ISU CVM Gentle Doctor Summer 2022

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SUMMER 2022 | VOL. 36 NO. 1

Alumni Authors PAGE 16

SUMMER 2022 | VOL. 36 NO. 1 Gentle Doctor is published by the Iowa State University College

Contents

of Veterinary Medicine for alumni and friends of the college. The publication of the magazine is funded by the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association at Iowa State.

Office of the Dean............................................515 294-1250 Office of Development....................................515 294-8562 Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital.......515 294-4900 Large Animal Hospital..............................515 294-1500 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory................515 294-1950

FEATURES

7 Preparing for an Outbreak 8 Working Together 9 A New Home 16 Alumni Authors

Editor............................................................... Dave Gieseke Writer............................................................Tracy Ann Raef Graphic Designer..................................... Heather Brewer We welcome your suggestions, comments, and contributions to content.

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Correspondence should be directed to: Dave Gieseke Editor, Gentle Doctor College of Veterinary Medicine Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011-1250

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515 294-4257 dgieseke@iastate.edu vetmed.iastate.edu Iowa State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected Veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity, 3410 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, 515 294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SUMMER 2022 | VOL. 36 NO. 1

IN EVERY ISSUE

4 College News 24 Alumni News Alumni Authors PAGE 16

Cover story on page 16.

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Gentle Doctors Everywhere

30 Foundation News

From the Dean FROM THE DESK OF THE DEAN Dear Colleagues and Friends, One of the more pleasurable parts of my role as the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine is learning the history of this outstanding institution.

One of the more inspiring stories I’ve become aware of is the legacy of Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson, DVM Class of 1923.

Before I arrived at Iowa State University, I was unaware of Dr. Patterson. I knew of the Tuskegee Airmen, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University but had no idea that an Iowa State University CVM graduate was responsible for each of these.

Dr. Patterson was a champion for human rights, equality, and opportunity for all. His vision and courage continue to open doors today. During his lifetime (1901-1988) he became one of only two Iowa State graduates to be recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – an honor reserved for those who make an especially meritorious contribution to, among other things, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Dr. Patterson. Here is a small sampling of what we are planning…

Dr. Patterson’s contributions were enormous. He was the founder of the UNCF, a philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students for private, historically black colleges and universities.

• One the first day of class in both the fall and spring semesters, we will have a noon time celebration and lecture with a focus on Dr. Patterson.

He was president of the Tuskegee Institute (known today as Tuskegee University) for 20 years, transforming the institution into a full-fledge university with graduate programs that continue to this day. One of those programs was Tuskegee’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

He was a driving force behind the formation of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Dr. Patterson is one of the most notable and historic difference-makers in Iowa State history. His influence is not only felt in veterinary medicine but in higher education.

Until now, the College of Veterinary Medicine hasn’t properly recognized Dr. Patterson’s legacy. And what better time than now as we celebrate the centennial of Dr. Patterson’s DVM graduation year.

Over the next year, the College of Veterinary Medicine is planning a series of activities in recognition of

• We will be awarding the college’s highest alumni award, the Stange Award, posthumously to Dr. Patterson at our homecoming celebration.

• The college’s primary gathering place will be renamed in his honor to the Frederick Douglass Patterson Commons.

• A special recognition will be held during our spring graduation ceremonies.

The college is also launching a campaign to establish the Frederick Douglass Patterson Excellence Fund. This endowment will be utilized to support scholarships and programming focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

If you are interested in contributing to this fund, more information is provided on page 31 of this issue of the Gentle Doctor magazine.

I am humbled by Dr. Patterson’s accomplishments and what he has done to advance higher education for black people. He is truly inspirational!

Dan Grooms, DVM, PhD Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine

Summer 2022 | Vol. 36 No. 1

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collegenews Phase 1 of New VDL Making Progress Right before you exit off of Highway 30 in Ames on University Drive, look to the north and you’ll notice that construction on the $75 million Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory Phase 1 project is making substantial progress. Construction is slated to be completed in 2023.

But that’s only the beginning, not the end, of the VDL project.

LINHARES APPOINTED SCHULTZ PROFESSOR Dr. Daniel Linhares, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, has been named the holder of the Roy A. Schultz Professorship in Swine Medicine.

Linhares has developed field-based strategies to prevent, significantly control and eliminate swine infectious diseases.

His work is leading to the development of population-based diagnostic tools that help veterinarians and producers identify the health status of their production animal enterprises quickly and efficiently.

“As a teacher, I prepare graduate students to understand the big picture of production animal industry challenges and opportunities,” Linhares said. “I encourage graduate students to develop independent, critical thinking goals while guiding them to focus on the solution and to think of possible ways to positively impact the industry using applied science.”

The Schultz Professorship was established by Dr. Roy Schultz, a 1960 College of Veterinary Medicine graduate and internationally renowned swine veterinarian.

Planning is underway for Phase 2, a $64.3 million addition to the laboratory currently being constructed. Phase 2 funding would be covered by private donations, university funds and state funding.

Phase 2 is necessary because 80% of the current lab’s work and services were not able to be included in Phase 1. These critical diagnostic services, including molecular diagnostics, serology, virology, analytical chemistry, toxicology, genetic sequencing, bioinformatics, BSL-3 space, and the VDL’s research and development functions, currently will remain in their outdated location. The VDL’s administrative staff and support functions will also continue to be housed in their current locations until Phase 2 is completed.

The final product will also look vastly different than the current 1970s edition.

“The spaces are being strategically built for purpose, and are way more open and flexible than what we currently have,” Main said. “The biocontainment, biosafety, and the quality and quantity of space will all be much improved. We’re building a building that puts us in a position to be flexible for the generations to come.”

In addition to state funding for Phase 1, the VDL project has received financial commitments from the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and commodity groups including the Iowa Pork Producers Association; Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; Iowa Beef Industry Council, Cattlemen’s Association and Cattleman’s Foundation; the Iowa American Dairy Association of the Midwest, Iowa Egg Council, Poultry Association, Turkey Federation and Turkey Marketing Council; Iowa Corn Growers Association and Corn Promotion Board; Iowa Soybean Association and United Soybean Board; Merck Animal Health; and Farm Credit Services of America as well as several other companies and individuals.

Phase 1 is being constructed so that Phase 2 can be seamlessly added on, bringing all of the VDL’s operations under one roof. Dr. Rodger Main, VDL director, emphasizes that this investment in infrastructure will play a key role in safeguarding animal health, public health and the competitiveness of Iowa and U.S. livestock industries decades in the future.

Phase 1 will include receiving/accessioning, necropsy, sample processing, histopathology, bacteriology, pathology, and an incinerator. Main describes these units as the laboratory’s “frontend functions.”

Photos: Dave Gieseke

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RESEARCH ROUNDUP • Scientists may have uncovered an important clue that sheds light on why pigs don’t get sick when exposed to the coronavirus. What Dr. Rahul Nelli, research assistant professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, and Dr. Luis GimenezLirola, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, found out could lead to new ways to treat humans who contract COVID-19.

Nelli and Gimenez-Lirola have studied how coronaviruses affect pigs for years. They’ve developed models that allow them to study in detail how viruses infect pigs and pig cells and how the cells respond to fight the infection. For their latest experiments, they introduced the virus to cultured porcine and human respiratory epithelial cells, which line most of the respiratory tract. They found the pig cells underwent apoptosis, or controlled cell death, in response to infection at a higher rate than human epithelial cells.

• Dr. Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy, professor of biomedical sciences, is testing two therapies to gauge their ability to prevent long-term brain damage that results from exposure to nerve agents.

Thippeswamy has received a grant that could total as much as $3.75 million from the National Institutes of Health to test the treatments over

five years. The research could shed light on other kinds of brain damage as well, such as the kind that results from severe epileptic seizures or head trauma that may cause epilepsy.

partnered with Coralville-based biomedical company NanoMedtrix to test their method in dogs, an effort that has received support from the National Institutes of Health.

The research looks at studying two drugs that could reduce or prevent harm done by nerve agents that have been deployed as chemical weapons and disrupt the ability of brain cells to work together.

“The idea of precision medicine, or personalized medicine, is central here,” said Allenspach. “It’s hard to predict which people will respond to what treatment. Culturing these organoids helps us to predict which therapeutic the patients will respond to.”

“Misbehaving glial/supporting cells will cause long-term damage to the brain,” Thippeswamy said. “We want to prevent that at the earliest, soon after nerve agent exposure.”

• Bladder cancer presents a number of challenges when choosing a course of treatment, but researchers hope their innovative research might help doctors and patients arrive at an optimal treatment plan faster.

Dr. Karin Allenspach, professor of veterinary clinical sciences, and Dr. Jonathan Mochel, associate professor of biomedical sciences, are perfecting an innovative new technique that grows organoids from patients’ urine samples on which various treatments can be tested.

This approach could allow doctors to tailor therapies to patients without the need for invasive surgeries, which often take significant lengths of time to schedule.

The research team has begun a clinical trial of their method in conjunction with physicians at the Mayo Clinic. They’ve also

• Dr. Gregory Phillips, professor of veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine, has been selected to receive funding from the Margaret B. Barry Cancer Research Program to explore bioengineering probiotics to destroy the types of tumors seen in cancer patients.

