Pfizer Animal Health, American Association of Bovine Practitioners Award 23 Veterinary Students with Scholarships


More than $300,000 awarded to 63 students since 2009


Pfizer logoPfizer Animal Health and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Foundation are proud to announce that 23 veterinary medicine students received financial support through the 2011 AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund.

"Our ongoing partnership with Pfizer Animal Health on this scholarship program has provided much needed financial support for our veterinary students," says M. Gatz Riddell Jr., DVM, executive vice president, AABP. "The cost of college can be a significant hurdle for the success of veterinary students, and we want to offer students the opportunity to focus on their studies and future careers, not the cost of tuition."

This year, the AABP Foundation and Pfizer Animal Health presented 23 students from across the nation with a $5,000 scholarship at the AABP Annual Conference held Sept. 21 to 24 in St. Louis, Mo. Travel and lodging costs also were provided to the scholarship recipients to attend the AABP Annual Conference. In the last three years, the AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund has awarded $315,000 in scholarships to 63 veterinary students.

The 2011 scholarship recipients are:
• Elisha Adkins, Oregon State University
• Nicholas Barbu, Michigan State University
• Curtis Beidel, University of Pennsylvania
• Joshua Boyden, Cornell University
• Matt Brewer, Iowa State University
• Maranda Gonzalez, The Ohio State University
• Nika Grigsby, University of Florida
• Scott Hamilton, University of California, Davis
• Amber Hazel, University of Minnesota
• Elizabeth Homerosky, The Ohio State University
• Brandy Lengacher, The Ohio State University
• Claire McPhee, North Carolina State University
• Ward Mills, University of Georgia
• Timothy Perano, University of California, Davis
• Cassandra Peterson, University of Illinois
• Andy Pike, Auburn University
• Haley Resler, Purdue University
• Molly Riddell, Auburn University
• Chase Stahl, Iowa State University
• Brandon Treichler, University of Minnesota
• Ben Werkhoven, Washington State University
• Mary Stuart Womack, Texas A&M University
• Jeremi Wurtz, Iowa State University

Making a difference for large-animal veterinarians
Sally Adams received an AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship in 2010. As a 2011 graduate of The Ohio State University, she currently works at a mixed-animal practice focusing on dairy veterinary medicine in Maria Stein, Ohio. According to Adams, both the scholarship and the support of Pfizer Animal Health and AABP have helped advance her career.

"Receiving the scholarship helped financially support my dream of becoming a large-animal veterinarian," Adams says. "Pfizer Animal Health is investing in me, in my future and in animal agriculture to make our country's food supply the best it can be."

Pfizer Animal Health is committed to supporting the future of large-animal veterinarians and that support starts long before a veterinarian is in practice, according to Doug Braun, DVM, veterinary segment manager, Strategic Initiatives Marketing, Pfizer Animal Health.

"The financial support we provide to veterinary students today translates into a more robust and sustainable veterinary community tomorrow," Braun says.

Funding for the scholarships is provided by the Pfizer Animal Health FFA and AABP Foundation Support Program, a unique partnership with veterinarians, animal health suppliers and dealers. The program offered a 1 percent rebate on Pfizer Animal Health cattle products from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2011. Participating partners were able to direct funds to any local FFA chapter(s) or the AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund.

The AABP Foundation – Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Fund is a component of Pfizer Animal Health's Commitment to Veterinarians™ platform-which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.

09.26.2011