2 Healing Hands

Contents

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

ADMINISTRATION

DeanDr. Ralph Richardson

Associate Dean, Admissions and Diversity Programs

Dr. Ronnie Elmore

Interim Associate Dean, Academic ProgramsDr. Melinda Wilkerson

Associate Dean, ResearchAssociate Vice President for Innovation for the

K-State Olathe Innovation Campus Inc.Dr. Lisa Freeman

Head, Anatomy and PhysiologyDr. Frank Blecha

Head, Diagnostic Medicine/PathobiologyDr. M.M. Chengappa

Associate Dean, Clinical ProgramsDirector, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Dr. Roger Fingland

Hospital AdministratorVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Dr. Shirley Arck

Head, Clinical SciencesDr. Bonnie Rush

Director, Diagnostic LaboratoryDr. Gary Anderson

Veterinary Medical Continuing EducationDr. Bob Larson, Executive Director

Dr. Linda Johnson, Director

Director, Veterinary Medical LibraryProf. Gayle Willard

Director, Graduate ProgramsDr. Michael Kenney

Healing Hands is published by the Office of Development

and Alumni Affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.

Editor, DesignerJoe Montgomery

Contributing WriterAmy Jo Wright

PhotographyJoe Montgomery

Dave Adams

Director of DevelopmentChris Gruber

Marketing/Development OfficerPatrice Scott

Pet Tribute CoordinatorSharon Greene

Alumni Affairs CoordinatorCheri Ubel

Development CoordinatorMichelle Conrad

Development Associate Diana Sarfani

MAILING ADDRESSDean’s Office

College of Veterinary MedicineKansas State University

101 Trotter Hall Manhattan, KS 66506-5601

About the cover: Dr. Dirsko von Pfeil examines a sleddog competing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Seestory on page 14. (Courtesy photo)

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Bits & bytesNews from the College of Veterinary Medicine

Changing the ruralsAlumnus Dr. Robert Gentry looks at issues affectingrural veterinarians in Kansas and beyond

Research notesCVM faculty tackle bovine respiratory disease in theU.S. and blue-ear pig disease in China

Smiling for K-StateDr. Doug and Tina Glover share their smiles andbusiness success with several K-State programs

More bits & more bytesDrs. Howard Erickson and David Poole are ‘Two of akind’; Dr. Meredyth Jones teaches camelid medicinein Mongolia; Telefund raises $75,000 for the CVM

25 below: K-Staters care for Iditarod sled dogs Meet some recent K-State alumni and faculty whohave had a ‘mushy’ time in Alaska

Guest lecturer addresses shelter medicine

Research Tips/Phi Zeta Research Day

Free exchange K-State starts exchange program with Free Universityin Berlin

Bridge ... builderDr. Lisa Freeman takes new position to connect theCVM with the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus

Message from VMAA President Dr. Bill Brown

Alumni Class News & In Memoriam

Alumni Recognition Awards

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TELEPHONE785-532-5660

WEB ADDRESSwww.vet.k-state.edu

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This year marks apersonal milestone — my10th year as dean of theCollege of VeterinaryMedicine. While we haveaccomplished manythings, we focus on whatlies ahead for the CVM.

Our college is one ofthe finest in the country,and we are rapidlybecoming the country’spre-eminent college ofagriculturally relatedveterinary medicine.Meanwhile, we maintain astrong reputation of graduating excellent, well-rounded veterinarians to help meet all aspects ofthe nation’s demands for veterinary services.

We continue our aggressive pursuit of excellence with a focus on food safety and security and serving the livestock industry. Clearly, marked growth in state funding for higher educationis a thing of the past, so we will continue to seek other ways to fund and grow our programs.

I am excited about the potential for curricular revision and the opportunities our veterinaryprofession has to become more engaged in public practice. One such opportunity is through ourMaster’s in Public Health (MPH) program. I also hope to see K-State develop programs to meetthe workforce needs of the companies in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor and beyond.

Our new K-State Olathe Innovation Campus will anchor the Kansas Bioscience Park, bringinga research and educational facility to meet regional and national workforce needs. In addition, wehope to help expand the associate’s degree program in veterinary technology offered by ColbyCommunity College to better meet the needs of practicing veterinarians. And wouldn’t it befantastic if K-State/Manhattan becomes home for the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility?!

We have addressed responsible access to teaching caseloads by opening our satellite teachinghospital, MidWest VET, in Omaha, Neb. We have concerns that veterinary colleges in non-majormetropolitan areas will suffer irreparable harm to their patient resources if we do not assume aproactive role in influencing the management of primary, secondary and tertiary care of patientsin our referral catchment’ area.

The future will provide many wonderful opportunities, but there will always be challengeswaiting to be embraced. We will work as a team — our faculty, staff and students — and solveproblems as we move forward.

I invite you to keep in touch and hope you share our enthusiasm for our profession andcollege as you read the stories in this issue of Healing Hands.

Sincerely,

Spring 2008 3

Foreword — progress

Ralph C. Richardson, DVM, Dean

Celebrating 10 years at K-State by looking to the future

VALUESThe College of VeterinaryMedicine values excellence;innovation; productive,results-oriented efforts;diversity; cooperation,communication and collegiality; mutual respect;and honesty and integrity.

VISION/MISSIONThe KSU CVM is dedicatedto scholarship throughinnovation and excellencein teaching, research, andservice to promote animaland human health for thepublic good. We are committed to creating an environment that is fulfilling and rewarding,being recognized for goodcommunication, productive collaboration, mutualrespect, diversity, integrity,and honesty.

PHOTO BY DAVE ADAMS

4 Healing Hands Spring 2008 5

Being honored in your hometown is always nice, even if youhave to travel around the world to receive it. Such was the casethis past December for Dr. M.M. Chengappa, UniversityDistinguished Professor and Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology

department head in the CVM. He was honored by the KarunaTrust for National Progress in Bangalore, India, with its 2007award.

Dr. Chengappa had received his DVM and Master ofVeterinary Science at Mysore Veterinary College in Bangalore in1970 and 1973 respectively, so this was a homecoming for him.

“I was truly honored and humbled to be recognized for thisaward,” Dr. Chengappa said. “It’s a tremendous recognition forwhat I’ve done with my career. It’s a privilege to work at K-Statewith so many good people who have had such an impact on mycareer, growth and development as a researcher.”

Dr. Chengappa was cited by the Karuna Trust for severalaccomplishments including his research into the pathogenesis ofimportant infectious diseases of animals, specifically molecularcharacterization and functional analysis of the antigens/toxins ofStreptococcus suis, Pasteurella haemol ytica and Fusobacteriumnecrophum, as well as for his educational and leadershipaccomplishments throughout his career.

Dr. Bonnie Rush, right, gives a live broadcast with Dr. MargoMacpherson, University of Florida, and Dr. Scott Palmer, NewJersey Equine Clinic.

Prestigious Karuna Award in India goes to Dr. M.M. Chengappa

Dr. M.M. Chengappa, left, receives the Karuna Trust award from Dr. B.C. Ramakrishna.

bits & BYTES from the Colle ge of Veterinary MedicineDr. Carpenter becomes ACZM president

K-State adjunct professor Dr. Lisa Tokach was named theSwine Practitioner of the Year bythe American Association of SwineVeterinarians. The awardrecognizes swine practitioners whodemonstrate exceptional service totheir veterinary clients.

Since graduating from theUniversity of Minnesota in 1977,Dr. Tokach has been a mixed-animal practitioner, primarily focused on swinepopulation medicine at the Abilene (Kan.) AnimalHospital. She is also the hospital’s personnel director.

Since 1996, she has served as president of the KansasSwine Alliance Inc., a management company thatpromotes interdependence among smaller Kansasproducers. As an adjunct professor at K-State, she worksin the Department of Diagnostic Medicine andPathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

In the words of her colleague and partner, Dr. SteveHenry, “The boundless energy and volunteerism Lisa hasfor the AASV, our practice and our clients impress meevery day. She is the consummate supporter andencourager — valuing each person for what they bringand encouraging each in a most special way.”

Dr. Bonnie Rush, clinical sciences department head andprofessor of equine internal medicine at the CVM,participated in the Kester News Hour at the 53rd AAEPConvention in Orlando, Fla., in December. She alsopresented several topics during the conference, including“Influenza in Australia,” “Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus,”“Cervical Stenotic Myelopathy in Older Horses,” and“Immune-mediated Myositis.”

Getting the ‘Royal ’ treatment

Dr. Rush co-anchors newscast at AAEP

The CVM sponsored a birthing center at the AmericanRoyal in Kansas City last October. The center featured a sow,piglets, baby chicks, radiographs and anatomical displays.

The purpose of the annual birthing center is to educatethe public about veterinary medicine: what we do, what theopportunities are, and how veterinary medicine impactsboth public and livestock health. Faculty and residents inagricultural practices and equine medicine took seniorveterinary students each day to visit with the public.

