Alum Manuel Thomas to be honored by K-State College of Veterinary Medicine

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Source: Cheri Ubel, 785 532-4043, Ubel@vet.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Sarah Erskine, 785 532-4187

Thursday, November 30, 2006

ALUM MANUEL THOMAS TO BE HONORED BY K-STATE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

MANHATTAN -- Dr. Manuel "Tommy" Thomas, College Station, Texas, is being honored for his time and effort devoted to veterinary medicine by the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and its Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association.

Thomas, whose career has spanned 40 years in veterinary medicine and public health, has been selected to receive a 2006 Alumni Recognition Award at the American Association of Equine Practitioners annual conference Monday, Dec. 4, in San Antonio, Texas.

Originally from Southern California, Thomas received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from K-State in 1966. He then joined the U.S. Air Force and was sent to Vietnam for a year, where he served as chief of the veterinary service for the Air Force dispensary at Nha Trang Air Base.

"It was challenging in numerous ways, specifically in the area of public health and zoonotic disease control," Thomas said. "This sparked a fundamental change in my career choice."

After his assignment in Vietnam he spent three years at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, teaching administration, food establishment sanitation, food inspection and animal service to graduate veterinarians. In the early 1970s Thomas pursued a master's degree in ecology, public health and wildlife disease at Colorado State University. He transferred to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1974, where he taught public and environmental health for three years. He was then promoted to director of veterinary services and falconry for the academy. In that role, he was responsible for directing the falconry program, which included husbandry, captive breeding and raptor rehabilitation.

Thomas left active duty in 1979 and returned to K-State to pursue a postgraduate degree in epidemiology, higher education and continuing education. He also taught veterinary public health while at K-State. He went to Texas A&M University in 1984 to teach epidemiology, food safety and regulatory medicine. After six years, he was hired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, first as senior staff veterinarian for Equine Health Programs in Washington, D.C., and more recently as a supervisor for the Food Safety and Inspection Service at the Center for Learning in College Station, Texas. His job includes training meat and poultry personnel to perform food inspections to ensure public safety.

Thomas will retire from federal service at the end of the year, but he plans to continue to serve as a consultant for emergency preparedness.

Thomas is active in professional organizations. He was instrumental in helping K-State develop a presence at the annual conference of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in the early 1990s. He also is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and is the co-chair for its section on public health.