the swine field. Wagstrom ultimately decided to return to school and obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1999. During her time at ISU, she also earned her master's degree in Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Prior to earning her veterinary degree, Wagstrom worked as a marketing manager in swine biologics and diagnostics at Oxford Veterinary Laboratories in Worthington, Minnesota. She was a Graduate Research Assistant at ISU from 1996-1998 and then went on to be a Production Management/Veterinarian at Iowa Select Farms. In 2000, she was employed as a public health veterinarian and senior Epidemiologist and at the Minnesota Department of Health, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From 2001-July 2004, she served as the Director of Veterinary Science at the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa. From 2004-2010 she was an Assistant Vice President - Science and Technology at the National Pork Board.
In 2010, Wagstrom accepted a position as Associate Professor - Veterinary Public Practice-Residency Director at the University of Minnesota Center for Animal Health and Food Safety. Since 2011, she has been the Chief Veterinarian with the National Pork Producers Council in Washington, DC, and Des Moines, Iowa.
When asked to comment about receiving the award, Wagstrom responded, "I am honored to receive this award from my peers, and am so appreciative that the work I do with the National Pork Producers Council allows me to advocate not only on behalf of the pork industry but also the swine veterinary profession."
Dr Wagstrom and her husband, Brian, reside in Faribault, MN. They have two children: Andrew and Emily.
Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award
The American Association of Swine Veterinarian's Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr Adam Schelkopf. It 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.
Dr Schelkopf received his DVM degree in 2012 from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, Dr Schelkopf accepted a position as an associate veterinarian with Pipestone Veterinary Services and is currently a partner in Pipestone Holdings. He serves as the Health Director for the Pipestone System and Director of the East Region, working with independent producers across the Midwest.
In addition to his full-time commitment to practicing swine medicine, Dr. Schelkopf is finishing his master's degree at Iowa State University. He has been involved in researching porcine epidemic diarrhea virus immunity in sows and piglets, with special consideration to antibody test interpretation. Schelkopf is a third-generation swine veterinarian.
Upon acceptance of the award, Dr Schelkopf commented, "I am honored and humbled to receive this award, and exceptionally thankful to the AASV. The AASV and the swine veterinary community are wonderful in how they embrace students and young practitioners, provide opportunities to learn and develop professionally, as well as create lifelong friendships. I owe tremendous gratitude to my parents, my mentors, and my colleagues at Pipestone. Pipestone instills a sense of passion for the industry, profession, and communities we work in, as well as a sense of family throughout the company which I am grateful to be a part of. Thank you to the AASV for this award and the opportunity to be a part of this organization."
In his spare time, Dr Schelkopf enjoys golfing, water sports and hunting. He currently resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award
Dr Eugene Nemechek 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.
Nemechek grew up on a family farm in Goodland, KS, one of eleven children. His interest in veterinary medicine was sparked at an early age by the veterinary practitioner on his family's farm. He earned his animal science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at Kansas State University. Upon graduation in 1976, he practiced in a rural mixed animal practice before stepping into a role specializing in the swine industry.
In 1985, Nemechek left private practice to accept a position as a staff veterinarian at Cargill Pork in Wilson, NC where he remained until 2005. Upon leaving Cargill, he was hired by Genetic Improvement Services in North Carolina as Director of Health and Production. Subsequently, he joined Tyson Fresh Meats in Springdale, Arkansas as a Quality Assurance Veterinarian before joining Pfizer (Zoetis) in 2011 where he currently serves as a Pork Technical Services Veterinarian.
Dr. Nemechek has also served on the AASV Board of Directors, the North Carolina Pork Council board, and the National Pork Board, where was president in 2010-11. He is also extremely active as a presenter for Operation Main Street at the local and national level.
When asked to comment on what the award meant to him, Dr Nemechek said, "I was truly honored to receive this award from the AASV association and my colleagues. It is amazing to be recognized for doing the things every day that you enjoying doing, especially serving a great industry and swine veterinary profession. It makes life fun and worthwhile. "
Dr Nemechek and his wife, Susan, reside in Wilson, NC. They have 4 children Sarah Nemechek, Molly Nemechek, Megan Inskeep , and Jeremiah Nemechek. children and 4 grand-children.
March 14, 2018 - AASV