Dr. Ganta gets $1.8 million grant for tick-borne bacteria researchOne thousand dollars a day over five years — this is the

breakdown of a new research grant for Dr. Roman Ganta,professor in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. In December,the National Institutes of Health approved $1.825 million for Dr. Ganta’s continuing research on Ehrlichia chaffeensis.

Dr. Ganta said tick-borne pathogens like Ehrlichia chaffeensishave long been recognized as a persistent concern for the healthof several companion animals and livestock. The number of casesin humans has also risen in recent years, increasing the threat topublic health.

“Understanding the molecular basis for persistence by thesebacteria has been critical in developing effective methods tocontrol this and other tick-borne pathogens,” Dr. Ganta said.“Our research is focused on understanding the pathogen evasionmechanisms, and then using those to defeat it.”

Dr. Ganta estimates that as many as 50,000 people haveactually contracted Ehrlichia chaffeensis each year. As many ashalf of patients diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis may requirehospitalization.

This is the second grant of roughly the same size Dr. Gantahas received for this research. Over the last five years, hisresearch team has been working under a previous federal grant,also from the National Institutes of Health, to uncover exactlyhow the bacterium works.

The hope is that once Dr. Ganta comes up with a way to fightoff the bacteria, that will pave the way for solutions to otherforms of Ehrlichia and closely related tick-borne pathogens,some of which are devastating for companion animals, cattle andother food animals.

Dr. Tokach wins national swine award

Dr. James Carpenter,professor of zoologicalmedicine, was elected toserve as the new presidentof the American College ofZoological Medicine(ACZM).

Dr. Carpenter hopes toimprove the ACZM’s role ineducation and to increasethe awareness and value ofACZM board certificationwithin the veterinaryprofession.

“To become a Diplomateof the ACZM has been oneof the greatest achievementsof my career,” Dr. Carpenter

said. “It would be an understatement to say how honoredand proud I am to have been elected by my peers to serveas the next ACZM President!”

Dr. Lisa Tokach

Dr. Roman Ganta checks in with Feng Pan, research assistant; Dr. Gwi-Moon Seo postdoctoral associate; and Kendra Siebert, aPh.D. student in his lab (from front to back).

Dr. James Carpenter

Dr. Meredyth Jones, center, and class of 2008 students (left toright) Angela Juno, Debra Wert and Brianna Abel, take a breakfrom the birthing center and let famous McDonald’s restaurantmascot, Ronald McDonald hold a piglet.

Spring 2008 76 Healing Hands

The times are changing, and for the veterinary profes-sion, change means there are fewer and fewer rural veterinarians. As a rural practitioner in Beloit, Kan.,

Dr. Bob Gentry, DVM 1981, decided to study the issue to seewhat might be done about it.

“A few years ago, I was working on the idea that we needrural practitioners and that we need to go tell students aboutrural practice,” Dr. Gentry said. “I met with some otherveterinarians who were forming an organization for the samepurpose and joined them as a director of the Academy ofRural Veterinarians.”

Dr. Gentry is also the president-electof the Kansas Veterinary MedicalAssociation and begins his term in June.

“One of my agenda items is to addressrural veterinary medicine,” Dr. Gentrysaid. “You have to start by identifyingwhere we are, who we are, what genderwe are, and find out where people are,what they do, what they want to do, andthen try to do a better job of serving themembership.”

By the numbersIn order to find information on rural

practices , Dr. Gentry enlisted the help of

Dr. David Anderson, professor and head of AgriculturalPractices in the CVM. Together they started looking at Kansasdemographics.

“The work Dr. Gentry and I are doing will help us definethe veterinary marketplace in Kansas,” Dr. Anderson said.“We both want to see more veterinarians going to ruralpractice and farm animal practices. This study was to gaininsight about where the veterinarians are in Kansas and whatpopulation base they serve, both human and animal.”

Dr. Gentry explained, “I found eight counties that don’thave a licensed veterinarian listed, and in one county, the

licensed veterinarian is a governmentemployee who is not practicing. I did aper capita list of veterinarians bycounty in Kansas, and there’s anywherefrom one veterinarian per 598 peopleto one veterinarian per 4,000-5,000people, depending on what county yougo to.”

Dr. Gentry was also curious aboutpopulation decline in rural counties.

“I started looking at these numbersin north central Kansas where I live,and we have somewhere between zeroand 15 percent decline in populationfrom 2000 to 2006,” he said. “If your

practice was 70 percent food animal and 30 percent smallanimal, when 10 percent of the people move away, it onlyaffects 3 percent of your business, but if you reverse it and 10percent of the people move away — and they’re the petowners — then you’d lose 7 percent of your business.”

Australian adventureDr. Gentry says the issue affects other countries as well as

the U.S. Through his involvement with the KVMA andAcademy of Rural Veterinarians, Dr. Gentry was invited tospeak down under.

“I went to Australia for three weeks this past summer,” hesaid. “I spoke at all six Australian veterinary schools about theacademy and its purpose. Per capita, Australia produces twiceas many veterinarians as we do, and they still have a shortageof veterinarians in rural areas. If you’re trying to address therural issue, producing more veterinarians hasn’t solved theproblem. You can go three times as many veterinarians percapita and still be short of veterinarians in those rural areas.”

Selling a lifestyleDr. Gentry points out the rural population issue is not just

a problem for veterinary medicine, but can affect otherlivelihoods. His suggestions are to emphasize the positiveaspects of rural communities.

“Lifestyle is what we promote,” he said. “With moderncapability, there’s very little in our mixed practice that we dowithout as far as quality of medicine and surgery. With theInternet and referral, such as to K-State or other veterinarians,you can provide almost anything in veterinary medicine thatanyone else can. We have the quality, we have the support, wehave the income, and we have the lifestyle.”

Another spokesperson for the rural lifestyle might be Dr. Gentry’s wife Lesley, who is definitely not a native Kansan.

“My wife worked in a veterinary practice in England beforewe met,” Dr. Gentry said. “It’s where we met, when I workedin England one summer while I was in veterinary college.”

While Lesley is not a veterinarian, she has worked severalyears as a veterinary assistant and has written a book called“The Lady is a Veterinarian,” which is about the history offemale veterinarians who have graduated from K-State.

“One of the best parts of being a veterinarian is helpingeach other when it is needed,” Dr. Gentry said. “A tornado hitnorth of Beloit (on April 24) and affected four or five families,including Dr. Rita Soler (DVM 1985). Her home and clinicwas destroyed. She told me her pharmacy was a pile of brokenglass. My associate spent the morning helping out byeuthanizing four lambs and ewes that were critically injured.He evaluated their horses, three of which traveled to K-State,one that was impaled by debris. I saw one dead cow there andspent the morning suturing lacerations on a neighbor’s cows.”

Addressing the gender shift in veterinary medicineThe issue of gender diversity is also important in the

veterinary profession. At K-State, women represent more than60 percent of each graduating class, and the number is muchhigher at other veterinary sc hools.

“The question is how we can make it work,” Dr. Gentrysaid. “We need to create an environment that fits the youngveterinarians. This is something we tell the livestock industry.Some of these students are under the assumption that farmanimal medicine is a lot of hard work, but things havechanged. There’s better equipment and livestock is in thehands of fewer people who are more competent and self-sufficient than it used to be. It’s much more user-friendly fortoday’s veterinarian.”

The most important strategy is for rural veterinarians toencourage veterinary students to work in rural practices.Visiting students who show an aptitude in high school is agood time to promote the profession .

“We really try to encourage those who live in thecommunity to want to be veterinarians and come back,” Dr. Gentry said. “If you stimulate interest in veterinarymedicine at a young age, it’s always positive.”

Dr. Gentry supervises Laura Moxon, a veterinary student from England, at a client’s dairy. She came to Beloit for two weeks inAugust 2006 on an externship from the University of London.

Dr. Robert Gentry tours Australia during a visit to its six veterinary collegeswhere he talked about the shortage of rural veterinarians. In the distance isthe Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse at the most southwestern point in Australia.

ALL PHOTOS COUR TESY OF DR. GENTRY

Changing the ruralsDr. Robert Gentry addresses globalshortage of rural practitioners

Dr. Gentry meets with Dr. Diane Sheehan, president of the Australian Veterinary Association, and Dr. Peter Chenoweth, professor of veterinary reproduction at Charles Sturt University inWagga Wagga, Australia. Dr. Chenoweth was previously on theCVM faculty at K-State. The three veterinarians appeared on a localfarm radio program in an interview addressing the shortage ofrural veterinarians.

Dr. Gentry is not afraid to get his hands dirty,such as when performing a fetotomy, but saysfarm animal medicine is easier today thanwhen he started his practice 25 years ago.