Phillips and Dr. Rizia Bardam from the College of Engineering have been awarded $120,000 over two years.

The pair will use the funding to investigate the possibility of genetically engineering strains of probiotic bacteria to target and eliminate the specific types of cancerous tumors typically found in patients with breast and colorectal cancers, with the long-term goal of reducing negative side effects of traditional cancer treatments and improving outcomes for patients with inoperable cancers.

“Probiotic bacteria, by their nature, have genes that are expressed to produce products that are beneficial to the host, such as reduction of inflammation,” Phillips said. “We are expanding that idea by introducing capabilities that naturally occurring probiotics do not have but can be programmed to perform.”

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collegenews GREENLEE NAMED TALBOT PROFESSOR Dr. Heather Greenlee, professor of biomedical sciences, has been named the initial recipient of the second Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Professor in Veterinary Medicine.

The endowed faculty position is one of three named professorships the Talbots have established in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rachel Allbaugh, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences, is the holder of the first Talbot Endowed Professor.

“The Talbots’ enthusiasm and involvement is as remarkable as their financial gifts,” Greenlee said.

“Holding a professorship in their name is both an honor and a responsibility to make the greatest impact that I can within my sphere of influence.”

Photo: Christopher Gannon

Greenlee plans to use funds generated from the professorship to support students and enhance her research program as well as her classroom instruction in neuroanatomy.

Classroom Named in Honor of Former Professor Classroom 2532 has been officially named the Dr. Frank K. Ramsey Classroom in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Ramsey was a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine from 1946-80 and served as chair of the Department of Veterinary Pathology from 1957-75. He was a driving force on several college projects and initiatives including the construction of the current Vet Med Complex. Ramsey earned both his DVM (‘46) and PhD (‘55) at Iowa State.

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Faculty and Staff Notes • Dr. Rachel Allbaugh, the Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Professor in Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinic Sciences, has been named a recipient of the ISU Alumni Association’s 2022 Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award.

• Dr. Brad Blitvich, professor of veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine and interim assistant dean of graduate students and research training, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine.

• Dr. Amanda Fales-Williams, chair and professor of the Department of Veterinary Pathology, has been named a Morrill Professor at Iowa State University.

• Dr. Pat Gorden, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, is the 2022 recipient of the West Agro Inc. Award. The award was presented during the American Dairy Science Association annual meeting and recognizes outstanding research of milk quality as affected by control of mastitis, management of milking, and practices in the production of milk.

• Dr. Richard Martin, Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine and the E.A. Benbrook Endowed Chair of Pathology and Parasitology, has been named the recipient of the 2022 American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist Award. Martin was cited for “the research you have conducted in determining the mode of action of anthelmintics using pharmacological and electrophysiological studies.”

• Dr. Jonathan Mochel, professor of biomedical sciences and veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, has been selected as the recipient of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics Research Award.

• Dr. Jim Noxon, Morrill Professor of veterinary clinical sciences, has been named a recipient of the dvm360 2022 Veterinary Heroes award. The program celebrates the achievements of outstanding veterinary professionals who have worked to advance the field and make a difference in animal care. Noxon was recognized in the dermatology category.

• Dr. Paul Plummer, Anderson Chair of Veterinary Sciences in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, has been elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.

Preparing for an Outbreak

F

or a few hours, Nick Benge and Calie Burgart were no longer fourth-year veterinary students at Iowa State University.

“Getting to interact with government officials who would be in charge of a response and what their current plan of action would be was very valuable.”

Well, yes they were, but during the National Pork Board’s Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) Preparedness and Response Table Top Exercise held last spring in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Benge and Burgart donned different hats.

One of those community members was portrayed by Burgart. She played a feed mill manager who had to find a way to maintain business continuity but also take the correct and necessary precautions to protect other sites from contracting the disease during the outbreak.

The two were among 41 participants in the exercise which simulated an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at a packing plant near the town of “Hopeless.” Attendees played the roles of state and federal officials, sale barn owners, dairy, swine and beef producers, law enforcement, and various other roles. The exercise was held in the Veterinary Field Services’ garage.

“Each individual was assigned a role to navigate these entities through the challenges of a foreign animal disease,” said. Dr. Justin Brown, assistant teaching professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine.

“This was the culminating activity for the swine emerging diseases diagnosis and management rotation for fourthyear students.”

Benge and Burgart were part of that rotation and the table top exercise. Benge played a sow farm manager.

“I had to work through how a foreign animal disease would affect day-to-day operations on the farm,” he said.

“It helped me better understand how each person in the supply chain would be affected. It also gave me a better understanding of how it may affect the community as a whole and their response.

“This experience opened my eyes to the many moving parts that will be happening during a FAD outbreak,” she said. “It reinforced the importance of trying to plan ahead as much as possible.”

And although the Benge and Burgart didn’t play veterinarians in the simulation, they both said the experience would help them in their careers.

“I will be doing primarily food animal work after I graduate, so having exposure and thinking through all the little details that come up during these exercises will help me to be more organized and have a better idea of whom to contact with different questions if a FAD were to happen in the herd I am responsible for,” Burgart said.

The table top exercise was the cumulation of a day-long set of activities which included morning lectures. In addition to Iowa State veterinary students, graduate students and faculty, participants included swine production veterinarians, production staff, State of Iowa and USDA officials, and staff members of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the National Pork Board. gd

Photos: Mary Breuer

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Working Together

D

ifficult cases in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center require collaboration and cooperation among several individuals.

A recent such case came about when a filly was diagnosed soon after birth with severe neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS). The young horse was suffering from severe seizures and a suspected case of sepsis.

“Additionally, her brain was not telling her to breath frequently enough which was resulting in acidosis or a build-up of too much CO2 in her blood stream,” said Dr. Jamie Kopper, assistant professor of large animal emergency and critical care.

There was only one possible solution to the filly’s issues and it required collaboration and cooperation across both the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital and the Large Animal Hospital.

“Ultimately, this mare and foal pair was taken care of by boarded specialists in small animal emergency and critical care, large animal emergency critical care, large animal internal medicine, and theriogenology,” Kopper said.

“Additionally, countless nurses, caretakers, and students participated in their care. It’s remarkable what we can accomplish when multiple specialists combine their expertise and experiences.

“This type of procedure requires not only a dedicated team of caregivers but a dedicated owner because there are a lot of unknowns, a financial commitment and the outcome is often hard to predict for a while.”

first 24 hours, allowing clinicians to wean her off of the ventilator when her brain had adjusted to extra-uterine life, allowing her to breath appropriately.

“We removed the breathing tube about 36 hours after she initially went on the ventilator,” said Dr. April Blong, clinical assistant professor in the small animal emergency and critical care unit. “She remained in our ICU several more hours to ensure her breathing muscles would not get tired and she would have to go back onto the ventilator.”

Blong said the procedure was similar to what the small animal clinicians would use on a large dog. But there were other issues the veterinarians had to take into consideration.

Because the filly was taken from the mare early in her life, the two did not have the opportunity to bond.

“Re-bonding sick foals with mares is not uncommon,” Kopper said. “We kept blankets that the foal had been on in the ICU with the mare so she could still smell her.

When she returned back to the large animal ICU, we slowly began reintroducing them with short supervised visits until the mare proved to us that she wanted the foal back.”

Mare and filly are now back together and have been discharged from the hospital. It was a long and scary 36 hours for all involved but Kopper says the prognosis is excellent now.

“She should go on to live a normal foal life,” she said. gd

The procedure the foal required was a mechanical ventilation. Without the procedure she probably would have died.

The Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital’s emergency and critical care unit became involved not only due to the foal’s smaller size, but that the Large Animal Hospital does not have a long-term critical care ventilator.

Dr. Rebecca Walton, clinical associate professor in the small animal emergency and critical care department, worked with the large animal team to place and maintain the foal on the ventilator in the small animal ICU. For 36 hours, the filly remained in the small animal ICU. Her condition improved remarkably over the

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Veterinarian staff members from both the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital and the Large Animal Hospital provided medical care for a filly diagnosed with severe neonatal maladjustment syndrome. Photo: Dave Gieseke

A New Home

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ou could just see it in Dr. Rod Bagley’s eyes.

He wanted to care for Doree.

At the time, Doree couldn’t stand. She couldn’t walk.

She could barely lift her head. She was malnourished.

Yet Bagley saw something in the golden retriever who had spent her four years delivering puppies at a USDA licensed breeder in Iowa. In November 2021, a federal court judge ordered the surrender and removal of more than 500 dogs and puppies from the breeder to the Animal Rescue League of Des Moines.

One of those dogs was Doree. She was also the only dog that required hospitalization at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. Not only was she severely emaciated with almost zero muscle mass, X-rays showed she had multiple fractures to her ribs and spinal vertebrae. She spent most of her next two months in the LVMC’s Canine Rehabilitation Center.

At first, she could only walk with the aid of a sling. She spent parts of every day in a pool swimming and walking on a water treadmill. Day by day, she slowly worked her way back to health.

One of the veterinarians who cared for Doree was Bagley, professor of veterinary clinical sciences and a neurologist by training, who supports the canine rehabilitation service.

