June 2012

The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine has named Bettina Schemera, D.V.M., Ph.D., as associate director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Health.  

"Dr. Schemera has a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence which make her a valuable asset to the animal resource program at the College of Veterinary Medicine," said Dr. Pat Rynders, Division of Laboratory Animal Health director.

“Dr. Schemera brings a wealth of experience from private practice and from her role as an attending veterinarian in the program. We are very fortunate to have her as associate director of Laboratory Animal Health,” said Dr. Calvin Johnson, College of Veterinary Medicine interim dean.

Dr. Schemera received her D.V.M. in 1984 and her Ph.D. in 1987 from Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany.  For 15 years she served as a small animal practitioner and surgeon in Santiago, Chile, where she owned a veterinary practice. In 2005 she became unit veterinarian for the Scott-Ritchey Research Center and the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University. In 2008 Dr. Schemera was appointed as a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Laboratory Animal Health.

Attendees of the 84th Annual Western Veterinary Conference voted Dr. David G. Pugh as the Food Animal Continuing Educator of the Year. The honor acknowledges his expertise, communication skills, and outstanding commitment to the veterinary profession.

At the 2013 conference in February in Las Vegas, Dr. Pugh will be recognized as one of the 2012 Continuing Educators of the Year for the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC). A veterinarian with the Equine Source Plasma Program, he is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, the American College of Theriogenologists, and the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists. Dr. Pugh is the author of “Sheep and Goat Medicine, 2nd Edition” which covers medical treatment, surgery, theriogenology, and nutrition.

Dr. Hui-Chu Lin, professor and equine section chief, was also nominated for Food Animal Continuing Educator of the Year. A board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Lin is the author of a chapter on anesthesia in “Sheep and Goat Medicine”.

In a statement announcing the 2012 Continuing Educators of the Year, the WVC said, “These men and women exemplify the talent and commitment that ensure the continuing education experience at the Western Veterinary Conference remains one of the finest in the world.”

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine presented Dr. Ray Dillon, Jack O. Rash Professor of Medicine, with the inaugural ACVIM Foundation Distinguished Service Award on May 31. The honor took place during the awards luncheon of the 2012 ACVIM Forum held May 30 through June 2 in New Orleans at the New Orleans Convention Center.

Dr. Dillon was chosen for the inaugural award in appreciation for his contributions, dedication, and commitment to advancing veterinary specialty medicine. Dr. Dillon is the founding president of the ACVIM Foundation. With the direction and support of the ACVIM Board of Regents, Dr. Dillon chaired the ACVIM exploratory committee and then the organizational board which initiated a 501(c) tax-exempt foundation dedicated to the research of clinically important animal diseases. As an arm of ACVIM, the initial foundation board drafted the initial charter, mission statements, governance and bylaws, committee structure, budget projections, legal liability assessments, and IRS application for tax-exempt status.

The ACVIM Foundation application received full tax-exempt status in 2000. The foundation board drafted a fund raising strategy and a research granting and scoring process which were implemented by the ACVIM Foundation. During these initial steps of creation, Dr. Dillon served as president of the ACVIM Foundation (1998-2001) and as president of the board for two additional years. 

The U.S. Senate introduced and passed a resolution on June 19 designating June 20, 2012, as “American Eagle Day” celebrating the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States.  The Southeastern Raptor Center is named in S.Res.498: “Whereas facilities around the United States, such as the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University in the State of Alabama, rehabilitate injured eagles for release into the wild.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee sponsored the resolution. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama is one of its co-sponsors.

Junior Veterinary Camp took place June 10-15. Senior Vet Camp begins July 8! Rising ninth through eleventh graders will learn about veterinary medicine first-hand in our classrooms, laboratories, and outdoor facilities. Registration for 2013 begins in December. Veterinary Camp and other summer youth programs are sponsored by the Office of Professional and Continuing Education. If you know students who would enjoy experiencing campus-life staying in Auburn's resident dormitories, eating in campus dining facilities, and enjoying evening social and recreational activities, send them to the Web site.

The Auburn University Graduate School announces the availability of Auburn University-affiliated graduate and family housing for fall 2012. The university has recently partnered with two off-campus apartment communities to provide convenient and affordable housing for graduate students and students with families. Auburn University will lease the apartments and then make them available to students. The competitively priced apartment communities offer 10-minute walks to campus and enhanced bus/van transit service 7 days per week. Students will be able to pay for housing through the Auburn University Bursar’s Office along with other academic fees.  For information, applications, and supporting documents, visit Housing & Residence Life on the web. 

Auburn University will implement a new smoking policy Aug. 16. The policy will require all smokers to remain at least 25 feet from campus buildings while smoking. The new guidelines are designed to create a healthier and cleaner environment for the campus community, while also promoting healthier life decisions such as tobacco cessation. Within 20 minutes of quitting, a smoker's heart rate and blood pressure levels drop. Carbon monoxide levels in the blood of a smoker drop to normal just 12 hours after quitting.

Auburn's Harrison School of Pharmacy offers the "Pack It Up" cessation program to members of the Auburn community who wish to quit. The program provides one-on-one sessions to aid smokers in reaching their goal. More resources and information about tobacco cessation can be found online.