By Joe Montgomery

8 Healing Hands

Drs. Renter and White seek waysto improve bovine respiratorydata analysis

Bovine respiratory disease complexhas multiple causes. It’s some-times hard to classify and predict.

It also costs the beef industry more thanany other disease — an estimated $690million in 2006, according to onereport.

That’s why a team of K-Stateresearchers is stepping in. Using a three-year, $375,000 grant from the U.S.Department of Agriculture, the team isanalyzing data from feedlots to developdecision-making tools that will make iteasier for producers to manage cattlehealth.

The research team is led by theCollege of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. David Renter, assistant professor ofdiagnostic medicine and pathobiology,and Dr. Brad White, assistant professorof clinical sciences.

The researchers are working towardseveral objectives, including a system toclassify distributions of disease withinfeedlot pens. The researchers also are

seeking to generate estimatesof the effect various riskfactors have on themultifaceted disease complex.A better understanding of thedata would allow feedlotproducers to compare theirdata with averages and makemore informed decisionsabout managing and treatingherds.

Drs. Renter and White arelooking at data that feedlotscollect, such as how manycattle get sick and when theproblems are most likely tooccur. The problem is thatfeedlots don’t analyze thisinformation on a daily basis,Dr. Renter said. Rather, they

look at data that from anentire feeding period.Analyzing data in real timecould improve treatmentand disease management.

“Right now, forinstance, there’s nosoftware to tell producersthat cattle in a particularpen are experiencing moredisease than expected,” Dr. Renter said.

Producers already canpredict with some accuracywhich cattle are likely toget sick. But bovinerespiratory disease complex“is not a simple, contagiousinfection like the chicken

pox,” Dr. Renter said.It is caused by multiple viruses and

bacteria common in feedlots. Some ofthem even appear in healthy cattle. Suchfactors as immunity, feed intake and theweather can influence which cattle getsick, as can stressors like being weanedor moved from farm to feedlot.

“Part of the cost associated toproducers fluctuates, because we can’t

predict as well as we want to,” Dr. Rentersaid. “There’s so much variability in howmany cattle will get sick.”

Dr. Renter said the researchconducted at K-State will supplementthe work being done by producers andconsulting veterinarians. What makesthe research at K-State so valuable isthat the team is looking at data frommultiple sources, and the researcherswill share their tools with those in theindustry. With the groundwork laid atK-State, further work could yieldsoftware or other decision-making tools,Dr. Renter said.

Other K-State collaborators areAbram Babcock, doctoral student inpathobiology; Suzanne Dubnicka,assistant professor of statistics; Dr. Robert Larson, professor of clinicalsciences; George Milliken, professoremeritus of statistics; ChristopherReinhardt, assistant professor of animalsciences and industry; Dr. MichaelSanderson, associate professor of clinicalsciences; and Dr. Dan Thomson,assistant professor of clinical sciences.

Dr. David Renter is a lead researcher on the bovine respiratory disease project.

Dr. Brad White talks to “Cattlemen to Cattlemen,” a weeklytelevision show from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association that airs on RFD-TV.

sample results concept test specimen analysis protocol data

Work i ng i n r eal t ime

Research notes

PHOTOS BY DAVE ADAMS

Spring 2008 9

Dr. Hesse teams up in China tobattle blue-ear pig disease

Millions of Chinese pigs aredying of a newly emerging disease.

With the assistance of a CVMvirologist and a team of specialists whorecently visited the country, Chineseresearchers are now a step closer tounderstanding the disease complex.

Dr. Dick Hesse, K-State’s director ofdiagnostic virology, was part of a teamthat made a two-week visit to China inDecember. Dr. Hesse together with YingFang, molecular virologist at SouthDakota State University; Dr. ButchBaker, senior clinician of swinemedicine at Iowa State University; Dr. Johnny Callahan, senior scientistspecializing in viral assay developmentwith Tetracore Inc.; and Dr. EricNeumann, epidemiologist and seniorlecturer in pig medicine at MasseyUniversity in New Zealand, formed theinvestigative team.

The team’s goal was to help Chinesescientists diagnose the disease that hasstricken the pig population and to assist

them with the technology andtechniques to understand andcontrol the disease. Real-timePCR — polymerase chainreaction — assays developedat Tetracore and K-State wereused to look for and providerapid laboratory diagnosis oflikely viral agents.

Since 2006, China’s pigpopulation has beendevastated by blue-ear (andhigh-fever) disease resultingin the deaths of millions ofpigs. A variant form ofporcine reproductive andrespiratory syndrome (PRRS)was believed to be the causeof the disease. The

investigative team worked withprominent scientists from four researchcenters that have had extensiveexperience with the disease. The groupalso traveled to several farms to viewthe clinical signs up close and to collectsamples.

“The problem in China’s herdappears to be a multifactorial diseasecomplex,” Dr. Hesse said.

Researchers did find PRRS virus,though not in all cases. The majority ofthe samples contained more than onetype of virus. Classical swine fever virus,PRRS virus and porcine circovirus 2bwere most commonly found in diseasedpigs.

Dr. Hesse said there is limitedmonitoring of animal disease in Chinaand that a lack of uniform practicesamong pig producers has likely allowedblue-ear disease to flourish in Chinaand spread to adjacent countries.

“What the Chinese need areefficacious porcine circovirus vaccineslike those available in the U.S.,” he said.

The team suggested severalbiosecurity control mechanisms tohinder the spread of disease in China.

They also made several suggestions toenhance U.S. biosecurity.

“Situations like that in China remindus that the U.S. pork industry is atsignificant risk from new disease agentintroductions. This is why it’s importantto remain vigilant and ensure that ournational biosecurity measures are inplace and working,” Dr. Hesse said. “Ifyou have a disease that’s capable ofkilling millions of pigs, you want tomake sure it stays out of the U.S.”

Relationships with Chinese scientistswere also established and are expectedto lead to exchange opportunities forstudents and faculty at K-State’s Collegeof Veterinary Medicine.

“K-State is committed to enhancinganimal and human health in Kansas, theUnited States and the world,” said Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of theCollege of Veterinary Medicine. “Animaland zoonotic diseases don’t recognizegeographic borders. Foreign exchangeopportunities are one of the best ways toacquaint the veterinarians of tomorrowwith diseases they might not see incommon practice.”

Dr. Dick Hesse teams up with Cai Jianping at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

These pigs’ blue ears indicate that they arestricken with blue-ear disease.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DR. HESSE

proof methodology sample results concept test specimen an

beating the blues

S miling is serious business for Dr. Doug and Tina Glover. Theirsuccess at producing smiles for

their animal clients has given theGlovers a chance to make a lot of peoplesmile at K-State. They recently estab-lished a $1.25 million bequest that willenhance several programs, including theCollege of Veterinary Medicine.

The Glovers, both native Kansansand K-State alumni, divided their giftbetween the Doug and Tina GloverVeterinary Medicine Excellence Fund,the Doug and Tina Glover Scholarshipin Veterinary Medicine and scholarshipsor funds for Athletics, the colleges ofBusiness Administration and HumanEcology, and the Alumni Association.

“We never dreamed when we leftManhattan, with educations in hand,what those precious pieces of paperwould mean in our lives,” Tina said.“Our educations provided usopportunities we could not haveimagined both professionally andpersonally.”

A family practiceThe Glovers

opened a small animalpractice, the FamilyMember VeterinaryHospital, in MissionViejo, Calif., in 1997.

Doug’s veterinaryphilosophy isencompassed in thebusiness moniker.

“The ‘family member’ part of ourhospital’s name isrelated to how Ipractice medicine,”Doug said. “Pets aremembers of the familyand should be treatedwith the best careavailable. Before I had

my own practice, it always disturbed meif I went into an exam room andrealized I cared more about that animalthan the person who brought it in.”

To reinforce the family and smilingthemes, the Glovers invite clients tosend photos of their smiling pets to beposted at the hospital’sWeb site:www.familymember.com.For the Glovers, there’snothing like a smiling petto warm a person’s heart.

Early in their careers,the Glovers movedfrequently, living inplaces such as Topeka,Kan., Northern andSouthern California,Delaware andPennsylvania, whereDoug worked as an associateveterinarian.

“Owning our own hospital has beena nice opportunity for us,” Tina said. “Ido the business — that’s not something

Doug is interested in. He does themedicine, which I know nothing about,so we don’t step on each other’s toes. It’sa beneficial partnership.”

Always on the move The Glovers are both natives of

Dodge City, Kan. Doug graduated fromK-State with a bachelor’s degree inanimal science and industry in theCollege of Agriculture in 1980. Heearned his DVM in 1985. Tina is a 1980graduate of the College of HumanEcology with a bachelor’s degree inclothing and textiles. She earned anMBA from K-State in 1984.

Tina’s business career had given herseveral opportunities including PaylessShoes, Hills Pet Products, Del MarWindow Coverings, Levolor, AveryDennison and the Franklin Mint.

