Dr. Kelly Lechtenberg, Oakland, Neb., has been selected as the 2005 Alumni Fellow for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Lechtenberg is one of 10 alumni to win the award. The K-State Alumni Association allows each of the colleges within the university to choose an exemplary and distinguishable alumnus to honor as an Alumni Fellow.

Lechtenberg will be on hand to accept the award on Tuesday, March 1, during a banquet hosted at the K-State Alumni Center at 6:30 p.m. Preceding the event, Lechtenberg will present two seminars on Monday, Feb. 28, entitled “Lessons I Have Learned and Theories That I Can't Accept” and “Building a Business in the Gap Between Veterinary Medicine and Production Agriculture.”

Lechtenberg, who is known for his cutting-edge research on respiratory disease of cattle and swine, earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1987, and his Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition in 1988, both from K-State. “I needed training in both disciplines because I wanted to gain a more thorough understanding of the interaction between nutrition and disease,” Lechtenberg said. “I had a lot of support from my wife and from the faculty at the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.”

Currently Lechtenberg is involved in feedlot consultation, and biomedical research on cattle and swine. He co-owns the Swine Biomedical Resource Centre, serves as president of Central States Research Centre and is the owner of Logan Valley Feeders, all in Oakland.

A significant amount of his time and energy goes toward working with an Omaha, Neb. teaching hospital developing and transplanting chimeric tissues that, in the future, may help people in need of heart transplants and diabetic management. “I am thankful to be a veterinarian because our training positions us to be productive members of society. Our training is important in areas ranging from food production to bio-medical science, and from pet care to national bio-security,” Lechtenberg said.

Lechtenberg belongs to several professional organizations including the Academy of Veterinary Consultants and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He has presented papers at over 20 international meetings including a discussion of the role of veterinary medicine in antimicrobial resistance to the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

Lechtenberg and wife, Marcie, who has a Master’s degree from K-State in speech pathology, have three daughters. Jana will be attending K-State in the fall and plans to be on the equestrian team; Brooke is a freshman in high school and Paige is in eighth grade.

In his spare time, Lechtenberg enjoys running 50 to100 miles each month. “You have to have quiet time in your life,” he said of his hobby. “Running is about the only time I get that.” He has competed in two half-marathons in Nebraska. Lechtenberg also values time spent attending his daughters’ quarter horse shows and athletic events.