Friday, October 13, 2006

K-State College of Veterinary Medicine Honors Four Faculty Members

By Megan Wilson

The Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine has recognized four of its faculty members for teaching excellence.
"These awards were created as an outgrowth of a peer mentoring and faculty development program established through an National Science Foundation grant," said Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

"The faculty members participating in this grant recognized the fact that teaching excellence was not as widely recognized as research excellence," he said. "They believed that recognition of our best teachers would lead to better teaching by others and enhanced career development and retention. They contacted sponsors for the awards, established a selection process and served as hosts at the awards ceremony.

"We are fortunate to have such a supportive culture and outstanding teachers at K-State," Richardson said of this year's award winners.

David Poole, professor of anatomy and physiology and kinesiology, received the 2006 Meriel Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of outstanding instruction of first-year veterinary medicine students. Poole joined K-State in 1995. His research interests include the limitation of oxygen transport in the lungs; cardiovascular and muscular systems in health; and diseases such as chronic heart failure, diabetes and emphysema. Poole is internationally known for his work on the dynamics of oxygen movement and how this process is impaired in disease. Poole earned his bachelor's degree in sports science from Liverpool Polytechnic in England, and his master's in kinesiology in 1984 and his doctorate in 1986, both from the University of California at Los Angeles. In 2001, Poole was awarded the prestigious Doctor of Science degree from Liverpool John Moores University in recognition of his contributions to physiology.

Howard Erickson received the 2006 IVX Animal Health Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding instruction of first-year veterinary medicine students. Erickson, professor of physiology, has been at K-State since 1981. He recently authored a book about 100 years of veterinary medicine at K-State. Since 2002 he has been working with faculty at the College of Engineering on a veterinary telemedicine project.

The goal of the project is to research and develop the infrastructure to support wearable and remote monitoring devices that continuously assess the state of health of cattle in concentrated and distributed herds. Erickson's research interests include cardiopulmonary and exercise physiology, with an emphasis on the horse and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. He earned his bachelor's and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from K-State. While commissioned in the Air Force, Erickson earned a doctorate from Iowa State University in veterinary physiology. Prior to his time at K-State, Erickson served as the directorate of research and development in the Air Force Aerospace Medical Division from 1976 until his retirement as a colonel from the Air Force in 1981.

Michael Dryden, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, received the 2006 Bayer Animal Health Teaching Excellence Award for recognition of outstanding instruction of second-year veterinary medicine students. Dryden is one of the world's foremost experts on fleas, and has been an expert source for The Wall Street Journal and "Good Morning America." His primary research interest has been the biology and control of fleas infesting dogs and cats. He received his bachelor's in biology from K-State in 1981, his doctor of veterinary medicine from K-State in 1984, and earned his master's in 1988 and a doctorate in veterinary parasitology in 1990, both from Purdue University. Dryden has been at K-State since 1990. His research efforts have received both national and international recognition with more than 70 published papers, 75 scientific presentations and 350 invited seminars in 21 different countries, as well as nationally televised segments on "Good Morning America," "CBS this Morning" and the Discovery Channel.

Johann Coetzee, assistant professor of food animal pharmacology and production medicine in the agricultural practices section of the department of clinical sciences, received the 2006 Novartis Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding instruction of third-year veterinary medicine students. Coetzee's current research is on pain management, infectious disease and applications of drugs in food animals. Coetzee joined K-State in 2005. He earned his bachelor's in veterinary science from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 1996, and was admitted to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, from which he received a certificate in cattle health and production in 2000. He also spent four years in mixed veterinary practice in Northern Ireland. Coetzee relocated to the United States in 2002, joining Iowa State University as an adjunct professor and also serving as a veterinarian. He obtained his doctorate in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State in 2005.