“We love to travel and never losesight of the fact that our decision toattend Kansas State University made ourmany ventures possible,” Tina said.“Although we live in California, ourpassion for all things purple provides uswith opportunities to stay connected

with lifelong friendshipsthat started here. We areextremely proud of ourassociation with this veryspecial place.”

This winter, theGlovers realized anopportunity to return toManhattan on a ‘KansasSabbatical.’ While theirmain purpose was toenjoy attending theconference portion of thebasketball season, Tina

audited a class on Internet marketingand Doug visited the VeterinaryMedical Teaching Hospital, going onrounds as an observer.

Smiling for K-State

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Caring for their pets The Glovers’ time on campus helped

them appreciate the impact their giftwill have. They also get peace of mindby taking advantage of the college’sPerpetual Pet Care Program (PPCP).The Doug and Tina Glover VeterinaryMedicine Excellence Fund serves toenroll their pets in PPCP. They have twodogs and three cats. The fund was estab -lished with $262,500 of the Glovers’bequest. [Editor’s note: See sidebar formore information about the PPCP.]

“The program is fantastic,” Dougsaid. “They understand what youranimals mean to you and how theyaffect your life. It’s great to know thatour pets are going to go to somebodywho’s going to care for them as close aspossible to the way we care for them.And I can’t think of anyone better toentrust the lives of my animals withthan the very people who trained me tobecome a veterinarian.”

Tina added, “Our pets are the closestthing to children we have. Parentswould want this same kind of placementfor their children if something

happened to them.” The Glovers also established a

scholarship for veterinary medicinestudents: the Doug and Tina GloverScholarship in Veterinary Medicine. Thefund was established with $100,000from the bequest. The recipient will be athird- or fourth-year veterinary studentwho has received an undergraduatedegree from K-State.

“We thank Doug and Tina forcreating this wonderful scholarship,”said Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of theCollege of Veterinary Medicine. “Thethird and fourth years of study are acritical time for students. Thisscholarship will help keep the recipientfocused while relieving a considerableamount of the financial load.”

Doug said, “Our decision to givecame from a desire to say thank-you toKansas State University and make itpossible for the university to continue tohave the same kind of effect on the livesof others as it has had on us.”

Because of the Glovers, smiles will beseen for a long time at K-State.

Established in 1996, the PerpetualPet Care Program is designed to provide animals with loving homesonce an owner is no longer able toprovide daily care. Enrollment bene-fits include:

• Performing an extensive search to

locate a loving home;

• Providing for your pet’s lifelongmedical needs;

• Monitoring of the adoptive home;and

• Designating your charitable interest.

Financial gifts provide for a pet’slifelong medical needs. After a petpasses away, the remaining fundswill support a college area mostmeaningful to the pet owner.

There are numerous fundingoptions: cash, bequests, charitablegift annuity or unitrust, gifts of secu-rities, life insurance and real estate.Please contact the DevelopmentOffice at the College of VeterinaryMedicine for details.

Perpetual Pet Care Program

Glovers’ $1.25 million gift ensures their pets’ future and supports several programs

COUR TESY PHOTO

By Joe Montgomery

Tina and Dr. Doug Glover visit the CVM Library.

Dr. Doug Glover treats hispatients like family.

The Glovers celebrate their silver weddinganniversary in 2006 by returning toK-State. They renewed their vows in Danforth Chapel and posed for this photoin front of Nichols Hall, a favorite campusbuilding when they were undergrads.

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Spring 2008 1110 Healing Hands

Two of a kind is usually a good poker hand, but at K-State, it’s a sign of nationaldistinction. In its December 2007 publication, the journal Advances in PhysiologyEducation included two Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) professors in a list of 13

profiles of renowned physiology teachers withinthe American Physiological Society: Drs.

Howard Erickson and David Poole. Thislist includes physiology teachers fromnon-veterinary programs, so itdemonstrates how well K-State isrecognized for its A&P educationalprogram.

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Dr. Erickson and Dr. Poole hadalready earned a shared distinction bybeing named recipients of excellenceawards in 2006. These awards were partof the reason why they were named tothis list of accomplished physiologyteachers in the publication.

Dr. Erickson was given the 2006 IVXAnimal Health Teaching ExcellenceAward for outstanding instruction offirst-year veterinary medicine students.This award has had National ScienceFoundation support and is driven from

the nominations of first-year veterinarymedicine students. In addition to histeaching expertise, Dr. Erickson wasrecognized for contributions to aveterinary telemedicine project and forhis appointment as the Roy W. UphamProfessor of Veterinary Medicine from2001-2004.

Dr. Poole is cited as an internationalauthority on oxygen transport in exerciseand disease states. He received the 2006Merial Teaching Excellence Award,which resulted from nominations from

first-year veterinary students. Department Head Dr. Frank Blecha

said, “This recognition says a lot aboutour physiology program. We know thatwe have world-class teachers in ourlecture rooms and laboratories. TheAmerican Physiological Societyrecognition of Drs. Erickson and Poole’steaching excellence proclaims thatsentiment loud and clear!”

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12 Healing Hands

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Telefund volunteers raise $75,000 for scholarshipsGood call! This past February, CVM

students wrapped up another successfulsession at Telefund 2008, the KSUFoundation’ s volunteer calling program toraise support for scholarships and othercollege funding priorities.

The two-day effort resulted in $75,263being generated from 636 pledges. Overall,Telefund 2008 raised $1.3 million for allcolleges at K-State. CVM students earned avariety of prizes for participating this year.The College of Veterinary Medicine thanks allthe students for volunteering and all thealumni and friends who gave generously tosupport scholarships in the college.

In September, Dr. Meredyth Jones, clinicalassistant professor in Agricultural Practices,spent two weeks teaching in Mongolia withV.E.T. Mongolia, a subsidiary of ChristianVeterinary Mission. She co-taught a camelmedicine shortcourse with Dr. Jim Jensen, azoo medicine specialist from Texas. Aftercompleting the shortcourse, Dr. Jonestraveled with a group of five Mongolians totowns throughout the desert, meeting withveterinarians and providing medical andbusiness training.

“Veterinary training in Mongolia isextremely basic, and the students are taughtvery little clinical case and managementskills,” Dr. Jones said. “They recognize andappreciate the skills of veterinarians from theWest and are eager to improve their ability tomanage cases. The people there are extremelyhospitable and felt very honored to have aforeigner come visit them.”

Dr. Jones walks a mile for a camel ... in Mongolia

Dr. Meredyth Jones examines a camel.

CVM students call alumni during Telefund 2008.

PHOTO COUR TESY OF DR. JONES

Spring 2008 13

Fond farewell: Kramer takes fundraising position with College of EductionThe CVM Alumni and Development Office has

announced that Assistant Director ofDevelopment Marty Kramer accepted the positionof Director of Development for the K-StateCollege of Education as of Feb. 4.

“We wish Marty good luck and continuedsuccess in the future,” said Chris Gruber, CVMDirector of Development. Please direct anyquestions you might have to the DevelopmentOffice at 785-532-4378.

Marty Kramer moves out of his CVM office.

PHOTO BY JOE MONTGOMERY

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Spring 2008 1514 Healing Hands

They tell you, if you’re a smartveterinarian on the Iditarod, andyou’re on duty — and you can’t alwaysdo this — that you should bust yourrear to be out there to watch the nextteam come in.

You’ll see a tail down, head down orthat a dog is limping — you’ll see abunch of stuff if you just stand out thereand watch the team you’re assigned tocheck when they come in.

This dog came in around the cornerand nearly fell over. And I saw himcoming — tail down, his head wasdown — so I scooped him up in myarms. The musher kind of yelled at me,but I said, ‘We can do this the hard wayor the easy way, but if we don’t takecare of this dog, he’s going to die.’

So I scooped him into my arms andran him inside and put him in mysleeping bag. I told Andrea [aveterinarian from Calgary], ‘I’ve got tohave help — we’ve got to hook an IVup.’

Well … we saved that dog.

- Dr. Ken Huggins, DVM 1966

The ultimate testAs winter winds down, dozens of the

best sports teams come together tocompete in one of the most intense,spirited and long-lasting athletic eventsin the sporting world. No, we’re nottalking March Madness and NCAAbasketball, but a competition that ismuch more challenging and rigorous:the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

This is perhaps the ultimate test ofhumans and animals facing theelements as well as competing againsteach other. Held each March in Alaska,the Iditarod race extends more than1,000 miles during some of the coldestweather on the planet. Veterinarymedicine has become an integral part ofthe race as the canine athletes must bemonitored closely. Several K-Staters,both alumni and faculty, have beenamong those who have voluntarily giventheir time and expertise to provide thebest in veterinary care — and on repeatoccasions. In this story, you’ll meetsome of the recent volunteers with aK-State connection.

