Wednesday, June 29, 2005

K-State Veterinary Research Scholars to Present at National Meeting

By Kay Garrett

The 2005 Veterinary Research Scholars Program at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has selected 12 participants. The program trains veterinary students to conduct comparative biomedical research. The program, now in its eighth year, runs until August.

At the end of July, the students will present their research results at the 2005 Merck/Merial Veterinary Scholar National Symposium in Athens, Ga. The meeting is "Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science: Intersection on the Road Ahead."

Program directors are veterinarians Dr. Frank Blecha and Dr. Lisa Freeman.

The participants are top students interested in experiencing the research side of the veterinary profession. During the summer program, they will be actively involved in projects under the guidance of K-State researchers in biology, anatomy and physiology, entomology, clinical sciences and diagnostic medicine, who serve as mentors. This year's class of 10 women and two men includes 10 K-Staters.

The program was established originally with support from the National Institutes of Health. A subsequent grant from Merck-Merial, and college and departmental support now provides competitive scholarships each year for 10 sophomore students attending U.S. colleges of veterinary medicine and for two students attending veterinary schools outside the United States.

According to Freeman, "It is appropriate for the Kansas State University Veterinary Research Scholars to participate in the national meeting. Our program is designed to show students that they can use their veterinary education to advance human as well as animal health through basic and applied research."

Candace Jacobson, Abilene, will study with Beth Davis, clinical sciences and anatomy and physiology. Jennifer Ramsey, Elk City, will study with T. G. Nagaraja, diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. Karen Patton, Hillsboro, will study with Michael Kenney, anatomy and physiology. Diane Schrempp, Lenexa, will study with Annelise Nguyen, diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.

David Gasper, Huntsville, Ala., will study with biologist Sam Wisely. Travis Hagedorn, San Francisco, Calif., will study with Bruce Schultz, anatomy and physiology.

From Nebraska: Joan Talbott, Columbus, will study with entomologist Ludek Zurek. Leann Wright, Lincoln, will study with Mark Weiss, anatomy and physiology. Emily Olson, Omaha, will study with livestock entomologist Sonny Ramaswamy.

Caren Boyd, Corvallis, Ore., will study with developmental biologist Sue Brown.

Tya Harris, sophomore at Tuskegee University from Nashville, Tenn., will study with Tom Schermerhorn, clinical sciences.

Hanna Schoepper, sophomore at University of Hannover, Germany, from Duisburg, Germany, will study with biologists Helmut Hirt and Lynn Hancock.