“When animals can’t get up, the natural thinking is that they have a neurology problem,” Bagley said. “But that wasn’t Doree’s problem. She had the mechanics to walk, but either never learned how to do so, or didn’t feel that she could.”

From the first day he saw Doree, Bagley began considering adopting her or at the very least, becoming a foster parent to the dog. But as the weeks passed by, he decided Doree needed the support in a home environment but under a watchful eye.

“First of all, I wanted to make sure we (Bagley and his wife Lynn) could take care of Doree’s needs,” he said, “and I realized that if we did take her home she would probably become a ‘foster fail’ and we would eventually adopt her.”

Doree went to Bagley’s home out in the country just before Christmas

Left: Dr. Rod Bagley with Doree (right) and her pal Cooper. Above: Doree at the Canine Rehabilitation Center.

Submitted Photos

Day. The family has several cats and a great dog Cooper, who Bagley describes as Doree’s “service dog.”

Since her arrival at the Bagley homestead, Doree has made significant progress. On December 23, Bagley had to carry her in and out of the house. Next, she learned to stand on her front legs. Four days later she would walk about 20 feet before stopping.

New Years’ Day she squatted to urinate for the first time.

On January 10, she began going down two outside stairs.

By January 14 she was doing more dog things – barking, wagging her tail, and eating her meals.

“She continued to get stronger every day,” Bagley said.

“Physically she was able to start doing normal dog stuff.” On February 13, Doree was starting to run a little following with her playmate Cooper. A month later she was rolling on her back outside like her new brother.

Today Doree is close to 60 pounds and has developed her personality. She still is timid around everyone, but is more comfortable around the Bagley home. She tends to sit up close to walls and furniture as though she doesn’t want anything sneaking up behind her. She’s indifferent to the family’s cats but she has learned to walk a flight of stairs to sleep in the master bedroom.

“I really think we were the right ‘space’ for Doree,” Bagley said. “We have the space, time and resources to help care for her. Doree needed someone who could pay attention to her and her health issues. I knew based on my experiences I could do that.

“In the end, there really wasn’t a question if Doree was going to come home with me. I didn’t really think about it. It was just going to happen.” gd

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On the Job

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here may never be the perfect time to start a new job, but Dr. Marc Kinsley is certainly facing challenges as the new executive director of Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (LVMC) that his predecessors didn’t have.

“There are definitely many challenges facing veterinary medicine,” Kinsley said, “and the significance of those challenges are maybe as high as we have seen in quite some time.”

Kinsley and the LVMC aren’t unique. Studies have indicated that one in five U.S. households acquired a cat or dog since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those increased adoptions have translated into additional visits to their local veterinarian including appointments made at Iowa State.

Photo: Dave Gieseke

Kinsley started his new position in January 2022. From day one, he has dealt not only with increased demand, but also the challenges of finding clinicians and technicians to treat these animals.

“There are limited veterinarians and technicians in the work force,” Kinsley said. “Every private practice is having the same issues as we are – trying to meet the increased demand for animal care and everyone is being aggressive in hiring veterinarians as well as technicians.

“It’s a double-edge sword because if we don’t have enough staff to support our faculty, then we can lose our faculty, which would not allow us to continue to provide the level of patient care that the animals and clients in the State of Iowa deserve.”

Even though this is the first time Kinsley has served in such a capacity (he was previously an associate professor of large animal surgery at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine with a specialty in equine surgery), he has hit the ground running and is looking to quickly meet the challenges the LVMC faces. He’s worked hard to hire and retain veterinary technicians and will continue to support the clinicians on staff including increasing salaries for the hospitals’ interns and residents.

He has authorized several equipment purchases which have dramatically improved the hospitals’ functions. An “Unsung Hero Award” has been established to recognize staff members who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

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“One of the main reasons I took this job was that I was tired of seeing my friends constantly leave because they didn’t feel supported,” Kinsley said. “I could see things that weren’t getting done and wondered ‘why don’t we do it this way?’”

At the LVMC, Kinsley now has that opportunity.

“I like the challenge and thinking about things in a different way than I did when I was a faculty member,” Kinsley said. “I want to look at the whole puzzle, see if we can modify one thing, and then determine how it not only affects our patients and clients, but our hospital and staff.” gd

Driven by

R

RESEARCH

esearch drives Dr. Qijing Zhang each and every day.

“If I get an experiment started, I’m anxious to learn the results,” said Zhang, a Clarence Covault Distinguished Professor in Veterinary Medicine.

Early in his academic career, Zhang concentrated his research on swine pathogens. He made the switch to antibiotic resistance and food safety and has never looked back.

He’s so passionate that his nickname was “Scientific Nerd.” As a graduate student in the College of Veterinary Medicine (he earned his PhD in 1994), his brain was constantly racing, thinking about his latest research study.

“There was a natural need for this type of research and at the time, few people were trained to do it,” he said.

“It was a challenge, but a great opportunity.

“My mind was so busy, I failed to stop at a stop sign and got into an accident,” Zhang recalled. “That really scared me, and I had to consciously put my mind at rest and not think about science all the time.”

Over the years, Zhang has added other lines to his resume including serving as the College of Veterinary Medicine’s associate dean of research.

But his own research studies are a constant pull on Zhang. And make no mistake about it – he’s good at what he does. Really good.

This past spring, Zhang was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

“We had to identify gaps in the field and what needed to be done to close those gaps. There was an advantage to be one of the first in this area.”

“

Dr. Zhang’s election to the National Academy of Sciences is a testament to his international impact, leadership and outstanding achievements in antimicrobial resistance and food safety.

– Wendy Wintersteen

”

Iowa State President

Election to the National Academy of Sciences is among the most prestigious honors given to U.S. scientists and engineers. Zhang is just the 12th Iowa State faculty member to receive the honor, and the first faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine to be elected since Dr. Harley Moon’s election in 1991.

“Dr. Zhang’s election to the National Academy of Sciences is a testament to his international impact, leadership and outstanding achievements in antimicrobial resistance and food safety,” said Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen.

“We are delighted that Dr. Zhang is being recognized with this prestigious honor.”

“I am extremely honored to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences,” Zhang said. “It is an honor not just for me, but also for my team and my beloved college and university.”

Zhang’s research has had regional, national, and global impact on the control of antibiotic-resistance pathogens in animals and humans. As a renowned microbiologist, Zhang built a world-class research program on antimicrobial resistance and food safety.

Photo: Dave Gieseke

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ZHANG CONTINUED That advantage has led to competitive grants totaling over $25 million from not only the USDA and NIH, but the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration.

His expertise in antibiotic resistance has earned him international acclaim. He is an expert in areas related to antibiotic resistance development, persistence, transmission from animal reservoirs to humans, and mitigation strategies. He is a pioneer in the effort to understand mechanisms involved in the emergence, persistence, and fitness of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter, a major zoonotic pathogen worldwide.

Zhang’s research group at Iowa State was among the first to document the impact of antibiotic resistance on bacterial fitness. His work is often used as a resource for science-based policy making by regulatory agencies on the use of antimicrobials in animal production. His research also identified emergence and transmission of zoonotic pathogens and their intervention strategies, contributing to improvement of animal health, and public health.

His journey to the National Academy of Sciences started out simple enough. Zhang grew up in a small village in China. He fondly remembers his childhood spent working on his family’s fields, working with plants.

“I was really fortunate to get into college,” he said.

“My two older brothers were smarter than I was, but they had no opportunity to attend college. I guess I was born at the right time.”

And for Iowa State, he was in the right place at the right time. Zhang served as an interpreter when Dr. Richard Ross, then dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, visited Zhang’s university in China.

The rest as they say is history.

“I knew Dr. Ross from his publications because we were researching the same subject,” Zhang said. “That connection led to me becoming a graduate student in his lab.

“I am very proud to not only be a faculty member at Iowa State but a graduate as well. I feel incredibly fortunate for having had my career at this fine institution.” gd

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Trail Blazer S

he was perfectly happy in Canada.

At her alma mater, the University of Guelph, Dr. Suzanne Millman was researching, teaching and writing about animal welfare, including ethical and scientific issues.

Then she learned about a new academic position – the first of its kind – and it intrigued her.

“This was attractive to me because here was a veterinary school in the one number animal agriculture state in the U.S., that was advertising a tenure-track faculty position, specific to animal welfare,” Millman said.

“This was the first such position at a veterinary school in the U.S., with the full complement of research, teaching and professional practice and it intrigued me.”

Even before she threw her hat in the ring, Millman knew the job’s responsibilities would be a challenge.

“Whomever got the job would have to do it delicately if they were to be successful,” Millman said. “What intrigued me about the job was the opportunity to help guide the animal welfare discussion.”

Millman got the job, joining the Iowa State faculty in 2008. She immediately started working closely with the State of Iowa’s State Veterinarian’s Office, the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, animal industries, and a diverse range of stakeholders.

for better handling, housing and animal care practices.

The author of countless peer-reviewed journal articles, Millman has delivered hundreds of presentations. She is highly sought as an animal welfare advisor by multiple national and international organizations. Her outreach programs target tools for animal welfare assessment, particularly animal-based outcomes that can be practically and reliably in field or farm environments.