The history of the race is related tothe serum run of 1925, where frozenocean, lack of highways and extremewinter weather cut off the city of Nome,which was in the midst of a diphtheriaoutbreak. Sled dogs proved to be theonly way to rush lifesaving serum to thecity. A portion of the Iditarod trailoverlaps part of the same path of theoriginal serum run. The rest of the

Iditarod trail cuts toward Anchorageand across some of the most ruggedparts of Alaska.

Not just any volunteersBecause of the extreme weather

conditions, duration of the race and theneed for highly qualified veterinaryprofessionals, walk-up volunteers arenot encouraged. The Iditarod raceemploys a chief veterinarian, Dr. StuNelson, who has established guidelinesand criteria for recruiting veterinaryvolunteers. About 30 veterinarians arechosen each year, and rookie volunteersmust attend orientation sessions heldthe week before the race begins. Thereare more than 20 checkpoints, andveterinarians are assigned and movedfrom checkpoint to checkpoint by bushpilots. Rookie veterinarians usually staythe longest at a checkpoint until allcontestants or “mushers” have gonethrough. Veterinarians have theresponsibility of examining the dogs,and if necessary, pulling dogs out of therace. Mushers may start with as many as

16 sled dogs and must finish with atleast six dogs, but they may not add newdogs to their team. Dogs are generallydropped from the race because offatigue or lameness. The dropped dogsare flown back to Anchorage fornecessary treatment and rest.

K-State connections“After retiring from the Army

Reserves, I was at a Rotary meeting inKansas City, and Dr. Huggins gave a talkabout his trips to the Iditarod in 2003,2004 and 2005,” said Dr. Vern Otte,DVM 1975. “I had always wanted to dothat too, so I put in an application andconvinced them that eventhough I was older than theaverage people out there, Icould still handle the rigorsof doing this. Most of thevets are young pups — about35 or so.”

Dr. Otte went to the racein 2007 and 2008. The firstyear he went alone, but thisyear he took his wife and

daughter to attend the openingceremonies of the race.

In addition to alumni, K-State hasbeen represented at the Iditarod race bycurrent and former faculty membersincluding pathology professor Dr. DerekMosier, DVM 1978.

“I got into it all, not so much as anenthusiast, but for the adventureinvolved and to know more about thedogs,” Dr. Mosier said. “We play aunique role as pathologists. In theunfortunate event that a dog would dieduring the race, then we are able toinvestigate what happened and preventit from happening in the future.”

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Dr. Vern Otte examines one of the sled dogs in 2007.

Dr. Ken Huggins administers an IV to one ofthe sled dogs.

By Joe Montgomery

K-Staters brave the cold to care for Iditarod sled dogs25° below

BACKGROUND PHOTO BY DR. DIRSKO VON PFEIL

STORY CONTINUED NEX T PAGE

16 Healing Hands Spring 2008 17

One of Dr. Mosier’s students followedin his footsteps.

“Dr. Mosier mentioned his Iditarodexperience once in class. It sounded likefun, and I always wanted to go toAlaska,” said Dr. Michelle Fleetwood,DVM 1999 and staff pathologist in theDepartment of Veterinary Pathology atthe Armed Forces Institute of Pathologyin Washington D.C. She went in 2005and 2006. “I remember it being bitterlycold the second year. We were collectingblood for a research study in Nome afterthe dogs finished the race. We had to

bleed the dogs inside the Nome sewagefacility because the blood would freezein the needles outside. At some of theremote checkpoints, the stethoscopesfroze straight out. It was at least 40below (that’s as low as the thermometerwent).”

One of K-State’s newest specialists,Dr. Dirsko von Pfeil, assistant professorof small animal surgery, went to theIditarod in 2007, but was unable to gothis year.

“I learned about it in 1982 — I wasabout 9 years old and was fascinatedwith the whole idea,” Dr. von Pfeil said.“I had read ‘Wolf ’s Blood’ by JackLondon, and in the back of my mind, Iwanted to see the start of the race. ThenI heard you could be a veterinarian atthe race. It turned into a greatadventure.”

The greatest of respectA common theme among all the

volunteers is the immense respect theyeach gained for the sled dogs.

“All my life, I’ve always thought theAlaskan sled dog on the Iditarod wasthe most incredible canine athlete in theworld,” Dr. Huggins said. “I’ve been inprivate practice for 30 years and you seeworking cattle dogs — they’re great —and you see racing greyhounds —they’re great — and you see sportingbreeds, the Labs, the pointing dogs —they’re all great. Each of the animals hasits own niche, but nothing compares to

the stamina of those sled dogs —nothing does.”

Dr. Mosier explained, “I developed aprofound respect for these workinganimals — they’re amazing. It’s anindication of how, within a breedingsystem, an animal can perform in thosekinds of extremes and apparently enjoydoing it. I’ve worked with a variety ofservice dogs and horses. Theperformance expectation is somewhatlike a greyhound or thoroughbred race,but not for only two minutes of racingtime. These sled dogs compete forseveral hours a day over the course ofseveral days.”

Dr. von Pfeil added, “Working withthe dogs was most impressive. They areso healthy and eager to run. And theyrecover extremely fast from the physicaldemands of the race.”

Caring for the dogsBoth mushers and

the trail veterinarianshave responsibility forchecking and caringfor the dogs. Dr. Otte recently spoke to a group ofthird graders in Kansas City about thetypical routine.

“Each of the dogs wears booties toprotect its feet from ice and snow ballsgetting lodged into the pads of the feet.The booties are changed about eachtime a musher comes to a stop at acheckpoint,” Dr. Otte said. “As soon asthe musher stops, he starts melting snowor ice for water so that he can feed thedogs. First, though, he gives each dog achunk of food — it’s frozen solid,usually fish or some kind of a chop likebeaver. The dogs eat it like a popsicle.Then the musher mixes dry kibble inheated water, feeds the dogs and takestheir booties off. Next, he goes to eachdog and rubs or massages the dogs’ legsand checks them for sores. In themeantime the veterinarians come andcheck all the dogs too.”

Dr. Otte explained that the musherscarry a mandatory yellow logbook, inwhich the veterinarians make notes ateach of the checkpoint. Failure to

present the book results in a musher’selimination from the race. The notesfrom previous checkpoints helpveterinarians decide if a dog needs to bedropped from the race.

“It takes about an hour and a half fora musher to take care of his dogs,” Dr. Otte continued. “In the normalroutine, the dogs will run for five or sixhours and then they sleep five or sixhours. If they run over eight hours, itwill take them longer to recover, so theyusually try to keep it less than that.After the dogs have rested, the musherfeeds his dogs again before leaving. If amusher has any questions at this point,he or she will call us (the veterinarians)to check these dogs out.”

The dogs consume about 10,000calories a day, which is about five times

the amount a normal personrequires. The dogs only weigh about35-40 pounds, but burn a great dealof energy while racing. Theoptimum temperature to prevent thedogs from overheating or being

dehydrated is less than zero.

Veterinarian’s checklistHere are some items Dr. Fleetwood

shared from her examination checklist.“Check muscles and joints for

lameness.“Check feet. Dogs wear booties but

they still get cuts. Need to watch themso they don’t abscess and the dogbecomes septic.

“Listen to heart and lungs. Listeningfor pneumonia can be a challenge withthe winds howling off of the Bering Sea.

“Temperatures — dogs are still at riskfor hyperthermia, especially if they havea dark hair coat and the sun is glaringoff of the snow.

“Watch for signs of stomach ulcers.The mushers work hard with theveterinarians to see what conditionsoccur in the sled dogs and how to avoidthem. For example, stomach ulcers arecommon, and have caused a fewfatalities in past years. The mushers andveterinarians keep an eye on the stoolsfor blood, and check for any other signssuch as vomiting. Many mushers give

preventativessuch as Pepc id.

“Exertionalrhabdomyolysisis beinginvestigated.This usuallyoccurs in thefirst 1/3 of therace. The dog islame, but youcan’t localize itto a particularleg.Histologically,there are smallareas of skeletalmusclenecrosis throughout the muscles. Deathis suspected to be from a massive releaseof potassium from the damagedmuscles. Pathologists investigated avitamin E or selenium deficiency as apossible cause, but no luck. They thinkit may be similar to ‘Monday morningsyndrome,’ where draft horses would getsimilar lesions after returning to workMonday morning after having theweekend off.

“Take care of dropped dogs.” Some of these tasks are usually

routine work for a veterinarian, butthat’s in a clinic with a controlledenvironment. Next time you do anexam, think about doing theseprocedures outside in the snow when it’s 25 below!

Alaskan adventure cont’d

Dr. Ken Huggins posts his K-State Powercat at one of the checkpoints.

Dr. Vern Otte tells a group of third graders about his 2007 trip to the Iditarod race. Hegave the kids souvenir booties worn by the dogs .

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Dr. Dirsko von Pfeil checks one of the sleddogs at a checkpoint.

