Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- At Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, good things come in threes.

Three students from the college earned honors at the annual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Sept. 18-21, in Milwaukee, Wis.

Recipients and their honors include: Tera Rooney Barnhardt, fourth-year veterinary medicine student and master's student in biomedical science from Satanta, $5,000 American Association of Bovine Practitioners Foundation-Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship; Sara McReynolds, doctoral student in pathobiology, Stockton, third place in the association's Research Summaries Graduate Student Awards; and Aaron Schaffer, third-year veterinary medicine student and master's student in biomedical science from Fairbury, Ill., $7,500 American Association of Bovine Practitioners Amstutz Scholarship and second place in the association's Research Summaries Graduate Student Awards.

Barnhardt was one of only 15 students from veterinary colleges across the U.S. to win the $5,000 scholarship. It is funded by component of the Zoetis Commitment to Veterinarians platform, which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.

"My master's degree research involved working with feedlots, and I have a huge interest in feedlot consulting and would like to pursue that interest in the future," Barnhardt said. "The area of the state I want to work in has an abundance of food animals and a deficit of veterinarians. I want to help fill that void and become a contributing member of the small community I practice in."

Schaffer was one of nine students to receive this Amstutz scholarship, which was created to recruit outstanding students for careers in bovine veterinary practice and to provide them with unique educational experiences to maximize their preparation for bovine practice in the future. The scholarship is named in honor of Harold E. Amstutz.

Schaffer also was recognized for his research. His second-place paper was "Effects of BRD in Holstein dairy calves during the first 120 days of life on subsequent production, longevity, and reproductive performance as cows."

"After I graduate veterinary medicine I hope to work as an associate in a mixed-animal practice in rural Kansas and eventually I would like to become a part owner in a mixed-animal, multi-veterinarian practice," Schaffer said. "Growing up on a dairy farm instilled a passion for agriculture within me, so my primary interest is food animal medicine. I strongly believe in the concept that veterinarians should prevent disease rather than treat disease. Thus, I would like to build my practice around preventative medicine."

Bovine research earned McReynolds third place for her paper, "Impact of uncertainty in foot and mouth disease indirect transmission probability on outbreak duration and herds depopulated."

"The conference was beneficial to my program because I was able to gain experience presenting my research. It also allowed me to discuss my research with other veterinarians and to get valuable feedback," said McReynolds, who earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from Kansas State University in 2008. "My long-term goals are to work in the field of preventative medicine with a focus on disease surveillance and emergency management."

Dan Thomson, assistant dean for outreach and Jones professor of production medicine and epidemiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, is the adviser for Rooney and Schaffer.

"Tera and Aaron have been great representatives of both our veterinary college and our graduate programs on a national level. Their hard work and leadership on our campus is tremendous. I am very proud of them," Thomson said.

Brad White, assistant professor in production medicine, was the 2013 beef cattle program committee chair at the annual conference. He said the success of Barnhardt and Schaffer reflects the university's commitment to excellence.

"We are excited and proud to have Tera and Aaron recognized by American Association of Bovine Practitioners as outstanding young professionals," White said. "A national pool of veterinary students applies for these awards, and Tera and Aaron's success in this competitive process illustrates their commitment to bovine medicine."

Mike Sanderson, professor of beef production and epidemiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, is McReynolds' adviser. He noted that her success speaks to the high quality of graduate students at the university and the research they perform in service to the livestock industry.