“A big piece of my outreach is to be a resource to these and other groups as well as to the general public,” Millman said.

Despite her determination, it wasn’t easy at first. She says many groups and individuals were ready for a conversation about animal welfare.

Others, not as much.

“People are increasingly interested in animals, which usually starts with their pets, and extends to curiosity about farm animals and where our food comes from,” Millman said.

‘This attention is a good thing, but also results in tough conversations about our social contract with animals and whether we are providing them with a good life.

“Veterinarians are often at the forefront, and I wanted to design a program to help them understand and respond constructively to societal concerns.”

Her work has been influential in shaping scientific understanding of how agriculture animals express pain and distress, how we recognize these states, and the importance of finding practical, affordable, and effective ways of mitigating suffering.

She has also been instrumental in shaping agriculture animal producers’ care of ill and injured animals, and the opportunities to use animal behavior

These efforts and her personal dedication have won over the initial skeptics.

“I am grateful to have fantastic working relationships with many people and organizations working in this space,” Millman said. “By stepping up to the plate on really tough issues affecting farmers, concerned citizens, and of course, the animals themselves, I have truly grown into this position and I continue to learn. If I’m doing my job well, I can sit down and have a cup of coffee with all parties and work with both sides on an issue.

“It’s particularly refreshing to have earned the trust of veterinarians and stakeholders willing to share delicate information with the goal of improving and sustaining industry rather than just deflecting criticism.”

Millman’s efforts have been recently recognized. First, she was named the Scott and Nancy Armbrust Professorship in Veterinary Medicine

at Iowa State. A few days later, she learned that she was the 2022 recipient of the AVMA Humane Award, given annually to a nonveterinarian to recognize achievement in advancing the welfare of animals through leadership, public service, education, research and product development, or advocacy.

Millman was quick to point out that while she is the award’s recipient, she received the honor due to the efforts of numerous colleagues, students, and animal caretakers.

“They have helped me understand animal welfare and opportunities to strengthen it,” she said. “Animal welfare is interdisciplinary. I knew when I took this position that it was too much for one person to do but we’ve been able to achieve so much because of the assistance of so many people - particular nods to Becky Parsons, who runs the animal welfare lab with me, and to my colleague Professor Anna Johnson in the Department of Animal Science whose program dovetails closely with mine.”

In the end, Millman says her job ultimately comes down to making animals her top priority.

“Animals matter,” Millman said.

“I’m interested in animals for their own sake and acutely aware of that animals have wants and needs.

“I try to get inside an animal’s mind to make sure we are giving them a life worth living.” gd

Millman’s work has been influential in shaping scientific understanding of how agriculture animals’ express pain and distress, how we recognize it, and the importance of finding practical, affordable, and effective ways of mitigating it.

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HONORING THE

Best of the Best F

or almost 150 years, the College of Veterinary Medicine has educated and graduated veterinarians who have gone onto stellar professional careers.

Many of those alumni have been honored by one veterinary organization or another with an award for their achievements. These awards usually highlight “distinguished service” or are tied to a specific discipline.

At least four of these national awards are named after distinguished CVM alumni.

Melcher was actually the first recipient of the award that would later be named in his honor. Since then, two CVM graduates have received the award including Dr. John U. Thomsen (’67), dean emeritus, in 2011.

Photo: Tom Bauer, Missoulian

“Dr. Thomson’s vision has always been that the veterinary profession speaks with a single voice,” said then AAVMC executive director Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou. “For more than four decades, he has worked tirelessly to bring industry, practitioners, and veterinary educators together in a powerful, unified coalition to press for legislation vital to the health of the veterinary profession.”

Senator John Melcher, DVM Leadership in Public Policy Award This award is named after former Montana U.S. Senator and CVM graduate Dr. John Melcher (’50). The national public policy award is awarded annually by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).

Melcher served two terms in the U.S. Senate and was the first veterinarian to serve in that body. He also served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Melcher established the Yellowstone Veterinary Clinic and treated horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep until his election to Congress in 1969.

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The award is given for leadership in public policy which advances veterinary medical education and for advocating for veterinary medical education on a national and international scale.

Dr. James Roth, Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health (CFSPH), was the recipient of the Melcher Award in 2018.

“This award recognizes not just me, but the entire CFSPH team of professionals for their work to improve education on topics related to public policy and regulatory veterinary medicine,” Roth said in 2018.

E. P. Pope E.P. Pope Memorial Award The Pope Award is the highest award given by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). Dr. E.P. Pope was a 1949 graduate of Iowa State.

The award is presented annually to an individual who has made noteworthy and significant contributions to the association by implementing and advancing the recognition of the specialty of veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine. A recent recipient of the Pope Award

is Dr. Pat Halbur, professor and chair of the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and the executive director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

“I have been very fortunate to spend much of my career as a diagnostic pathologist or in a leadership role in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory,” Halbur said in 2021 when he received the Pope Award. “Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to get to know, to stand on the shoulders of, and in some small way, carry on the work of some remarkable thought leaders in diagnostic medicine.”

T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year 1949 was a good year for Iowa State graduates. In addition to Dr. Pope, that graduating class included Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a pioneer in companion bird medicine and the human-companion bird bond.

Lafeber’s concern for the health and welfare of his avian patients led him to develop medical treatments, diagnostic techniques, and nutritionally balanced foods.

His lectures were infused with his caring demeanor and enthusiasm, inspiring students and veterinarians to advance the fledging field of companion bird medicine.

Howard Dunne Memorial Award The Dunne Award is presented annually by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV). Named for Dr. Howard Dunne, a 1941 CVM DVM graduate, the award is given to an AASV member who has made a significant contribution and rendered outstanding service to the AASV and the swine industry.

Over the years, countless Iowa State alumni and faculty have been named recipients of the Dunne Award. One of those individuals was Dr. Kent J. Schwartz (’78), then a veterinary diagnostician in the Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory.

“Dr. Schwartz has been an invaluable resource to swine veterinarians, the pork industry and the AASV,” said Dr. Tom Burkgren, executive director of the AASV in 2009 when Schwartz was named the Dunne Award recipient.

“His willingness to share insights and knowledge in the area of diagnostics by providing continuing education to veterinarians and producers has greatly benefited the industry.” gd

The T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner Award is given annually by the Association of Avian Veterinarians to an outstanding practitioner who has advanced the quality of health care for companion birds.

Each year, the recipient of the Lafeber Award is presented with a bronze cast statue of Dr. Lafeber’s hands and his most beloved avian patient – the budgerigar.

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ALUMNI AUTHORS

Stories by: Dave Gieseke

Not only do our alumni work daily with companion and large animals but a handful are published authors.

Here are their stories.

S

he’s the world’s most followed veterinarian on social media. At last count, more than 2.2 million animal lovers around the world follow Dr. Karen Shaw Becker (’97) on Facebook.

Another 100,000 follow her on Instagram.

Social media isn’t her only outreach. Becker consults for a variety of health and wellness companies and has created the largest pet wellness website. In her spare time, she enjoys formulating fresh pet food recipes for transparent, ethical pet food companies, while developing pet health products to improve the wellbeing of companion animals.

Oh, and she’s also the co-author of The Forever Dog, a how-to book that vaulted to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It is the first dog health book ever it hit number one.

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The Forever Dog At the heart of it, Becker is a small animal veterinarian, and she continues to practice despite the multitude of other activities that pull her away from her love.

“Although I only work part-time, seeing clients now, to me, there is no better feeling than working with people and patients,” said Becker, who worked as a full-time veterinarian until five years ago.

After graduating from Iowa State, Becker completed exotic animal internships in California and at the Berlin Zoo in Germany before opening the first proactive animal hospital in the Midwest in 1999. She followed that up with an exotic animal clinic in 2006 and a rehabilitation and pain management clinic five years later.

But she could only reach so many pet owners through her clinics.

“I was looking for a platform to provide free resources and tips for people to provide better care for companion animals,” Becker said. “Pet lovers are desperate for information on how to make better choices and not have regrets.

“If social media was the place where I could reach more people than I could in a clinic, then I decided that is what I should be doing.”

Becker’s Facebook following soon transitioned into writing. Her first book, Real Food for Healthy Pets, received the Whole Dog Journal’s Best Homemade Diet Book of All Time award.

But it is The Forever Dog that has catapulted her into national prominence. Co-authored with Rodney Habib, founder of Planet Paws, the book gives practical, science-backed tools to protect companion animals.

The authors traveled the globe before the COVID pandemic, interviewing the owners of the oldest dogs in the world – people whose dogs have lived into their 20s and even their 30s. Then they met with top geneticists, microbiologists and longevity researchers to review these case studies, identifying what the owners did (and didn’t) do that can positively influence lifespan, according to the latest research.

Becker and Habib undertook thorough investigations into the dogs they document in The Forever Dog. They obtained the dog’s records before scheduling an interview.

“We would not get on a plane until the veterinarian sent us the papers to verify the dog’s age,” Becker said.

“Every scientist we contacted for an interview, thankfully had a soft spot for dogs,” Becker continued. “We were able to access the top longevity research labs around the globe because these scientists also want companion animals to live longer lives.”