Dr. Michelle Fleetwood stays behind at one of the checkpoints to care for the sled dogsuntil a plane comes in to fly the dogs back to Anchorage, Alaska.

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18 Healing Hands

CVM guest Dr. Lila Miller discusses shelter medicine and diversity ASPCA VP shares experiences with students during visit

Top left: Following her presentation, Dr. Lila Miller visits with a student. Top right: Dr. Miller shares thoughts onaddressing diversity at the insti-tutional level in veterinary edu-cation. Center: Dr. KimathiChoma, class of 2007, tells abouthis time at K-State while AllisonWard, class of 2011, listens. Bottom left: Dr. Ronnie Elmoregets help from Morgan Bernal,class of 2011, in a discussionexercise on diversity. Bottomright, Rebecca Lee, class of 2011,explains concerns she had beforeattending K-State.

Dr. Lila Miller was a guest speaker at the CVMin March. She was invited to speak by SCAVMA,K-State’s student chapter of the AVMA. Dr. Miller, a Cornell grad, is vice president ofoutreach for the American Society for the Pre-vention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Shegave a presentation to students on shelter medicine issues and opportunities for veterinarystudents. Dr. Miller also participated in a groupdiscussion on diversity issues in veterinary -education, which was led by Dr. Ronnie Elmore,associate dean of admissions and diversity pro-grams in the CVM.

Spring 2008 19

Veterinary Medical LibraryKansas State University

408 Trotter Hall

RESEARCH TIPS RESEARCH TIPS & ASSISTANCE& ASSISTANCE

by Carol Elmore

Family get togethers are an excellent timeto discuss family medical history. Askgrandparents about medical conditions in thefamily history. Other family members can beencouraged to contribute what might beknown about family health conditions.

The U.S. Surgeon General found itimportant enough that a special Web site hasbeen created called My Family HealthPortrait (www.hhs.gov/familyhistory) forgenerating family health history reports. Thedirector of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis S. Collins, says family history cangive insight into the glitches andsusceptibilities to common illnesses that aperson’s genes carry. This information can beused to track illnesses passed down from onegeneration to another and for risk assessmentand making personalized disease-preventionplans.

If you have family members who areactively involved in genealogical research,they may not realize this can help locatemedical history as well. Death certificates canoften be ordered using some of thegenealogical information that their familygenealogist uncovered.

Both of my grandparents on my father’sside died before I was born, but I orderedcopies of their death certificates which listedtheir causes of death. Although this is notalways totally accurate, it can be a start whencombined with oral history in piecingtogether a family health portrait.

Remember, if you are researching medicalor veterinary medical issues, LibraryResearch Services can assist you withsearches and provide copies of journalarticles resulting from your searches.

Phi Zeta Research Day 2008

Phi Zeta Research Day isdesigned to showcase theresearch efforts of instructors,house officers, graduate studentsand professional students at theCVM. Oral presentations aregiven on basic or clinicalresearch areas and case reports.

The surrounding photos showsome of this year’s activities, heldin March. Top: Dr. Kevin Hahn,chief medical officer and direc-tor of clinical trials and claims atHill’s Pet Nutrition, gives a lec-ture on veterinary science andmythology. Middle: Dr. ChanranGanta, right, explains nanoparti-cle research to Dr. PatriciaPayne. Bottom: Phi Zeta President Dr. John Pickerell, left,introduces Dr. Beth Davis as thepresident-elect.

20 Healing Hands

Berlin exchange students Stefanie Graf and Christine Müller observe a surgical procedure during their visit to K-State.

Free exchangeK-State starts student exchange withFree University in Berlin

Last fall, the CVM hosted two stu-dents from Free University in Berlinas part of a new exchange program.

The program is the brainchild of Dr. Phi-line Wangemann in anatomy and physiol-ogy at K-State and Dr. Holger Martens, aphysiology professor at Free University.

“I was invited to givea research talk at FreeUniversity in Berlin inJanuary 2007,” Dr. Wangemann said.“Dr. Martens and Ithought it would begreat to have a clinicalexchange programbetween our schools.Students could beintegrated into rotations,watch surgeries orobserve treatments, andbenefit from acomparison of teachingand clinical practices.”

K-State sent twostudents to Berlin for about 10 days inMay and June: Naomi Wheeler, class of2010, and Anne Brammeier, class of 2009.The two students who visited fromGermany in late October were ChristineMüller and Stefanie Grof, third-yearstudents in a curriculum that lasts 5 ½years.

“We’re impressed with the techniqueshere in your college,” Christine said.“Everyone works together and has a lot oftime for discussing problems.”

“We expected to see cowboys and a lotof flags,” Stefanie said. “I was surprised byall the huge pick-up trucks and the wide

streets.”Naomi and Anne enjoyed

their trip to Berlin. “Everyone moves very

quickly in their animal clinic,”Naomi said. “Being in a largecity, they are very busy andthey don’t use as muchsupport staff.”

“Their veterinary medicineis not that much different thanours,” Anne said. “They leadanimals into their speciallydesigned lecture halls and it’svery interactive for thestudents.”

“Our goal was for thesestudents to get an impression

of how veterinary medicine is working inBerlin and Germany,” Dr. Wangemannsaid. “It was a cultural exchange as muchas it was an exchange of ideas on how torun an education system and how tofunction in international veterinarymedicine. We hope to expand theprogram next year.”

Naomi Wheeler, class of 2010,and Anne Brammeier, class of2009, enjoy some of the sightswhile in Berlin.

PHOTOS BY DAVE ADAMS

COUR TESY PHOTO

Spring 2008 21

Dr. Lisa Freeman, associate dean of research and graduate programs at the CVM, was recently named associate vice president for innovation by the K-State

Olathe Innovation Campus Inc. board of directors. In her new role, Dr. Freeman will build public and private

partnerships to benefit the Olathe campus and will act as aliaison between it and programs on the Manhattancampus impacted by those new relationships. She alsowill encourage an entrepreneurial culture on theOlathe campus and will facilitate the transition ofresearch and ideas from the lab to the commercialmarketplace.

"The Olathe innovation campus will serve as abridge between K-State's Manhattan campus andthe academic and industrial resources in the greaterKansas City area," she said. “We see that as a way totake outreach, service, teaching and research toanother level that we couldn’t have done withouta Kansas City presence focused on animal health,food safety and security.”

The course work on the K-State OlatheInnovation Campus will focus on graduate degree andcertificate programs. Current graduate degree programs to beoffered or expanded would likely include those in FoodScience, Food Safety and Security, Biomedical Sciences, andPublic Health. New graduate initiatives may include aninterdisciplinary homeland protection program (M.S. and

certificate) with cores inagriculture, food, onehealth, and associateddisciplines, as well asprofessional master’s

programs focused on applied life sciences. In the Kansas Citymetropolitan area, these cross disciplinary efforts would serveagriculture, health care and food service professionals; local,state, federal, and tribal government officials; lawenforcement; emergency first responders; and a host of othertraditional and nontraditional students.

“We plan to engage precollege students from Olathe andthe Kansas City area and undergraduates from some of theJohnson County institutions into K-State research programs asa way to attract these students to K-State graduate programs,” Dr. Freeman said. “We want to build a pipeline to serve theneeds of the animal health industry, the food science industryand to train the interdisciplinary scientists of tomorrow. Our

goal with the Olathe campus is toensure that no opportunity toincorporate an educationalexperience will be missed.”

“We are very fortunate tohave attracted someone of Dr. Lisa Freeman’s caliber to

help lead the K-StateOlathe Innovation

Campus,” said Dr. DanRichardson, CEO ofthe Olathe campus andDVM 1977. “Herexperience workingwith both the publicand private sectorinterests will be critical

to the success of thecampus. Herprofessionalexpertise and track

record are a perfect match for the vision and mission of thecampus.”

Dr. Freeman joined K-State’s department of anatomy andphysiology in 1994, where she taught pharmacology. Sincethen, she has served as a research mentor and role model forpostdoctoral students, clinical residents and young facultymembers. In 2001 she was named director of mentoredtraining and in 2005 became associate dean for research andgraduate programs.

Dr. Freeman said she is looking forward to the challengesahead. She will retain some prior responsibilities as anassociate dean in the CVM, including supporting the researchefforts of faculty and trainees and advancing thecommercialization of intellectual property throughinteractions with the industry, government and commoditygroups focused on innovation in animal health.

bridge.........builder

Dr. Lisa Freeman is the new associate vice president ofinnovation for the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus.

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Dr. Freeman connects CVM withK-State Olathe Innovation Campus

22 Healing Hands

The College of Veterinary Medicine’sVeterinary Medical Alumni Associationis a nonprofit organization run primarilyby our graduates who volunteer theirtime and effort. These graduates areelected to serve on the executive boardfor the association. Each serves a four-year term as member-at-large, and oneyear as president elect and president.The purpose of this board is to reviewnominations for awards, help organizereceptions at seven national meetingsand conferences, and provide leadershipin the management of the support sentto the association annually. Alsosupplemented through alumni supportare reunions, biography booklets, classnewsletters, fundraising initiatives andthe administration of alumni records.

