Students and alumni from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) recently earned numerous accolades at the 2026 American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Annual Meeting.

Research funding awards, an achievement award, scholarships, and student debt-relief grants were earned by CVM graduate students, DVM students and alumni. The honors were presented during the Annual Meeting held Feb. 28–March 3. 

Research awards

As part of its mission to fund research with direct application to the profession, the AASV Foundation awarded more than $144,000 in funding for research at the meeting.

Amanda Wzorek, a graduate student in the Veterinary Sciences program, and her coinvestigators were awarded $31,593 to fund the proposal, “Optimizing molecular detection of PRRSV and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae through the use of a sample concentrator.” 

The proposed study seeks to evaluate the effect that a pathogen concentration method has on air emission and on oral fluid samples for two important swine pathogens.

The foundation also awarded $18,901 to alum Alyssa Betlach, ’18 DVM, ’21 PhD, and coinvestigators’ proposal, “Validation of a visual indicator to aid tracheal secretion sampling for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.” 

The study aims to develop and validate a CO2 visual indicator to confirm correct tracheal catheter placement and improve the feasibility of tracheal section collection for M. hyopneumoniae.

Achievement award

CVM alum and longtime swine veterinarian Joseph Connor, ’06 MS, received the AASVF’s Heritage Award, becoming its seventh recipient. 

The award recognizes lifelong outstanding achievement in swine veterinary medicine and is only given on an as-needed basis when a deserving individual has been nominated and selected. Awardees have demonstrated their eligibility through their membership in the AASV, service to the AASV, and service to the North American swine industry.

Founder of Carthage Veterinary Service, Connor has earned national and international praise for his contributions to swine health. Connor has been heavily involved with the AASV throughout his career, including serving as board president. Among his accolades is the 2004 Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award. 

Student presentation and poster awards

For the first time, graduate students presenting in the conference’s research topics session competed for scholarships. Rafael Medeiros de Avila Melo, a graduate student in the Veterinary Sciences program, was awarded $1,000 for his presentation titled, “Assessing viral environmental contamination in and around mortality handling structures in wean-to-finish farms.”

Competing against 38 other participants, three DVM students were selected as scholarship winners in the meeting’s Veterinary Student Poster Competition.

Aleah Vetter won a $300 scholarship for the poster, “Effect of subclinical ileitis on performance and diagnostic parameters in grow-finish pigs experimentally challenged with Lawsonia intracellularis compared to unchallenged controls.”

Rachel Kontz won a $200 scholarship for the poster, “Evaluation of two different stocking densities on the health and welfare of 24-day-old weaned pigs during summer transport.”

Timothy Magdall won a $200 scholarship for the poster, “Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae circulation in feral pigs: An exploratory spatial analysis.”

Other awards

Two CVM alums were named among recipients of AASVF-Zoetis Foundation Student Debt Relief Grants, which are awarded to select swine veterinarians who are two to 10 years post-graduation. 

Seth Melson, ’23 DVM, and Lindsay Miller, ’23 DVM, each received $7,500 grants.