Many of the tips in The Forever Dog are similar to what physicians tell their human patients – eat right, get plenty of exercise and do the things you love.

“Dogs are really victims of their owners’ health and wellness choices,” Becker said, “and we spend a lot of money buying things for our dogs.

“Shouldn’t we be doing things that will prolong their lives?”

One of those things Becker argues in The Forever Dog is to identify all forms of stress in your dog’s life. In her interviews with the experts and the owners whose dogs had exceedingly longer life expectancies, she came up with a common dominator - reduce the dog’s stress levels, including mental, emotional, physical, and environmental chemical stress.

“These extra long-lived dogs all have an exceptional quality of life,” Becker said. “Every single one of the owners also suggested that it was important to identify things their dogs wanted to do.”

One way to help reduce one form of stress, mental stress, plaguing pets today is giving them more opportunities to do things they want to do, which corroborates what canine cognition expert Dr. Alexandra Horowitz relayed in the book – happy, engaged dogs have less stress and less stress hormones, which plays into health span and life span.

One of the examples Beiber documents is Tigger, a 22-year-old rescue Pit Bull.

“The owner regularly scheduled playdates for Tigger, especially as she aged, so she could have social interactions with her dog friends,” Becker said. “This may sound trivial, but dogs are social species and many need ongoing opportunities for positive, social engagement throughout their lives.”

Augie, a 19-year-old Golden Retriever loved the water.

She began swimming as a puppy and her owners contin-

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ALUMNI AUTHORS

THE FOREVER DOG CONTINUED ued to help her swim every day until her death.

Almost 21-year-old Darcy loved fresh blueberries and trying new foods. His parents created nutritionally diverse recipes and meal plans for him throughout his life.

Dreams Come True

G

rowing up, Christine Hedrick had a dream.

Actually, she had three dreams.

“I knew I would work with animals,” the 2001 DVM graduate said, “and I wanted to be a teacher.”

The third dream?

It could also be as simple as making one of your daily walks a “sniffari,” and allowing your dog to decide which direction to go and how often to stop along the adventure.

“Many of my elementary school and high school teachers encouraged me to be an author,” Hedrick said.

“How happy your dog is can affect their longevity,” Becker said. “One of our goals as owners should be to find what activities makes our dog happy and stay with the plan.”

Hedrick attended the University of Iowa where she “had the intention of being a teacher.” But her heart pulled her in a different direction.

Becker is taking her own advice. She has recently adopted a 14-year-old terrier named Homer. Homer spent time in a rescue after living most of his life with his owner in an assisted living facility. This narrow and limited perspective led to poor social skills.

Soon she was volunteering at a veterinary clinic and by the time she graduated with an elementary education degree she had plans to be a veterinarian. Since Hendrick lacked many of the prerequisites required to earn admittance to vet school, she spent time as a substitute teacher in the Iowa City area while she went back to school.

Becker first met Homer at a Christmas Eve dinner hosted by her aunt who was fostering the dog. Soon Homer was living with Becker, and she applied stress-reducing tips she wrote about in The Forever Dog.

One dream checked off but even today Hedrick still teaches. She is an adjacent biology teacher at the Des Moines Area Community College.

She started exercising Homer and soon found his happy place.

“I created a safe environment for him to walk outside,” Becker said. “He found out birds aren’t scary. Other dogs aren’t scary.

“I also found that Homer loves to investigate his environment. I like to say smelling is his hobby. He is happiest when he is outside. Being able to spend lots of time in nature opened up a brand-new world for my senior dog and he’s living his best life.”

So is Becker.

“I’m looking forward to what’s next,” Becker said. “I’m enjoying every day.” gd

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And imagine that, all three dreams came true.

“It can be tough, but I know my limits,” Hedrick said. “I love teaching and as a biology teacher I get to integrate my veterinary medicine stories into my lectures.

“I try to brainwash my students into going into a career that I love.”

That was dream number two – becoming a veterinarian.

After graduating with a DVM, Hedrick worked full-time at Jordan Creek Animal Hospital in West Des Moines before transitioning to relief work at the same clinic.

“I love everything about being a veterinarian,” Hedrick said, “especially helping patients. I know I can help animals and since I’m not working full-time now, there is really no need for a break from practicing.

“I’m sort of ‘on-call’ in the neighborhood and help with their animals as much as I can.”

Submitted Photo

Spinning Tales

Not working full-time also gave Hedrick an opportunity to achieve dream number three and the COVID pandemic provided the perfect platform for Hedrick to write her first book.

“I was hearing from so many different people about how veterinarians were being battered by the public during the pandemic,” she said. “I wanted to show a side of veterinary medicine that the public could relate to and understand.

“I was hopeful that I could not only make myself feel better but maybe help others as well.”

The result was Into the Fold, a novel that pulls back the curtain on life from a veterinarian’s perspective in a way few people outside the field have understood. The novel’s main character is Carrie, a young and driven veterinarian whose dream career is revealing harsh realities that throw her well-planned future into question.

“Into the Fold absolutely made me better,” Hedrick said.

“I love the characters in my book and how they lift up those around us.”

Hedrick wrote the first draft of Into the Fold in three months and then spent the next half-year editing, and then rewriting and rewriting.

W

agging My Tales began simply enough.

Dr. Doug Carlson (’71) began writing down stories from his childhood of growing up in rural Iowa. He wanted his grandchildren to know what it was like living on a pig farm.

After his daughter bought Carlson’s Illinois veterinary practice from him, she asked for some other stories from his veterinarian days to put on the clinic’s website.

“She wanted some interesting stories about some of my unusual patients over the past 42 years,” said Carlson, who now lives in Spring, Texas. “I have always enjoyed telling stories but since I have had Parkinson’s for 18 years, my voice has become weak.

“Writing stories makes up for that problem.”

The result is Wagging My Tales, a series of short stories from Carlson’s childhood and veterinary career. The book is available on Amazon and other on-line outlets.

Most of the book looks at some of the more unusual patients Carlson encountered at the Village Animal Clinic in Carol Stream Illinois. He started the clinic in 1979 after working at a nearby clinic in Wheaton with Dr. Russ Chapin (’61). > CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

“The heart of the story remained the same from the initial draft to the final version,” Hedrick said.

Her experience in writing Into the Fold has encouraged Hedrick to continue her dream of being an author. She is currently working on a second book that she describes as “much different and edgier” than Into the Fold.

“This book is out of my comfortable zone,” she said. “I’ve had to do a lot more research and I’m definitely stretching myself as a writer.” gd

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ALUMNI AUTHORS

SPINNING TALES CONTINUED “Dr. Chapin was a great mentor and gave me a lot of skills and confidence to be a quality veterinarian,” Carlson said.

Su bm it

te d P hoto

One thing Chapin may not have fully prepared Carlson for was the unusual patients that he writes about in Wagging My Tales. The “tales” include:

• The show went on after Carlson operated on a pet rat, who still made it on time when the curtain rose on a high school production “Jane” the rat was in.

• He was surprised when he was prepared to do a spay on Penny the cat. Turns out Carlson had to perform a neuter instead.

• Butkus, a “typical junkyard dog,” who’s “job” was to protect his owner’s car repair shop after hours. Over the years Carlson saw Butkus for a number of ailments but never once did this junkyard dog bite his veterinarian friend.

Butkus may not have bitten Carlson or any of his staff.

The same can’t be said about the author’s favorite story in Wagging My Tales about a dwarf hamster with a broken leg.

“Midgie was perhaps the smallest patient that was presented to me,” Carlson said. “One night the nine-yearold girl who owned her woke up at 3 in the morning and noticed her hamster’s leg was caught in the cage bars.”

After an emergency veterinarian recommended amputation, the girl tearfully requested that Midgie be taken to Carlson the next morning. Despite Carlson’s diagnosis that the leg couldn’t be saved, the little girl cried and cried.

“Finally, I saw the desperate look in her mother’s eyes,” Carlson said. “I knew the nerves to the leg were severed and as the hamster wasn’t in any pain, I suggested we tape the leg and recheck Midgie in a week.”

Carlson and his technician carefully worked on Midgie, who was constantly trying to bite the pair. It was with a sigh of relief that the leg was finally taped and they could take the hamster back to the owners.

“We brought the hamster into the exam room where the family was anxiously waiting for their precious pet,” Carlson recalled. “As we walked into the room, the hamster finally managed to bite the tech. She reacted by flinging her arms up in the air and the hamster flew across the room.”

The stress of the situation finally overflowed in Carlson.

He started laughing and immediately apologized. He needed not to have bothered.

“Oh, that hamster bites us all time,” the family told Carlson.

A week later Midgie returned to Carlson, who upon further examination still had to amputate the leg. Midgie did well on three legs afterwards, but continued to bite his owner whenever he could.

“I never did develop a great love for treating hamsters,” Carlson writes. gd

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Drawing Upon Experience

T

here’s an old saying… “write what you know.”

Dr. Candace Carter (’92) has definitely drawn upon her vast real-life experiences to tell her stories. Her on-line bio even says she “has walked many paths in life.”