The executive board for the VMAAinitiated dues in 2000 and established anendowment in February 2003. TheVMAA Endowment account currentlyhas $294,319 to support alumniactivities.

The VMAA has 656 alumni who arefull lifetime members and 91 who havepaid their first installment on a lifetimemembership. For annual membership infiscal year 2008, there were 400 alumniwho participated.

Through dues-paying memberships,the college will be able to supportalumni activities with the income earnedon the principal of the endowment.Please support your association so wecan continue to offer the best alumniprogram we can. Get more info at:www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/alumni.

PresidentDr. William Brown, DVM ‘71william_brown@newsham.com

President ElectDr. Gregory Bogue, DVM ‘91bogueanimal@sbcglobal.net

Past PresidentDr. Richard Mohney, DVM ‘64mohneyacres@msn.com

Secretary/TreasurerDr. Howard Erickson, DVM ‘59erickson@vet.k-state.edu

Senior Member-At-LargeDr. Michael Moore, DVM ‘68mike.moore@ah.novartis.com

Members-At-LargeDr. Pete She rlock, DVM ‘80peteams@bluevalley.net

Dr. A.O. “Orv” Gigstad III,DVM ‘76orv.gigstad@alltel.net

Dr. Justin Janssen, DVM ‘72JustinJanssenDVM@gmail.com

Executive Board Members

What a fantastic year this has been for theK-State Veterinary Medical Alumni Associationworking to provide you with several activities.Several highlights since my letter last fall cometo mind, but the prominent ones are the variousalumni receptions across the country withaward presentations made to K-State alumniwho have distinguished themselves in theirprofessional and personal lives.

Last fall, your VMAA Executive Board held astrategic planning session. Out of this meeting,you will begin to see various initiatives that willenhance your organization.

I encourage you to check out our alumniWeb site: www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/alumni/.The college is now helping set up class pages hosted on the college’s Web site andlist serves so classes can communicate electronically. Send in your class news andaddress updates.

The upcoming Annual Conference for Veterinarians will again bring together alarge number of CVM graduates for continuing education and a fun-filled week.The class reunions are scheduled the weekend prior to the conference and alwaysdraw a large number of graduates back to campus to enjoy the sessions, wet labs,sights and many changes surrounding the College of Veterinary Medicine and theK-State campus.

You won’t want to miss Heritage Evening in which we will determine thewinner of the class initiatives award. Two of the college’s most prestigious awardswill be presented at Heritage Evening. Dr. Jack Judy will receive the 2008Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Dr. George Kennedy will receive the E.R. Frank Award. Please make plans to attend this gala.

Our membership is growing in both annual and lifetime memberships. This isa trend we hope to build upon. It takes the continued effort of all our members topromote from within their ranks. Please contact myself or any VMAA boardmember if you have questions or ideas to make our alumni association strongerand more responsive.

See you in June!

Dr. Bill Brown, DVM ‘71

Message from VMAAPresident Dr. Bill Brown

Veterinary Medical Alumni Association

Spring 2008 23

Become a visible part of the K-StateCollege of Veterinary Medicine history!

Honor your achievements, promoteyour clinic or business, or create amemorial with a personalized granitetile. Imagine the joy a gift like thiswould bring for the veterinary medical professional in your life.

Each donation to this programsupports the College of VeterinaryMedicine. Granite tiles are displayedprominently in the Centennial Plazabetween Mosier and Trotter Hall.

To place an order, please visit us online athttp://www.vet.ksu.edu/centennial/plaza.htmor call us at 785-532-4043.

Kansas State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

WalkDecades

Walk throughthe Decades

Leave A Legacy .. .Remember the College of Veterinary Medicinein your estate plan!

If you decide to include the college in your will, IRA, lifeinsurance, etc., you may use this official language:

I give and bequeath to the Kansas State University Foundation, Manhattan,Kansas, Federal Identification Number 48-0667209, a nonprofit corporationorganized under the laws of the State of Kansas, the sum of $____ or percentage of ____%, to be used according to the Memo of Understanding onfile with said organization OR for the general purpose of said Foundation.

If the college is included in your plan, PLEASE let us know!We’d like to personally thank you for your support.

For more information, please call 785-532-4378, e-mail cgruber@vet.k-state.edu or visithttp://www.vet.ksu.edu/depts/development

Kansas State University

College of Veterinary Medicine

The last 12 months have beensignificant for Dr. Gregory S.Hammer, a veterinary practitionerwho earned his DVM at K-State in1973. In July 2007, he reached apinnacle in his profession by beingnamed president of the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association(AVMA). In February, he receivedanother superlative distinction — thatof Alumni Fellow — from his almamater.

As a deserving alumnus, the collegeand university hosted Dr. Hammerand his wife, Karen, on campus from Feb. 27-29 for a series of lectures,festivities and other activities. TheK-State Alumni Fellows program,sponsored by the Dean’s Council,President’s Office and AlumniAssociation, presented its AlumniFellows awards to Dr. Hammer andthe recipients from K State’s eightother academic colleges during abanquet held Feb. 28 at the AlumniCenter.

“This is a tremendous honor,” saidDr. Hammer, who grew up in BonnerSprings, Kan. “I was blessed with aloving family and tremendousmentors while I was at K-State.Without Dr. John Noordsy, the late Dr. Russell Frey and my class of 1973,I could never have accomplished whatI have. I am humbled to represent theCollege of Veterinary Medicine as the2008 Alumni Fellow.”

“Dr. Hammer’s accomplishmentsare self-evident,” said Dr. RalphRichardson, dean of the College ofVeterinary Medicine. “As president ofthe AVMA, he demonstratesimpressive leadership skills. Hiselection to this post shows the respecthe has earned in the profession. Wehad already recognized Dr. Hammerwith an Alumni Recognition Award in2001 at the AVMA convention, so wenow take great pride knowing that theuniversity, as a whole, is recognizinghim further with its ultimate alumniaward.”

Dr. Hammer is a smallanimal and equinepractitioner in Dover, Del.He is owner and partner ofBrenford Animal Hospital,where he has worked for 33years. He was 1997 DelawareVeterinarian of the Year.

Prior to election aspresident of the AVMA, Dr. Hammer served six yearson the AVMA executiveboard and 13 years in theHouse of Delegates.

24 Healing Hands

Dr. Hammer shines as 2008 Alumni Fellow

Dr. Greg Hammer speaks to students aboutgetting politically involved in veterinarymedicine issues.

Dr. Greg Hammer takes time to visit with CVM studentswhile on campus for the 2008 Alumni Fellows awards.

1957Dr. Irvin M. Schwalm, Hiawatha,

Kan., retired Dec. 31, 2008, after 50 yearsin primarily large animal practice, 48 ofthose years in Hiawatha. He enjoysgolfing, biking hunting, fishing, Harleyriding and Big 12 (K-State) sports.

Dr. Schwalm has set up a class pagethrough the alumni Web site and is theeditor. He is also setting up a class listserve. Dr. Schwalm asks classmates tosend their e-mail addresses and news tohim or the CVM alumni office. Visit:www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/alumni/classes

1965Dr. Bruce W. Little, Arlington

Heights, Ill., retired from the position ofexecutive vice president of the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association (AVMA)on Dec. 31, 2007, after serving as theCEO for the past 12 years. Prior to that,Dr. Little served as assistant executivevice president at the AVMA for 11 years.

Dr. Little has formed a consultingcompany, Bruce Little Associates LLC,and now serves on the Board of Directorsfor Pets Best Pet Health InsuranceCompany and the Advisory Board ofLocalVets.com, an online search enginelocator for veterinary practices. Hecontinues to work with veterinarians todevelop new business practice to enhancethe quality of service given to animalsserved in veterinary medicine.

1991Dr. Barry N. Pittman, Topeka, Kan.,

is with the USDA APHIS VS Kansas AreaOffice and now has an office in Jeffe rsonCity, Mo. Dr. Rick Tanner is now theirofficial family veterinarian. He has a 1½-year-old grandson named Jackson.

Dr. Janice L. Buback, Fishers, Ind.,has set up a class page through the CVMalumni Web site and is the editor. She isworking with the college to set up a classlist serve. Dr. Buback requests classmatessend their e-mail addresses and news toher or the CVM alumni office. Visit:www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/alumni/classes

2003/2004Dr. Sarah Ketterl White (2003),

Norton, Kan., and husband, Dr. Aaron R.White (2004), are parents of a son,Gideon Ritchey White, born Oct. 29 at5:09 p.m. at the Norton County Hospital.

