Texas A&M Veterinarians Bring Home Prestigious American College Of Veterinary Surgeons Awards
Two faculty members from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have won awards from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), presented this October in Phoenix at the organization’s annual summit.
Founded in 1965, the ACVS is the specialty board that sets the certification standards for veterinary surgery specialists and provides continuing education opportunities for further skill advancement. Both awards recognize members of the organization who have made significant service contributions to their peers and the greater veterinary medical community.
Dr. Karen Cornell
Dr. Karen Cornell, the associate dean for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) professional program at the VMBS and Earline & A.P. Wiley Endowed Veterinary Chair, was selected to receive the Al and Carolyn Schiller Distinguished Service Award for exceptional contribution to the ACVS.
Cornell began her ACVS service as a member of the editorial review board for the Veterinary Surgery journal and went on to serve in many other leadership roles including chair of the ACVS Examination Committee, member and chair of the Board of Regents, and as the ACVS president in 2021.
In her leadership roles, Cornell led the organization through strategic planning, the creation of fellowship programs, and the move to a digital examination process. She also has been a frequent speaker at the ACVS Surgery Summit and former ACVS Veterinary Symposium, demonstrating her prominence as a surgeon and communication skills leader.
In addition to her ACVS service, Cornell’s passion for professional development and the surgical training of all veterinary professionals has been demonstrated in her faculty roles at the University of Georgia and at Texas A&M University, where she continues to serve as a trusted consultant and educator in the surgical curriculum.
Outside of her service to the ACVS, she has been responsible for the surgical education of more than 4,000 veterinarians for which she has been honored with multiple accolades, including the Carl J. Norden/Pfizer/Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award twice, the Student AVMA Community Outreach Excellence Award, and the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship.
Additionally, Cornell has trained more than 330 veterinary faculty from 36 veterinary schools in the communication discipline as a lead facilitator for the Institute for Healthcare Communication.
Finally, thus far in her career, she has provided 151 hours of continuing education to veterinary practitioners and authored 12 textbook chapters on surgical conditions in companion animals and essential veterinary skills.
Dr. Shannon Reed
The ACVS also recognized VMBS faculty member Dr. Shannon Reed, a clinical associate professor of food animal medicine and surgery in the VMBS’ Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, with the ACVS Foundation Lynn Wheaton Philanthropy Award.
This award recognizes ACVS Diplomates who demonstrate intentional and altruistic social responsibility through their work with their community, an association, or other nonprofit organizations. Recipients give their time and talent to positively impact the quality of life of people and animals and show generosity of spirit and civic responsibility.
Reed was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), which facilitates the placement of Thoroughbred former racehorses in second careers in equestrian sports.
Reed has worked with the RRP for more than 10 years and has developed several programs related to the Thoroughbred Makeover, the RRP’s flagship program. She implemented a required arrival exam for participants that emphasizes soundness, body condition, and microchipping — a program that protects the well-being of the horses and is a groundbreaking solution to improve equine welfare standards. Her work earned her the ASPCA Good People for Good Horses Award in 2020 and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Ambassador Award in 2021.
Reed also designed a veterinary student volunteer program that invites students to participate in arrival exams with veterinarians who are passionate about the equine industry. This program helps address the decline in the number of veterinarians entering equine practice, and Reed arranges travel stipends and housing for the students and provides proctored examinations, if necessary, so the students’ education is not affected during their time away.
Notably, Reed also developed a mentorship program for horse owners taking part in the Thoroughbred Makeover. This program has increased the owners’ knowledge and skills and improved the well-being of RRP horses.
###
For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
