Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Two Kansas State University students are among 15 students from across the nation receiving American Association of Bovine Practitioners Foundation-Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarships to support careers in large-animal veterinary medicine.

Douglas Shane, Louisburg, and Aaron Schaffer, Fairbury, Illinois, are both fourth-year students in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Shane, Schaffer and the other recipients were presented with the $5,000 scholarships at the recent annual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, or AABP, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The recipients also received paid travel to the conference.

"Investment in veterinary students from professional organizations like AABP and industry leaders like Zoetis should be admired," Shane said. "This scholarship will help foster the dreams and aspirations of all the scholarship recipients. The FFA and agriculture education made me passionate about wanting to contribute to the cattle industry in significant ways. My plan is to do this through food-animal consulting and contract research. I believe it is important to help producers develop systems that mitigate risk and realize the full potential of their businesses."

"After I graduate in veterinary medicine, I hope to work as an associate in a mixed-animal practice in rural Kansas and eventually, I would like to become a part owner in a mixed-animal, multi-doctor practice," Schaffer said. "Growing up on a dairy farm instilled a passion for agriculture within me, and my primary interest is food animal medicine. I strongly believe in the concept that veterinarians should prevent disease rather than treat disease, so I would like to build my practice around preventative medicine."

"Aaron and Doug are two beef and dairy cattle production medicine graduate students who are pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine as well," said Dan Thomson, Jones professor of production medicine and director of the Beef Cattle Institute Kansas State University. "They are very deserving of these scholarship awards from AABP. Both Aaron and Doug have been examples of excellence in their studies and in their research. They are great ambassadors of the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine program and our profession."

The scholarship program is part of the trademark Zoetis Commitment to Veterinarians platform, which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession and philanthropy.