Distinguished Alumni

Three Named 2021 Distinguished Alumni

These individuals have enhanced the reputation of the college by distinguishing themselves in their careers, making significant contributions to their community, state and nation. They exemplify the loyalty, passion and innovation found in all dedicated graduates from our college.

DR. ALVIN BAUMWART

After graduating from college with a bachelors degree, Baumwart immediately became classified 1A with the Selective Service System in 1972.

He concurrently enrolled in a master’s program and ROTC at OSU. Baumwart then applied and was accepted to attend the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973. Afterward, he accepted a 4-year Army Health Professions Scholarship with a 4-year payback commitment.

Baumwart completed a Master Degree in Animal Science (Nutrition/Immunology) and received his DVM degree in 1977. He then served four years active duty as chief of the medical branch of JFK Special Forces Schools in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

After leaving active duty, Baumwart established the Highland Veterinary Clinic in Arapaho, Oklahoma, in June 1981. He was recruited to return to Army duty by entering the U.S. Army Reserve, and later recruited to become the OKARNG State Veterinarian, finally retiring in the Army Reserve in Dallas in 2010 as a colonel.

Baumwart said the friendships and experiences spanning 37 years of military service are countless and priceless. He had deployments to Central and South America, Turkey and was activated as the first Veterinary Unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.

In Baumwart’s 40 years of private practice, he saw stock market crashes, oil boom/bust, volatile oil prices and interest rates, cattle market boom/bust, farm and ranch foreclosures, drought, flood, terrorism, war, an anthrax scare, Mad Cow Disease, West Nile Virus, numerous livestock movement restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through it all, Baumwart’s wife, Donna, and associate, Dr. Jon Shepherd (OSU CVM ’83), kept him on course, he said. Baumwart’s children — Angie, Ryan, and Chad — all went on to not only become DVM’s, but also specialize and become leaders in their own right. Shepherd’s daughter, Christina, also became an OSU CVM graduate.

Dr. Angie Dubois and husband Dr. Bill Dubois have been CVM missionaries in Indonesia for the past five years and have children Iris and Vince. Dr. Ryan Baumwart and wife Shaundra are in Pullman, Washington, with their two daughters, Brighton and Charline. Ryan is the assistant professor in cardiology at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Chad Baumwart and wife April are co-owners of Highland Veterinary Clinic, and Chad is a board-certified surgeon and owner of Highland Equine Hospital.

DR. ROCKY BIGBIE

Dr. Rocky Bigbie of Guthrie, Oklahoma, earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science (’77) and his DVM degree (’81) from Oklahoma State University.

He went on to complete an equine surgical residency/ graduate school at Auburn University earning a masters degree in veterinary surgery (’89).

Bigbie served 26 years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps (active duty and reserves) retiring as a lieutenant colonel. During his military career he conducted training visits to Veterinary Treatment Facilities, directed the Animal Care Specialist School, and commanded the 445th Medical Detachment.

He spent two years as an associate veterinarian at Equine Medical Associates in Suwanee, Georgia. A five-veterinarian referral practice, Bigbie focused on herd health, surgery, lameness and emergency practice.

In 1995, Bigbie began his exemplary career in the pharmaceutical industry starting with Fort Dodge Animal Health, to Pfizer Animal Health and finally to Zoetis. He used a multitude of skills to manage teams effectively, work with all species — equine, companion animal and livestock, excel in equine pharmaceutical and biological technical services — and successfully serve as academic liaison to all western veterinary colleges, empowering colleagues at these colleges and state diagnostic laboratories.

Throughout his veterinary career, Bigbie has been involved in organized veterinary medicine. He served in several capacities with the American Association of Equine Practitioners, including forum facilitator, therapeutics and biologics forum, equine welfare committee, unwanted horse task force and equine euthanasia guidelines.

His mentorship of veterinary students throughout the western United States has been a positive influence on so many and his support of student programs regionally and nationally has been tireless.

DR. DONNIE GARDNER

Dr. Donnie Gardner grew up on a cattle ranch and dairy farm in southern Oklahoma.

During high school FFA, he managed a herd of 20 registered Duroc sows and sold show pigs and feeders. After graduating in 1970 with their DVM degrees, the late Dr. Susan Gardner and he moved to Bedford County, Virginia, where they built Bedford Animal Hospital.