A few of those paths including serving in the military, working in private veterinary practice and at the USDA Bureau of Land Management after earning her DVM from Iowa State University. Carter also worked for the National Park Service as a biological science technician at the Canaveral National Seashore along Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coastline.

Carter’s stories also reflect on growing up in rural Ohio where she was often found fishing, hunting or horseback riding. Her love of old western movies came from nights watching the flicks with her father.

“My stories reflect small town life and the feeling of family shared by people in rural communities,” Carter said.

Those stories revolve around Henry “Whispering” Smith, a Colorado range detective who in Carter’s first book returns to his North Carolina home after years of tracking livestock rustlers. In Muddy Waters, the range detective seeks to bring a killer to justice.

Carter turned to writing after retiring from the National Park Service a few years back after contracting Lyme Disease.

“I used to write in a journal,” she said, “but I never thought about being an author. I did some technical writing while I was in college. It wasn’t until much later that I decided to be a fiction writer.

“My childhood dream was to be a park ranger.”

While she was a park ranger, Carter would jot down things from time to time that would stick in her brain. Like the time she was in Searchlight, Nevada, and saw a wanted poster that just read, “Wanted Sheep Rustlers.”

Submitted Photos

Those thoughts were just that – thoughts until 2001 when Carter joined a writers’ critique group, which she describes as “three old guys.”

“I didn’t think my writing was any good but the guys in that critique group really helped me, especially with my character’s development and help brainstorm to come up with ideas to move the plot along,” she said.

The critiques Carter received helped mold Muddy Waters into an award-winning mystery novel. Carter received the Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Award from the South Carolina Writers Association in Novel First Chapter for the book and the prize included having Muddy Waters published.

It took Carter eight years to write and finish Muddy Waters. She is currently working on a sequel and has penned a short story, “For What It’s Worth,” that also features “Whispering Smith.”

Her subsequent works have been both easier and harder to work on.

“It’s easier in the sense that you know what you’re doing,” Carter said, “but it’s harder because there’s always a doubt in the back of your mind that maybe this book isn’t as good as the first one is.”

At least one thing has been easier with the second book.

“In Muddy Waters, I wrote half the book with a specific character in mind as the murderer, but then changed who guilty party was,” Carter said. “I knew who the murderer was in the second book, before I even started writing.”

In the sequel, Carter is still writing about what she knows.

The main character works for the National Park Service. gd

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“I love writing mysteries,” Giefer said. “I get the same pleasure doing it as some people get doing a crossword puzzle as you try to put all the pieces together.

High Plains Fiction Photo: Dave Gieseke

A

ny doubt of what Dr. Nishi O’Dell Giefer (’97) writes about were dispelled immediately upon meeting her.

Decked out in denim, a long-sleeved cowboy shirt, boots, and a cowboy hat, Giefer lives the ranch life through and through. She has a lot of experience in that area.

She’s coped with inclement weather. Suffered the financial hardships that comes with ranching. She’s traveled with a wheat harvest crew, shod horses, built miles of fence, cooked for hired hands, and has spent days in the saddle.

She has even been bit by a rattlesnake.

“I have the cowboy gene in me,” Giefer said. “My family has always been on the frontier and manifested the ranching attitude.”

Giefer has translated her ranching background into a series of high plains novels. Her 21st book was released last May and all are in the western mystery genre. Here’s just a sampling of what Giefer has written…

• Brennan’s Odyssey – Set in the present-day American High Plains, Brennan only wants to be a cowboy but life just hasn’t worked out that way.

• Convergent Trails – Three cowboys – one running from his family life. One haunted by dreams of combat. One managing life in a wheelchair. An old widow who hears ghosts and a debutante who is failing trying to run a ranch. Of course, their trails converge.

• Doctor of Veterinary Murder – Dr. Shiloh Bennett opens a clinic in rural Kansas and rans across a convicted felon seeking revenge.

• Keep Your Enemies Closer – Can Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Cord Hallock break up a drug ring and solve a series of armed robberies before he meets the same fate as his slain predecessor?

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“I think mysteries chose me. I have always loved reading mysteries and if no one dies in the first ten pages, it’s not worth reading.”

Giefer comes by writing naturally. Her mother is a published author and as a young child, Giefer says she “wasted a lot of paper as a kid writing stories.” She finished her first “salable” book while in veterinary school and the book will finally be published next year.

And like she mentioned earlier, Giefer also comes by ranching naturally. She grew up on a farm in southwest Iowa and after graduating with her DVM, was a mixed animal practitioner for a few years in Kansas.

Giefer and her husband have owned a herd of 200 Red Angus cattle in WaKenney, Kansas, for the past two decades. Because of the demands of the ranch, her writing, and raising a family of four, Giefer no longer practices veterinary medicine.

That is if you discount the care she gives her own animals.

“I practice virtually every day,” she said. “I love it, still love to work with animals and the only client I really work with is me.”

The Giefers are now empty nesters, allowing Nishi more time to write. She was especially prolific during the first months of the COVID pandemic, writing and publishing seven of her 21 books. There are times when she has three books in development.

She created her own publishing company to market her books and has expanded into other authors recently.

“I love the autonomy of being my own publisher,” Giefer said, “because in the end you have to market your books if you are going to sell them.”

And market them she does. Giefer does frequent talks at library and book clubs. She has developed a website where fans can buy her books. They are also available on Goodreads and Amazon in print and e-books.

While ranching and the American High Plains are the settings for her books, there is another constant.

“Almost every book I have written has a veterinary character in it, although sometimes they are minor characters,” Giefer said. “Writers should always stick with what they know and I know veterinary medicine and ranching.” gd

ALUMNI AUTHORS

180-Degree Turn

A

bout the only thing Dr. Sarah Davis’ two forays into fiction have in common is that well – both are fictional tales.

Davis’ latest book, They Had Eyes of Silver, is a 180degree turn from Inside Voices.

“Yes, THEOS is an entirely different genre,” Davis said.

“My main goal in writing, aside from writing a story I’m excited to read and tell, is to incorporate veterinary medicine into the plot.”

Submitted photo

Davis’ (’01) first book, Inside Voices, was a young adult fiction thriller that saw the main character move from witnessing a massacre in high school to working at the edge of the Arctic where her foreboding premonitions coincide with a rising number of murders in an Alaskan community.

Davis describes They Had Eyes of Silver as a steamy, paranormal romance. The book is aimed at mature readers and as such, she wrote the book as S.E. Davis.

The plot follows veterinarian Reina Kirke as she takes a break from her hectic work life to visit Europe and look into her family’s roots. Discovering supernatural roots in her lineage, Reina begins skirting closer and closer to danger after meeting the handsome Blaine Woodward and finds herself drawn into a passionate love affair.

Davis says she first started to consider a Dracula/Outlander story line with a veterinarian getting transported back in time. Over time, the story morphed into veterinarian meeting an extended family of wolf shifters.

Her research led to an actual story of a German serial killer who during the late 1900s claimed to turn into a werewolf by wearing a leather belt.

“That got me thinking, what if there was such a strap and if so, where or how would it have gotten its magic,” Davis said. “That lead to They Had Eyes of Silver.”

Published by Valkyrie Books, the book was released in June 2022. It is the part one of a four-book series Davis says will include They Had Eyes of Gold, set in Minnesota and North Dakota; They Had Eyes of Fire, set in North Dakota and Iceland; and the finale, They Had Eyes of Ice, which will again take place in Iceland.

“I did not have a series in mind when I started out with this book,” Davis said, “but the characters decided differently. I’m excited to introduce new characters with each book, shifting spotlights as the story unfolds, and weaving in lesser-known elements of Norse mythology.

“I can also include random stuff I make up; this is fiction after all!”

There is a possibility Davis could write prequels to the series as well. She is also working on Grandma Birdie’s How to Crochet for Vampires, a paranormal fantasy/ magical realism story.

“When I find time to write, unless I have a specific goal, I’ll bounce between stories,” Davis said. “Birdie’s vampire hunting skills are second to her crocheting and cooking and provide a fun distraction from the wulfin.” gd

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alumninews ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED The College of Veterinary Medicine will present six individuals with its alumni awards during the fall 2022 Homecoming celebration. Recipients include: Stange Award

Upcoming 2022 Class Reunions All reunions will be held in Ames.

Class of 1964 September 13-14 Class of 1967 November 3-5 Class of 1972 September 30-October 2

• Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson (‘23) - awarded posthumously. Patterson served as president of the Tuskegee Institute where he founded that college’s veterinary school and the United Negro College Fund.

• Dr. James Roth (‘75) - Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health and executive director of the Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics.

• Dr. Amy Baker (‘02) - Research veterinary medical officer and lead scientist at the National Animal Disease Center and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

William P. Switzer Award •

Class of 1977 November 4-5 Class of 1982 September 16 Class of 1992 September 24 Class of 1997 November 4-5 For more information, contact: Tracy Ann Raef traef@iastate.edu

Left: Patterson, Roth and Baker

Dr. Elizabeth Wagstrom (‘99) - Chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council where she works at the intersection of animal and public health.

