Award Recipients Honored at AASV Annual Meeting

March 10, 2010 — Tracy Ann Raef

The AASV honored five members for their contributions to the association and the swine industry. Dr. Scott Dee, 2006 AASV president, presented the awards at the association's annual meeting in Omaha, Neb.

The 2010 Young Veterinarian of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Michelle Jens Sprague. It is given annually to an AASV member five or less years post-graduation who has demonstrated the ideals of exemplary service and proficiency early in his or her career.

Dr. Sprague is a partner and director of sow health at the Audubon-Manning Veterinary Clinic in Audubon, Iowa, where she delivers high-quality herd health and production care to swine producers in Iowa and the region.

Active in the AASV since 2002 as a student member, Dr. Sprague serves as a member of the Pig Welfare Committee. She is also working with the AASV Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program (PADRAP). In 2008, she presented at the AASV annual meeting, delivering a practice tip on GPS mapping of swine sites. In 2007, she chaired a pre-conference seminar and spoke at the annual meeting on PADRAP.

Dr. Sprague, a 2005 graduate of Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, is also an active member of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Sprague is active in the First United Methodist Church in Audubon, serving on the church council.

Dr. Reid Philips received the 2010 Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award. Established in 2008, the award recognizes swine industry veterinarians who have demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in delivery of veterinary service to their companies and their clients as well as given tirelessly in service to the AASV and the swine industry.

Dr. Philips is the manager of swine technical services for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. In his position, Dr. Philips provides training on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) to new technical and sales team members. He also directs the PRRS research grants awards which he implemented six years ago. Committed to solving PRRS in the field, Dr. Philips is always available for consultation to help customers. Dr. Philips also coordinates BIVI's veterinary liaison team of seven AASV industry leaders and colleagues from Canada and Mexico, hosting biweekly conference calls and biannual technical meetings.

Dr. Philips joined the technical team at BIVI in 1997 when BIVI acquired NOBL Laboratories where he worked since 1994. Dr. Philips received his DVM (1981) from Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Robert Morrison received the 2010 Howard Dunne Memorial Award that recognizes an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.

Dr. Morrison is a professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine, where he teaches epidemiology and applied statistics to veterinary and graduate students. He was instrumental in developing one of the first masters program for practitioners. A recognized researcher, Dr. Morrison is the author of numerous scientific papers in the field of epidemiology and records analysis. He has been a leader in the science of disease control, and played a critical role in the control and eradication of pseudorabies in the upper Midwest. Currently Dr. Morrison is developing new approaches to regional control and elimination of PRRS in Minnesota.

Dr. Morrison is a past president of the AASV, and has served on several committees. He was the first executive editor of the association's Journal of Swine Health and Production. In 1994 Dr. Morrison was selected to deliver the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture which is the keynote address during the association's annual meetings. His service to the association was recognized in 1995 when he received the AASV Meritorious Service Award.

A native of Canada, Dr. Morrison received his DVM (1979) from the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and his PhD and MBA from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Jerome Geiger, Hendersonville, Tenn., was named the 2010 recipient of the Meritorious Service Award that recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the AASV.

For 30 years, Dr. Geiger has been an active member of the AASV, particularly in the area of swine welfare. He is currently serving as chair of the AASV Pig Welfare Committee. He is the alternate AASV representative to the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Welfare Committee. He was also chair of the Audit Committee. From 1997 to 2003, Dr. Geiger was a district director, representing the western United States. He was a member of the planning committees for the 1996, 2002, and 2007 AASV annual meetings.

Dr. Geiger is also a member of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, where he serves as the chair of the Animal Care Committee. He is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Geiger is the Technical Service Manager for Health Assurance at Pig Improvement Company, where he supports customers around the world. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and has given presentations internationally on behalf of the swine industry.

Dr. Geiger received his DVM degree (1980) and MS (1990) from the University of Illinois. He is a former private practitioner and teaching associate at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Tom Gillespie was named 2010 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. The award is given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients.

Dr. Gillespie is the owner and founder of Rensselaer Swine Services, P.C. and Jasper Swine Pharm., Inc., in Rensselaer, Ind. He is a 1979 graduate of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and initially practiced in Illinois. In 1981 he moved to Indiana to practice mixed animal medicine. In 1991 Dr. Gillespie established Rensselaer Swine Services. Dr. Gillespie believes that it is his job as a swine veterinarian to promote profitable swine production and to reduce the risk of economic loss for his clients by working with and educating everyone involved in each individual swine unit.

Dr. Gillespie has been an active member of the AASV since 1979. He has served in many leadership positions including as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Foundation secretary, and president in 2005. Dr. Gillespie has chaired the Membership Committee and served on the Pseudorabies Committee and Pharmaceutical Issues Committee. He was chair of the PCVAD ad hoc committee from 2006 to 2009.

Dr. Gillespie's involvement in the veterinary profession is extensive and includes serving on several committees of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association. He served on the American Veterinary Medical Association's National Board Examination Committee from 1990-1992.

Dr. Gillespie was a member of the Indiana Board of Animal Health, serving as its chair from 1994-2000. He is an international lecturer and consultant. He is or has been an advisor to several global animal health companies. Dr. Gillespie is the author of numerous articles on swine diseases.

Dr. Gillespie is board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, with a specialization in Swine Health Management. He is a 2009 graduate of the Executive Veterinary Program in Swine Health Management.

---

Tracy Ann Raef, Communications Specialist, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University