The work of two College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) community members recently received international recognition at the 2025 World Veterinary Association (WVA) Global Veterinary Awards. 

Faculty member Randall Singer, professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, and alumna Joni Scheftel, ’82 DVM, '01 MPH, recently retired Minnesota state public health veterinarian, were honored during the award ceremony in mid-July. 

Singer won the Medical Stewardship award category for his work exploring the impact of antimicrobial use in animal agriculture on microbial populations and the implications for animal, human, and environmental health. 

He is lauded as a prominent contributor to national and international antimicrobial stewardship policy as well as a leader in helping the American Veterinary Medical Association shape frameworks and guidance tools that enable veterinarians to make informed, responsible antimicrobial decisions across species and sectors.

“From an international perspective, it has been incredibly rewarding to be part of these meetings or organizations that are discussing how different countries or regions are trying to tackle the program,” Singer says. 

For her extraordinary contributions to advancing One Health principles throughout her four-decade career, Scheftel earned the One Health Award from WVA. Her leadership in antimicrobial stewardship, public health collaboration, and interdisciplinary leadership exemplifies the integrated approach required to address global health challenges.

While serving in several AVMA leadership roles, Scheftel was instrumental in developing critical resources, including the AVMA’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Definition and Core Principles and the accompanying implementation Checklist, now widely used by veterinary practitioners.

“This One Health Award means everything,” Scheftel says. “It is wonderful to see the role of veterinarians and the contributions of veterinarians recognized in this way. One Health is needed because it takes all kinds of different people coming together to manage some of these really difficult problems happening in the world.”

Presented by the WVA and supported by Ceva Santé Animale, the Global Veterinary Awards recognize four veterinarians and one veterinary student for their work in providing animal owners, governments, health authorities, farmers, other veterinarians, and the public, with best practice across WVA’s four strategic objectives: One Health, medicine stewardship, animal welfare, and veterinary education. 

Watch the videos below to learn more about Singer and Scheftel’s award-winning work.