Lorraine J. Hoffman Graduate Alumni Award • Dr. Howard Hill (MS ‘73, PhD ‘74) - Director of external affairs and other positions with Iowa Select Farms where he has helped eradicate pseudorabies (PRV) in the swine industry.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award •

Dr. Aubrey Cordray (‘14) - Owner of the Humboldt Veterinary Clinic where she provides the community with a comprehensive clinic serving small and large animals.

Alumni E-Newsletter Can’t wait until the next Gentle Doctor magazine hits your mailbox for news about the College of Veterinary Medicine? Then check out the college’s monthly alumni e-newsletter.

IN MEMORIAM Notices of recent deaths are available online at vetmed.iastate.edu/alumni-giving/alumni/memoriam. If you know of a recently deceased CVM alumnus, faculty or staff member please send the notice to dgieseke@iastate.edu.

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CVM Alumni News features news and updates from the college including alumni events, features on CVM alumni and notices of recent deaths.

If you don’t currently receive the CVM Alumni News please send your e-mail address to dgieseke@iastate.edu.

ALUMNI UPDATES • Dr. Paul Armbrecht (‘71) has been named a recipient of the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award for his dedication to his community and animal health as owner and veterinarian at the Lake City Veterinary Clinic.

• Dr. Scott Armbrust (‘75) and Nancy Armbrust (‘73 BS, food and nutrition) were recognized by the ISU Foundation at the Iowa State University Distinguished Awards Celebration in April with the 2022 Order of the Knoll Cardinal and Gold Award.

• Dr. Norman Cheville (’59) and Dr. Richard Ross (’59), both College of Veterinary Medicine deans emeritus, have been elected to the inaugural class of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease Fellows.

• Dr. Wendell Davis (’75) has been named a recipient of the Iowa State University Alumni Association’s 2022 Alumni Service Award.

• Dr. Stephen Dullard (‘86) was honored with the Special Service Award this past fall by the University of Illinois Veterinary Medical Association. Dullard owns the Ancare Veterinary Clinic in Mendota, Illinois, and is active in organized veterinary medicine including serving on the board and as president of both the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association.

• Dr. Jerome (JD) Fiechtner (‘90) has recently joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a senior key account veterinarian.

• Dr. Anna Forseth (2020, MS, veterinary preventive medicine) has been named the director of animal health for the National Pork Producers Council.

• Dr. Rick Fredrickson (‘90) has been named the 2021 recipient of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Administrator’s Award. Fredrickson is the director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Administrator’s Award is presented to an USAHA or AAVLD member whose contributions have had a significant and enduring impact on animal health in the United States.

• Dr. Cody Gulbrandson (‘09), St. Edward, Nebraska, has received the 2022 Outstanding Alumni Award from Central Community College-Grand Island. Gulbrandson is the owner of Beaver Creek Veterinarian Services in Albion.

• Dr. Jessie Juarez (‘14) has been named the new director of South Dakota State University’s Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine.

• Dr. Alan Loynachan (‘03) has been named the interim director of the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

• Dr. Charles Lemme (‘75) has been elected the vice chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Directors for 2022-23. Lemme joined the AVMA Board in 2018. He represents District VII, which encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. He owned and practiced at a small animal practice in Cedar Rapids until his retirement in 2018.

• Dr. Xiang-Jin Meng (PhD ‘95, immunobiology), professor of molecular virology at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• Dr. Laura Molgaard (‘91), dean of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected to the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Veterinary Science Fellow.

• Dr. Dustin Oedekoven (’02) has been named the National Pork Board’s new chief veterinarian. Previously he was South Dakota’s state veterinarian and executive secretary for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board.

• Dr. Daryl Olsen (‘82) has been named the recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Meritorious Service Award. Olsen is the managing partner of the Audubon-Manning Veterinary Clinic.

• Dr. Darryl Patrick (‘81, PhD, veterinary pathology) has been appointed executive vice president of non-clinical development with Odyssey Therapeutics, Inc. • Dr. Mike Senn (‘96, MS, veterinary clinical sciences) will serve as the president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in 2022-23, while Dr. Mary Battrell (‘95) is serving as past-president.

• Dr. Charles Stoltenow (‘85) has been named the dean and director of Nebraska Extension at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He previously served as assistant director of extension for agriculture and natural resources at North Dakota State University.

• Dr. Cara Haden (‘14), veterinarian with Pipestone Veterinary Services, has been named a 2021 Master Pork Partner by the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

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A kitten who nearly froze to death last winter has brought joy to Ryan Anderson and his wife Lindsey. Clem, now a big-eyed, orange fluffball, caught the attention of Anderson through social media from a post by classmate Loni Ellsworth. At the time Clem was just a kitten and Ellsworth had to remove the right front limb, the back left limb at the ankle, most of his tail, one toe on the front foot and two toes on the back foot - all due to frostbite. Anderson says he and Lindsey immediately “fell in love” with Clem and applied to foster-toadopt. “A few weeks later, we brought home little Clem after a third surgery, not knowing if there would be more surgeries and not knowing how this little guy would do long term,” Anderson said. “In those first few weeks, we realized how resilient, strong-willed, and determined our little Clem was.”

After Lindsey suffered a miscarriage, Clem’s love and determination has become the healing his pet parents needed most.

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A Nebraska native who attended veterinary school at Iowa State.

Started his career at a mixed animal practice in Texas and then moved to Canada to be with his girlfriend, now wife. Jordan Bader has worked in a variety of locations but these days, you can find him on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. “Hawaii is unique in that there is only a finite number of veterinarians who are practicing in the state,” Bader said. “The pandemic halted travel and families moving to and from the state considerably which has taken a toll on clinics being able to fill open job opportunities.”

That’s why Bader’s wife, Dr. Tammy Heerkens, who completed a rotating internship at Iowa State in 2009-10, started Heerkens Veterinary Relief Services in the midst of the pandemic. Bader joined the practice a few months later. “Tammy started HVRS as a means to allow local clinics and practitioners a break in the hectic pace and demand the pandemic forced on veterinary medicine,” Bader said.

Long and Winding Road

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Dianne Beal

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Jordan Bader

Bringing Joy

Finding Relief in Hawaii

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Ryan Anderson

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The path from a kid who loved animals to a veterinarian owning her own clinic has been met with a few twists and turns along the way.

But Dianne Beal always knew she wanted to work with animals and in the sciences. She just didn’t think she would become a veterinarian.

“It wasn’t necessarily my dream to be a veterinarian,” she said, “actually at one point I considered being a marine biologist.” That dream never materialized and for a while it didn’t appear veterinary medicine would be in her future either as she was working as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company. Yet something was missing.

Beal decided it was “now or never” to get her DVM. “Out of the blue, Iowa State wrote me asking if I was still interested,” she said. The rest of her career came together and she now owns and operates a clinic in Mystic, Connecticut.

Follow ISU CVM Alumni Career Accomplishments

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More than Scratching the Surface It made perfect sense that Dr. Jeanne Budgin would become a veterinarian since she loved all animals. What was a little different than many other veterinarians is that relatively quickly into career, Budgin pivoted to specialize in pet dermatology. “I was quite happy in general practice but really found an interest in dermatology because it’s so common,” she said. “I think it’s the first or second most common reason why animals present to veterinarians.” Last summer, Budgin opened her own practice, Hudson Valley Dermatology in New York.

She also practices two days a week at her office in New York City.

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John Conley

In addition to her responsibility as a owner of Huron Veterinary Clinic in South Dakota, Samantha Brace and her husband, Ryan, are working hard in another line of work. The couple has founded Cornerpost Grapefarm and Winehouse which includes a tasting room that overlooks the vineyard. Neither consider themselves wine connoisseurs, but both enjoy the adult beverage. “We’ve seen our tastes change, from liking a sweeter wine to now enjoying a drier wine,” Samantha said. “We have seven varieties of wine now and they cover a broad spectrum.”

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Jeanne Budgin

Side Job

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Samantha Brace

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View full stories at vetmed.iastate.edu/gentledoctorseverywhere

Still Going Strong at 90 Le Mars veterinarian John Conley keeps a regular schedule of office visits with his small animal practice, even though he turned 90 years old in October.

“Well, I think there’s a physical age and a mental age, and they can be wide apart and they can be close together,” Conley said. “You can be mentally good and physically bad, or physically great and mentally bad. I think I’ve got a balance kind of between the two. It’s nothing I’ve done, it’s just the way I am built.” Conley has operated the Town & Country Veterinary Clinic in Le Mars since 1961 and only switched to focusing on small animal medicine about eight years ago. “I’ve had a left hip replaced four times and I’ve had the right knee replaced and it was just physically easier to phase out of large animals, and you know, I quit in ‘13, so that was eight years ago and I would have been 82, and you just don’t move that fast around animals,” he said.

Sentinel Photo By Beverly Van Buskirk

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A School of Fishes Do fish sleep? Yes, when properly anesthetized. And that’s the goal of a unique one-week selective class taught annually by Craig Harms of North Carolina State University at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST). In an all-day class in a research and clinical lab at the center, students work in pairs not only to learn the proper technique to put a twopound bass under, but also to do exploratory surgery and then suture them up again. Harms, the director of the CMAST’s Marine Health Program, not only oversees the teaching program, but also provides veterinary oversight to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and several marine mammal and sea turtle stranding networks. “When I was first based down here, people were always asking me what a veterinarian was going to do at a marine lab,” Harms says. “The truth is, we have more happening here than we can keep up with.”