Alumni Class News

PHOTOS BY JOE MONTGOMERY

Spring 2008 25

Dr. Irwin captures Hogg ScholarshipDr. Christa Irwin, Ames,

Iowa, was named the 2008recipient of the AmericanAssociation of SwineVeterinarians FoundationHogg Scholarship.

This scholarship honors thelate Dr. Alex Hogg, DVM1950, a leader in swinemedicine who pursued amaster’s degree in veterinarypathology after 20 years in amixed-animal practice. The$12,000 scholarship is awardedannually to an AASV memberand longtime swinepractitioner who is acceptedinto a qualified graduateprogram.

Dr. Irwin, adjunct instructor in the Department of VeterinaryDiagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University,seeks a master’s degree in veterinary preventive medicine, focusing onepidemiology. She earned a DVM from K-State in 1998.

“My passion for learning, teaching and promoting swine and swineproduction has led me back to academia,” Dr. Irwin said. “As the firstHogg Scholar, I feel I have a duty and responsibility to set the standardfor those to come. My intent is to promote Dr. Hogg’s commitments tocontinuing education and the swine industry through my role here atIowa State University. Within this setting, I will expand not only myknowledge, but my influence and instruction to students, producers,practitioners and the community. I have work to do, but I am excited andeager for the challenge.”

The Hogg Scholarship was presented at the annual AASV conferencein San Diego in March.

Henry A. Bender, DVM 1943El Dorado Springs, Mo., died March 26, 2006

Bernard A. Friesen, DVM 1966Finnemore, Wis., died May 4, 2006

Ernest A. Siegle, DVM 1942San Mateo, Calif., died June 22, 2006

George B. Maichel, DVM 1938Overbrook, Kan., died Jan. 4, 2007

Donald W. Mills, DVM 1950Salina, Kan., died Jan. 4, 2007

Donald F. Lee, DVM 1950Council Bluffs, Iowa, died March 30, 2007

Coy C. Mickey, DVM 1969Harrogate, Tenn., died March 31, 2007

William G. Wisecup, DVM 1957Frederick, Md., died May 28, 2007

William S. Gaston, DVM 1942Rolla, Mo., died June 12, 2007

Roger W. Gfeller, DVM 1973Fresno, Calif., died Nov. 10, 2007

Galen L. Heritage, DVM 1957El Dorado Springs, Mo., died Nov. 10, 2007

Charles F. Parker, DVM 1950Spring Valley, Minn., died Nov. 18, 2007

James B. Shields, DVM 1958Scottsdale, Ariz., died Nov. 22, 2007

Marcuss D. Morris, DVM 1944Parsons, Kan., died Dec. 6, 2007

Edward F. Ptacek, DVM 1952Ellsworth, Kan., died Feb. 15, 2008

Mark G. Stevens, DVM 1982Ankeny, Iowa, died Feb. 27, 2008

Harry A. Hopson, DVM 1957Wolf Point, Mont., died March 3, 2008

Gerald D. Gurss, DVM 1943Osage City, Kan., died March 11, 2008

In Memoriam

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance theAmerican Veterinary Medical Association’s(AVMA) education accreditation programsand research, Dr. David Granstrom, class of1978, was appointed director of theEducation andResearchDivision.

“Dave’s broadbase ofexperience andknowledge ofAVMA will servehim very well asour new divisiondirector,” said Dr. W. RonDeHaven,executive vicepresident of theAVMA. “Dave is a former assistant directorin this division and was previously anassociate director at the USDA’s AgriculturalResearch Service in Beltsville, Md.”

Dr. Granstrom’s responsibilities willinclude overseeing and formulating theassociation’s policies, objectives andprograms concerning education, research,accreditation, certification of graduates offoreign colleges of veterinary medicine, andveterinary medical specialties.

Dr. Granstrom owned and operated a solomixed practice for five years and returned toK-State to earn a Ph.D. in parasitology in1988.

Dr. David Granstrom leads AVMAEducation And Research Division

Mrs. Mary Hogg, right, presents a scholarship plaque to Dr. Christa Irwin atthe annual American Association of Swine Veterinarians meeting held in San Diego.

COUR TESY PHOTO

Dr. David Granstrom

CO

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26 Healing Hands

Dr. Mark P. Nasisse (‘78) receiveda 2008 Alumni Recognition Awardat the annual North American Vet-erinary Conference Medical Associ-ation in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 20.

After working two years in a smallanimal practice in St. Augustine, Fla.,Dr. Nasisse completed an ophthalmol-ogy residency at the University of

Tennessee, in 1983.He was an assis-

tant professor at UTfor a year and thenjoined the faculty atNorth Carolina StateUniversity. Heserved as an assis-tant professor and associate professor

until 1994. Dr. Nasisse was selected asthe Kraeuchi Endowed Professor atthe University of Missouri in 1995.

In 1999, Dr. Nasisse joined Drs. Jesse Eichenbaum and TonyGlover to form Carolina VeterinarySpecialists, a multi-specialty referralhospital, which operates four referralcenters in four N.C. cities.

Dr. Robert G. Gillespie (’61)received a 2007 Alumni RecognitionAward at the Central VeterinaryConference in Kansas City, Mo., onSept. 15, 2007.

Dr. Gillespie held a general veterinary practice in Brownstown for42 years, with special interest inequine and swine medicine.

He started thepractice and laterbuilt it up to a three-doctor practice.

Dr. Gillespie was aleader in his com-munity, and in thestate of Indiana’s vet-erinary medical regulatory and licens-

ing efforts, including several terms aspresident of the Indiana VeterinaryMedical Association (IVMA).

While serving as IVMA president,Dr. Gillespie played an instrumentalpart in establishing the Indiana StateDisaster Preparedness plan. He served15 years as the chairman of veterinaryservices for the Indiana State Fair.

Dr. James West Carlson (‘59) is a 2008 Alumni Recognition Awardrecipient. He received the award dur-ing a reception at the Nebraska Vet-erinary Medical Association conference on Jan. 25 in Lincoln.

He had a private mixed practice inCrofton from 1959 to 1985. Dr. Carlson was a member, past

director and districtrepresentative in theNebraska VeterinaryMedical Association(NVMA).

Beginning in1971, Dr. Carlsonbecame involved infirearms parts manufacturing and

sporting goods sales. In addition he isa consultant in the muzzle loadingfirearms field since 1974.

From 1976 to 1996, Dr. Carlson wasthe director of the National RifleAssociation in Washington, D.C. Hewas director of the National Muzzle-loading Rifle Association, in Friendship, Ind., from 1977 to 1987.

CVM alumni recognition awards

Dr. Norman W. Umphenour (‘62) received a 2007 Alumni RecognitionAward at the American Associationof Equine Practitioners annual con-ference in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 3.

Dr. Umphenour is the residentveterinarian for Ashford Stud, adivision of Coolmore America, withdivisions in Ireland and Australia.

Ashford Stud breedsand trains championrace horses.

As an AAEPmember, Dr. Umphenour hasserved on severalcommittees since1984. He is also a member of the

Kentucky Veterinary MedicalAssociation, Kentucky Association ofEquine Practitioners and the Societyfor Theriogenology.

Early in his career, Dr. Umphenourworked with former K-State provostand veterinary professor Dr. JimCoffman who had a veterinarypractice in Wichita in the 1960s.

Dr. Steven Wright (‘74), was recognized with a posthumous tributeat the winter meeting of NebraskaVeterinary Medical Association conference on Jan. 25 in Lincoln.

Dr. Wright earned a bachelor’sdegree in 1972 and a DVM in 1974,both at Kansas State University. Heworked in the Omaha, Neb., area his

entire career, owningthe Millard Veterinary Clinicsince 1975.

Dr. Wright part-nered with two colleagues, one ofwhom is his onlychild, Dr. Matt Wright, who graduated

from K-State in veterinary medicinein 2001, and currently practices inOmaha as the owner of the MillardWest Veterinary Clinic.

Active on numerous church boardsand activities, Dr. Steven Wright wasrecognized by the Millard EducationFoundation as its Outstanding Alumnae in 1998.

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Pet Tribute honors the human-animal bondby supporting the College of Veterinary

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When a contribution is made to Pet Tribute, a letter is sent tothe pet owner informing them a gift has been made in honoror memory of their animal companion. The names of the pet,owner and donor are recorded in a memorial book, which isdisplayed in the K-State Veterinary Medical Library on thefourth floor in Trotter Hall.

This act of kindness is a way to remember our loved ones aswe celebrate one of life’s greatest pleasures: animal companionship.

Pet Tribute supports a grief counselor for Veterinary MedicalTeaching Hospital clients, research on companion animalstudies, scholarships and equipment needs in the hospital.

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Development and Alumni OfficeCollege of Veterinary MedicineKansas State University103 Trotter HallManhattan, KS 66506-5604

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www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/development/PetTributePhone 785.532.4013 � Fax 785.532.5999

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Pet Tribute

“I had no idea a dog could put suchfootprints on your soul.”

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