Three $5000 scholarships were awarded to early-career swine practitioners through the Dr Conrad and Judy Schmidt Family Student Debt Relief Endowment. Recipients Drs Brandi Burton, Chris Deegan, and Allison Knox were announced February 27 during the American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s 53rd Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
The purpose of the $5000 scholarship is to help relieve the student debt of recent veterinary graduates engaged in swine practice who still have significant debt burden. Qualified applicants must have been engaged in private practice with at least 50% of their time devoted to swine, providing on-farm service directly to independent pork producers.
All three recipients have been continuous members of the AASV since joining as students. As students, each attended the Annual Meeting four times during their veterinary education.
Dr Burton, a University of Illinois graduate, has been a veterinarian at Suidae Health and Production since graduation in 2019. She provides veterinary services for independent producers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Dr Burton currently co-chairs AASV’s Early Career Committee where she had led the development and implementation of new resources for early-career swine veterinarians. She credits AASV’s student engagement and support for her participation in the association.
Dr Deegan, a 2018 University of Minnesota graduate, also joined Suidae Health and Production as a veterinarian after graduation. His passion is to help independent producers of all sizes be as successful as possible. Dr Deegan said his activities within AASV as a student drove him to a career in swine medicine. He enjoys participating in the AASV Foundation Auction Committee and supporting students through activities at the Annual Meeting like the Vet Hunt.
Dr Knox is a 2019 graduate of the University of Illinois. She is a partner and veterinarian at the Walcott Veterinary Clinic in Iowa where she provides on-farm services to family-owned farms in Iowa and northwest Illinois. She enjoys connecting with her producers to help implement new herd health protocols, adapt to evolving disease challenges, and prepare for continued success in the industry. Connections made while attending the AASV Annual Meeting as a student helped her secure internships, scholarships, and ultimately her position in her current practice. She appreciates learning new information and sharing knowledge at the AASV annual meeting.
The AASV Foundation thanks Drs Ross Kiehne, Lisa Tokach, and Nathan Winkelman for reviewing the applications.
The scholarship was initiated with a generous $110,000 contribution to the foundation by the Conrad Schmidt and Family Endowment. Dr Schmidt, a charter member of AASV, explained, "Together, Judy and I noticed that many new DVM graduates interested in swine medicine begin their professional life with heavy educational debt obligations. As a long-time AASV member and animal industry supporter, it was our desire to help AASV members who have dedicated their professional skills to swine herd health and production. We hope that this endowment will grow over time to assist in reducing the educational debt load of AASV members as they begin their professional journeys."