Photo: NC State University

Kenny Moellers

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Dennis Hughes

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An Adventure in Diseases

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In Dennis Hughes’ long career in both the private and public sectors he has had lots of “disease adventures.” “It’s been a wild and crazy ride with lots of ‘disease adventures’ we’ve had to eradicate or mitigate in my career,” Hughes said. Hughes retired as the state veterinarian with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at the end of the calendar year. He became a veterinary field officer (field veterinarian) with the department in 1990, covering 18 counties of northeast Nebraska. He was selected as the Nebraska State Veterinarian in early 2005. During his tenure at NDA, Hughes enforced state and federal livestock programs and became proficient in animal disease diagnostics. As a field veterinarian, he was instrumental in the eradication of pseudorabies and brucellosis from Nebraska swine and cattle herds. As Nebraska State Veterinarian, he led several animal disease response events of concern to the livestock and poultry industry including avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis.

Farm Family of the Year After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kenny Moellers began working at the Cresco Vet Clinic. In his spare time, he started raising hogs, and then cows. In his “spare time,” that operation grew to three farms - a dairy farm and two beef operations.

Those life-long efforts were recently honored by the Cresco Kiwanis Club, which named Moellers and his wife, Debbie, as their Farm Family of the Year. “My dad gave me some good advice,” Moellers said. “He said you can always farm...get an education first.”

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Craig Harms

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Ashley Whiteside

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Nena Winand

Inspiring the Next Generation In his cramped office inside a horse barn, Jack Root, owner of Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services in Newberg, Oregon, was scratching out a drawing. As he drew, Root described to his client how he would perform incisions on her horse for a procedure called “kissing spine surgery,” intended to correct “kissing” or overlapping, spinal vertebrae. Root has performed more than 100 of these surgeries using a technique and surgical tools he invented. Today, Root’s passion for veterinary medicine also includes training young, large animal veterinarians.

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Jack Root

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View full stories at vetmed.iastate.edu/gentledoctorseverywhere

Photo: Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press

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Giving Back In addition to working at a veterinary clinic, Ashley Whiteside is giving back to a pre-vet program she attended while an undergraduate student at Western Illinois University. Not only does she teach classes to WIU students, but she is also mentoring students who are in the same program she was once a part of. As a mentor, Whiteside meets with students interested in her career and gives them advice regarding the program and career paths, as well as allowing them to job shadow her. “I think my positive experience being a mentor was influential in my choice to apply for a teaching role here,” Whiteside said. “I am excited to be back at WIU as an alumna to teach, and it is something I have really enjoyed so far. I want to do what I can to help support these future veterinarians.”

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Lifelong Dream Nena Winand’s first memory of horses is when her father took her to a program on breeding Percherons. “Right from the start I was totally captivated by horses,” she said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford to own one, so my exposure to them was limited. I am sure my passion for rescuing horses today started as a result of my wishing and hoping for a horse every single Christmas. Unfortunately, my dream wouldn’t become a reality until I was 42 years old.” Today, Winand and her husband live in Groton, New York, on a 15-acre farm. She owns 11 horses, has ridden and shown hunt seat and reining horses, and has a retired show horse. But it is harness racing that is her passion and Lady Mattgalane is her superstar harness racer.

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foundationnews

Thanks to many of you, the first Forever True Day saw the College of Veterinary Medicine raise $95,487 from 151 gifts.

This was the most raised by any college at Iowa State University during Forever True Day. One of the highlights of the giving day was the endowment of the Dr. Dominic Gentile Virtuous Veterinarian Award. More than $63,500 was raised for the annual scholarship which has been established in the memory of the 2021 CVM graduate and his drive to realize his dream of serving others as a practicing veterinarian. gd

Rail Named Associate Director of Development Rachael Rail, a long-time member of the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital staff, has been named as the new associate director of development in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Rail’s primary assignment will be working with patients and veterinarians in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center for the Compassionate Clients Program.

“We were really excited when Rachael approached us about advancing veterinary healthcare and education in a new way,” said Steven Hatting, executive director of development for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Her frontline work with patients and veterinarians in the LVMC will provide incredible perspective as she helps grow our Compassionate Clients Program.

“Rachael is a pleasure to work with, and no one is more passionate about animal health and the communities we serve at the College of Veterinary Medicine.” gd

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Dr. William Hoefle and Judy Hoefle have established the Hoefle Professorship in Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery. William Hoefle was a long-time small animal orthopedic surgeon at Iowa State and recently retired after more than 50 years on the College of Veterinary Medicine faculty.

“We wanted to give back to Iowa State because of the incredible opportunities and experiences which the university has provided us,” the Hoefles said.

“We felt this professorship was a way to show our appreciation.”

Dr. Karl Kraus, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Iowa State since 2007, has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Hoefle Professorship. Kraus is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the founder of the International Veterinary Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Academy that develops surgical devices and offers post-DVM education worldwide.

William Hoefle came to Iowa State in the fall of 1960 and was the first in his family to attend college.

“As for many, this was a time for new experiences, growing up and finding a career I felt would be challenging, but rewarding,” Hoefle said.

Hoefle graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1966 and practiced in a small animal hospital in Hollywood, Florida, before coming back to Iowa State in 1970. He never left.

“Iowa State provided what I was looking for professionally,” Hoefle said. “I never gave much thought to how long I was on the faculty. I was enjoying what I was doing and looked

Photo: Paul Gates

FOREVER TRUE DAY

Hoefle Professorship Established, Karl Kraus Named First Recipient

Dr. William Hoefle, left, and Dr. Karl Kraus

forward to coming to work every day. Working with the residents was rewarding and the fourth-year students kept things interesting and helped me stay in touch.”

Kraus says being the first to hold the Hoefle Professorship is a high honor, especially after he worked side-byside with Hoefle for the past 15 years.

“Everyone holds Dr. Hoefle in awe,” Kraus said. “He’s been at the forefront of orthopedic surgery for the last half century. He pioneered hip replacement surgery in dogs and was a driving force behind the growth of a veterinary specialty practice in Las Vegas. He was also one of the early founders of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He’s a legend.”

Training surgical residents is a priority for both Kraus and Hoefle. Kraus plans to use funding from the Hoefle Professorship to support Iowa State surgical residents, helping fund their research, and provide assistance for the residents to attend advanced continuing education training.

“Hopefully, this will enhance the small animal surgery program for the benefit of the students and residents,” Hoefle said. “Additionally, the professorship will be helpful in retaining and recruiting the most talented small animal orthopedic surgeons.” gd

CVM Seeks Additional Scholarship Support

Photo: Reagan Library Archives

Creating Futures

While Honoring Our Past This academic year marks the graduation centennial of one of ISU’s most innovative, influential and impactful alumni.

Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson (DVM, 1923; MS, 1927) was among the first African Americans to earn his DVM at Iowa State. From Ames, he would go on to become president of Tuskegee University, where he launched programs in aviation and veterinary medicine. These resulted in the famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and the education of more than 75 percent of the Black veterinarians in America today.

Patterson also founded the United Negro College Fund, helping enough students gain a college education to fill Jack Trice Stadium ten times over. His accomplishments created futures and changed lives across our nation, earning Dr. Patterson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987.

As Iowa State and the College of Veterinary Medicine celebrate this amazing alumnus this school year, a goal has been set to endow the Frederick Douglass Patterson Opportunity Fund. His name and values remain prominent in our community, and the best way to honor his legacy for fostering opportunity and success is to recruit, educate and empower even more difference-makers.

Increasing student support remains a top priority for the College of Veterinary Medicine. To spur additional interest in alumni and friends creating new scholarships, $1 million has been designated from the endowment to provide incentives for outright and endowed scholarships.

For donors seeking immediate impact through outright scholarships and term awards up to five years, new scholarship funds of $10,000 or more will be matched with an additional 50 cents for every dollar contributed. A $10,000 scholarship will become $15,000. If it’s pledged for five years, $50,000 will be matched with an additional $25,000.

For those who wish to establish an endowed award that will be given to students each year, the endowment will provide “start-up” dollars equal to the first five years of scholarships.

These endowments start at $100,000 to earn the incentive funding, which equals four percent annually for scholarships, with the remainder of the gift being invested to preserve the principal and keep pace with inflation. Donors have up to five years to complete their endowment pledge, during which time annual scholarships will be awarded in their names from the endowment.

For more information on scholarship gifts and current incentives, please contact Steven Hatting, executive director of development, at shatting@iastate.edu or 515-294-8562.

This endowment will attract more trailblazers in (and to) Iowa to advance the research and service of the college and its Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. During this special centennial, gifts of any size will receive a private match until the endowment goal is reached.

For more information on the Frederick Douglass Patterson Opportunity Fund, contact Steven Hatting, executive director of development at shatting@iastate.edu or 515-294-8562.

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College of Veterinary Medicine

1800 Christensen Drive Ames, Iowa 50011-1134 Return Service Requested

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HOMECOMING Saturday, November 5

Tailgate Luncheon – 3 hours before kickoff College Tours

SPONSORED BY the Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association