There, they worked the mixed animal practice for 10 years. Gardner then went into solo dairy practice and built a productive dairy heifer raising operation, Gardner Heifers Inc., which he still runs today.

Gardner’s business raises heifers for dairy farmers in Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. He was the first in the county to do no-till alfalfa seeding, treat mature grass hay with anhydrous ammonia to improve digestibility, wrap baleage with an inline bale wrapper and plant no-till corn in green standing cover crops. Gardner was also the first in his part of Virginia to use brown midrib brachytic dwarf forage sorghum for a direct cut silage crop.

Gardner helped establish what is known today as the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association and served in leadership for several years. He also facilitated the start of Hunters for the Hungry project where Virginia hunters donate venison that is then given to people in need of quality lean protein. In its 30th year, the program has provided 7.4 million pounds or 29.6 million servings of this natural renewable resource.

He participated in the creation of the Virginia Academy of Food Animal Practitioners to improve continuing education and professional relationships and promote the practice of food animal veterinary medicine in Virginia. Gardner served in leadership positions of this organization and still does today as secretary/treasurer.

Gardner was also involved on a national level with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners as well as many state and local organizations too numerous to list.

He has received many awards and honors including the Roger Cady Award, the Professional Dairy Heifer Growers highest award (2004), AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year Award (2011) and the Paul E. Landis Virginia Veterinarian of the Year Award (2015).

Gardner has been active in his community serving on his church board of directors and supporting the Virginia State Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom Project and the local FFA chapter. He has shared his vast knowledge through many publications and presentations throughout his career.

The Gardners were married for 50 years before Susan passed away. Their two sons, Andy and Sam, are partners in the dairy heifer raising enterprise and have given Donnie three grandsons and one granddaughter.

Supporting the OSU College of Vet Med Legacy

In 1985, Drs. Gary Spodnick and Julie O’Carroll earned their DVM degrees from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

The married couple had very successful veterinary careers. Spodnick co-owned a specialty practice for 18 years and continued to work there five years after selling the business. O’Carroll worked 20 years as a technical support veterinarian for Elanco Animal Health.

It is their success that fills them with gratitude and a desire to give back to the college that gave them so much.

“A favorite quote of ours by Louis Pasteur — ‘Chance favors the prepared mind’ — is also a principle by which we live,” Spodnick said. “Opportunities for success and good fortune may present themselves when least expected, and it is important to be ready to recognize these and be open minded to act on them. We enjoy the success we have today because we were well prepared with a solid education and good training received at OSU and from the support of the OSU faculty.

“Chance and preparedness have also come together in such a way to allow us to provide support to our alma mater.”

Now semi-retired, Spodnick and O’Carroll are making a generous estate gift to the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Over the past several years, Spodnick served as a locum in the small animal surgery service, which gave the couple many opportunities to be in Stillwater.

“We enjoyed reconnecting with the school and with classmates and being in the place where many happy years were spent,” O’Carroll said. “It’s also apparent that the veterinary hospital has aged and is in need of financial support now to help it continue to be competitive and to attract faculty and clinicians who will shape the next generation of veterinarians.

“Our hard work and good fortune, combined with an intimate understanding of the needs of the CVM, have inspired us to make this gift. We recognize that without the education, training and support we received from OSU, we would not be in the position we are today. It is our way of ‘paying it forward.’”

The college’s Veterinary Medical Hospital was built in the late 1970s and opened in 1981. While several key areas have been updated in recent years, many critical infrastructure and space modification needs remain.

“Everyone has a story about their education and career path,” Spodnick said. “For many, it likely goes back to their early days when they were mentored by a veterinarian or influenced by a faculty member — Dr. Peterson and Dr. Friend in a freshman anatomy class, for example, or Dr. Panciera in pathology — that helped guide and shape their career decisions. We owe something to this place and the legacy of those who provided us with a ‘prepared mind.’

“Our veterinary college is at a crossroads — it needs our support to regain its position as a leader in veterinary education and research. This is a time for all of us to give gratitude and thanks to our college for all that it has provided us. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most profound ways is to provide direct financial support to the CVM.”

If you would like to support OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, please contact Ashley Hesser, director of development with the OSU F oundation, at 405-385-0715 or ahesser@osugiving.com.