Jerry Jaax is Kansas State University's associate vice provost for research compliance and the university veterinarian. He previously served 26 years with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. His assignments included chief of the veterinary medicine and laboratory support at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and chief of the veterinary medicine division at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Md. He also served as director of the Army's postgraduate training program in laboratory animal medicine, and was the director of the Biological Arms Control Treaty Office at Fort Detrick, where he was responsible for overall compliance of the U.S. Army with all international biological warfare treaties and agreements.

Jaax was a key participant in dealing with the 1989 Reston Ebola outbreak as a U.S. Army veterinarian. The outbreak was detailed in Richard Preston's best-selling book, "The Hot Zone." Jaax received his B.S. and DVM degrees in 1972 from Kansas State University.

Jaax can be reached at 785-532-3224 or by e-mail jaax@k-state.edu.