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Dr Jeremy Pittman was named the 2021 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) during the association’s 52nd Annual Meeting, held virtually. 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 Pittman is a staff veterinarian for Smithfield Hog Production – North Region, which manages 140,000 sows farrow-to-finish in Northeastern North Carolina and Virginia and serves as adjunct faculty at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
A Southport, North Carolina native, Dr Pittman graduated from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in 2000 with degrees in zoology and animal science, and minors in nutrition and genetics, followed by a DVM in 2004. Partially funded by the AASV Foundation’s Alex Hogg Memorial Scholarship, Dr Pittman received an MS from Iowa State University (ISU) in 2014. Dr Pittman is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Swine Health Management).
Without a background in agriculture, Dr Pittman’s path to veterinary medicine was inspired by educational opportunities coupled with extraordinary mentorship. Recognizing the impact of others on his own career, Dr Pittman’s commitment to student mentorship is unprecedented. He has had a lasting and immense impact on students and early career veterinarians. Students have attributed their decisions to enter swine medicine to the mentorship Dr Pittman provided. Dr Pittman embodies the AASV values of science-based swine health and management, moving the industry forward while shaping future colleagues.
Highly respected and valued for expertise, Dr Pittman is frequently sought after as a volunteer. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Swine Health Information Center and the National Pork Producers Council. An active member of the AASV since joining as a student, Dr Pittman has served on several AASV committees, including program planning committee, and has co-chaired the student preconference session of the annual meeting for almost 10 years.
Dr Pittman has been recognized for his service and dedication by other organizations. He received the Science with Practice Award from ISU (2016), the Allen D Leman Science in Practice Award from the University of Minnesota (2015), the Virginia Pork Industry Service Award (2014), and the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine Ben Harrington Food Animal Student Mentorship Award (2012). In 2011, he was named one of Pfizer’s Top 10 Under 40 swine veterinarians.
Asked to comment about receiving this award, Dr Pittman replied, “I am honored to be recognized by my peers and colleagues in receiving the 2021 AASV Swine Practitioner of the Year Award. I am indebted to anyone and everyone that has mentored, supported, or even challenged me along the way in my career. My success has been largely due to all the people that I have interacted with along the way and the opportunities that I have been fortunate to have been provided by the swine industry and AASV. As I look at the list of past recipients, there are several who have directly had an influence on me, but all of which have had an impact through their contributions to the swine industry and the AASV. I can only hope that I can continue to have a positive influence on the industry, such as they have.”
Dr Pittman lives in Wakefield, Virginia, with his wife, Terri, and stepsons Thomas and Trenton.
March 2, 2021 - AASV
