Dr. William S. "Terry" Swecker, Jr., an associate professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, was elected the large animal clinical sciences representative on the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Council on Education during the AVMA's House of Delegates meeting held in conjunction with their recent annual convention in Washington, D.C.

“We are very proud of Dr. Swecker’s election to such a significant leadership position,” said Dean Gerhardt Schurig. “The role of the AVMA’s Council on Education in ensuring the quality of academic veterinary medicine is a critical one.”

Since 1948, the AVMA’s Council on Education has been responsible for accrediting all northern American colleges of veterinary medicine, which now includes 28 colleges in the United States and four in Canada.

The AVMA now provides accreditation for foreign colleges of veterinary medicine which voluntarily seek the classification, and meet or exceed all standard requirements.

Swecker will be charged with representing the interests of large animal clinical sciences during the accreditation process and will serve in this capacity for a six-year term.

“I am honored to be elected to this important position. I would like to offer special thanks to Drs. Lisa Miller and Steve Lichiello, VVMA representatives on the AVMA House of Delegates and all District II delegates for their support during the election at the AVMA convention,” said Dr. Swecker. “I look forward to representing Large Animal Clinical Sciences on the Council.”

Swecker received his D.V.M. in 1984 and his Ph.D. in 1990 from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty of the VMRCVM in 1990, Swecker was an associate veterinarian in Troutville, Virginia. He is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is a two-state, three-campus professional school operated by the land-grant universities of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and the University of Maryland at College Park. Its flagship facilities, based at Virginia Tech, include the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which treats more than 40,000 animals annually. Other campuses include the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., and the Avrum Gudelsky Veterinary Center at College Park, home of the Center for Government and Corporate Veterinary Medicine. The VMRCVM annually enrolls approximately 500 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and graduate students, is a leading biomedical and clinical research center, and provides professional continuing education services for veterinarians practicing throughout the two states. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Contact:

Share this story