Bartels, Southwest ofVisionary the Year

Dr. Kenneth Bartels received the 2007 Visionary of the Year Award at the Southwest Veterinary Symposium held in Fort Worth, Texas, last fall. The award honors a person who is actively engaged in the private, public or corporate practice of veterinary medicine and esteemed by the profession.

Bartels is the McCasland Professor of Laser Surgery, the Cohn Chair in Veterinary Medicine, director of the Sarkeys Surgical Laser Laboratory and colonel in the Veterinary Corps, U.S. Army Reserve. Through memberships and positions held in various organizations too numerous to list, he has elevated the standards and goals of veterinary medicine as well as contributed to the Stillwater community through his long-term involvement in civic organizations.

citation. I then began working in agro defense on reserve duty with Homeland Security. In 2006, I came to Plum Island on military reserve duty as the interim director for eight months, during which I became interested in the work and applied for the position. I was fortunate enough to be selected as director.

Q When you graduated with your DVM in 1981, did you ever think you would be doing work that has such farreaching effects?

A I was raised on a cattle ranch near Bristow, Okla. My initial interest was cattle practice. However, I went to veterinary college on a military scholarship, so I served active duty following graduation. That led into a career in public health. I’m still very much interested in the cattle business, recognizing the devastation a foreign animal disease would have on the nation’s livestock. One of the things we are doing at Plum Island is developing a new foot and mouth disease vaccine — in partnership with

USDA and industry — that can be manufactured in the U.S. and provides many improvements over the current traditional vaccines that use live foot and mouth disease virus. It is very rewarding for me to have the opportunity to participate in developing this vaccine. As director, I feel my experience in public health, food safety, and animal health is beneficial to my position. My position as director will be one of my biggest contributions as a veterinarian for the health of animals and their owners.

Q What do you like most about veterinary medicine?

A The veterinary medicine degree allows us to have medical knowledge that can be applied across the spectrum including applications in human medicine. The concept of “one medicine” is valid and critical. Veterinarians are in a leadership position. We have more knowledge than anyone else on the ecology of disease transmission, and we are not restricted to one area. We have valuable information that can

Southwest elects Woody

At its 2007 conference, the Southwest Veterinary Symposium elected Dr. Tim Woody, class of 1971, vice president beginning in October 2008.

Woody practiced mixed-animal veterinary medicine in Siloam Springs, Ark., for 25 years after graduating from OSU. In 1996, he opened his own small-animal practice, the Pet Protection Clinic, located in Fayetteville, Ark., where he continues working in the veterinary medical profession today.

improve the overall quality of life for everyone. As veterinarians, we’re also America’s first line of defense against foreign animal diseases.

Q What do you hope to accomplish through your duties and responsibilities as director of Plum Island?

A I have several responsibilities. I support the USDA and Plant Health Inspection Services, which performs diagnostic testing of samples collected from U.S. livestock and trains federal, state and military veterinarians in foreign animal diseases. In addition, I support the USDA Agricultural Research Service, which performs both basic and applied research in the defense against foreign animal diseases. This includes strategies for prevention, control and recovery. Additionally, I support the DHS Targeted Advanced Development Group that focuses on the development of promising vaccine and antiviral candidates in cooperation with USDA and industry.

Q What advice would you offer veterinary medicine students today?

A Don’t restrict yourself to private practice. There is a broad range of job opportunities in veterinary medicine. You can work in private practice or a specialty area within private practice. (My wife, Sue, class of 1980, has a small-animal practice and loves it.) There are also areas where shortages exist, such as food animal practice and veterinary research. I hope young people can see the potential and move into these areas — public health, epidemiology, food animal practice and research. The military is also very rewarding. It’s a great way for young people to contribute to their country. The military experience gives you leadership and management skills that apply throughout your entire veterinary medicine career and your life.