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Illinois Graduate, Students Earn Kudos at National Swine Meeting

[2018 AASV winners from Illinois]

Several Illinois students and a 2012 alumnus were recognized at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) in San Diego, Calif., in early March.

Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year

Dr. Adam Schelkopf, of Sioux Falls, S.D., received the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year Award, given 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.

After completing his Illinois DVM degree, Dr. Schelkopf joined Pipestone Veterinary Services. He is currently a partner in Pipestone Holdings and serves as health director for the Pipestone System and director of the East Region, working with independent producers across the Midwest.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this award, and exceptionally thankful to the AASV. The AASV and the swine veterinary community are wonderful in how they embrace students and young practitioners, provide opportunities to learn and develop professionally, as well as create lifelong friendships,” said Dr. Schelkopf upon receiving the honor.

“I owe tremendous gratitude to my parents, my mentors, and my colleagues at Pipestone. Pipestone instills a sense of passion for the industry, profession, and communities we work in, as well as a sense of family throughout the company which I am grateful to be a part of.”

In addition to his full-time commitment to practicing swine medicine, Dr. Schelkopf is finishing his master’s degree at Iowa State University. He has been involved in researching porcine epidemic diarrhea virus immunity in sows and piglets, with special consideration to antibody test interpretation.

Schelkopf is a third-generation swine veterinarian, and the most recent of five in the Schelkopf family to earn an Illinois veterinary degree.

Student Scholarship Winners

Megan Bloemer, Class of 2020 (holding pig in photo above), and Kayla Henness, Class of 2019 (at right), were among 10 second- and third-year veterinary students from across North and South America to receive a $5,000 scholarship at the 2018 AASV meeting. The scholarships are funded by Merck Animal Health in partnership with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation, the charitable arm of AASV.

Henness and Katie O’Brien, also Class of 2019 (second from left), were among 58 veterinary students, representing 17 universities, whose submitted abstracts were selected for presentation at the AASV meeting. From the 58  submissions, 15 students, including O’Brien, were selected to present at the Student Seminar, sponsored by Zoetis. These students receive a $750 travel stipend, and O’Brien additionally received a $500 scholarship.

The top 15 abstracts not selected for oral presentation at the Student Seminar were invited to participate in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition. For her submission, Henness received a $200 scholarship from Newport Laboratories, sponsor of the poster competition, as well as a $250 travel stipend from Zoetis and the AASV.