AVEPM 2007 Symposium

The Calvin W. Schwabe Award is presented annually by the AVEPM to honor lifetime achievement in veterinary epidemiology and preventive medicine. This year’s honoree is:

Dr. clive C. Gay

On behalf of the Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (AVEPM), I am pleased to announce that Dr. Clive Gay, Professor Emeritus from Washington State University, has been selected as the 2007 recipient of the Calvin W. Schwabe Award for Lifetime Achievement in Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.  This award is presented annually by the AVEPM, and previous recipients include Drs. Calvin W. Schwabe, Robert K. Anderson, James H. Steele, and S. Wayne Martin.  This award will be presented on December 2, 2007 at the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) at a special symposium featuring a keynote address delivered by Dr. Gay in addition to presentations from colleagues and protégés.

Dr. Clive C. Gay biography: Dr. Gay served on the faculty at Washington State University from 1979 until 2005, and was the division head for population medicine, theriogenology, and food animal medicine and surgery within the Department of Clinical Sciences from 1988 through 2005. Dr. Gay received DVM and MVSc degrees from the University of Guelph, and later became a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. Before joining the faculty at WSU, he served as a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and the University of Melbourne. In 1983, Dr. Gay led in the development of the Field Disease Investigation Unit (FDIU) at WSU, a much-admired service unit in applied veterinary epidemiology. The FDIU quickly established an excellent reputation with livestock producers for responding meaningfully to their problems, with research faculty for integrating field research with bench science, and with the academic veterinary community for raising the standard and image of field-based epidemiological service and research. Emulation of this integrative model has been attempted by veterinary institutions from around the world, but none have superseded the original, which is undoubtedly due in large part to the spirit infused by Clive Gay. Dr. Gay’s unique blend of clinical skills, self-effacing demeanor, practical knowledge, and scientific ability are hallmarks of his interaction with producers, students, veterinarians, researchers, and decision-makers at the local, national, and international level. The hallmark of his research activity has been its applicability to practical issues faced by livestock producers. He is a dedicated and effective teacher, having contributed to the education of veterinary students for more than 40 years, particularly in the art and skill of physical diagnosis. Dr. Gay was also an advisor, invaluable mentor, and committee member for 29 PhD and MS students during his career. He is an author on more than 90 peer-reviewed journal publications, in addition to publishing numerous book chapters, including several for the Merck Veterinary Manual. To some, he may be best known for his contribution to one of the most influential veterinary textbooks ever published, Veterinary Medicine - A Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs and Goats. Dr. Gay was a contributing author to the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions, and was a co-editor for the 8th, 9th, and most recently, the 10th edition which was published in 2007. With his broad expertise and unequalled knowledge of pertinent literature, it is not surprising that he was also a co-author of the 3rd edition of Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary.