CVM outstanding alumni and rising star honored
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) honored seven of its alumni for their contributions to the veterinary medical profession at a dinner held on April 4th as part of Homecoming activities at the CVM. The recipients of the 2014 Rising Star Award and the 2014 Outstanding Alumni Awards were nominated by fellow alumni, in recognition of their leadership and service.
“We take great pride in recognizing our former students and the impacts of their contributions on our college, our state, our nation, and the world,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “Through their ongoing commitments to service, leadership, and education, these incredible veterinarians are outstanding ambassadors not only for the CVM, but also for our profession.”
2014 Rising Star Award Recipient
Dr. Aaron C. Rainer ’06 graduated from Texas A&M University with degrees in both veterinary medicine and public health. He started in private practice in 2006, and since 2009, he has been an associate veterinarian at Rose-Rich Veterinary Clinic. Since 2012, he has also been a partner at the Animal Emergency Center of Temple-Belton.
Rainer has been an active member of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) since 2002. He is a past member of the North Central Texas Veterinary Medical Association and a current member of both the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Rainer served as a member of the Community Services Advisory Board for the City of Temple and has also served as the marketing chairman and a member of the board of directors for the Tem-Bel Division of the American Heart Association. He continues to support the CVM as a mentor to the classes of 2011, 2015, and 2018.
2014 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients
Dr. Charles “Doc” Anderson graduated from Texas A&M University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1981. He had the distinct honor of serving as class president for all three years of veterinary school and has since served as a small animal veterinarian in Waco, Texas.
After over 20 years of advocacy for small business through service on statewide committees with the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Business, as well as an appointment by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Small Business Advisory Council, Anderson was elected in 2004 to represent District 56 (which includes Waco & McLennan County) in the Texas State Legislature. He has been re-elected four times. Anderson is also consistently ranked in the top tier by organizations dedicated to reviewing “pocketbook” issues for Texas taxpayers, including Texas Conservative Coalition, Americans for Prosperity, the Texas Association of Business, and Young Conservatives of Texas.
Dr. Jimmie Don Aycock ’70 served as a captain in the United States Army until 1972 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He owned and operated veterinary clinics in Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights through 1998. During that time, he offered opportunities and encouragement to many young people with an interest in veterinary medicine and because of his mentorship, many went on to become practicing veterinarians.
Aycock was elected to the Texas Legislature in 2006. He represents House District 54, which includes the western portion of Bell County and Lampasas County. He is currently the chairman of the Public Education Committee and a member of the Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committee. In addition, he served as an appointed member of the Appropriations subcommittee on Education. Throughout his tenure as a representative, he has worked on a number of issues important to veterinary medicine.
Dr. Charles L. Hall ‘64 is a member of the Phi Zeta veterinary honor society. Hall served as a Lieutenant in the US Army from 1955-1957. He then worked as an assistant co-agent for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service prior to completing his DVM degree. Afterwards, he entered private veterinary practice in Palestine, Texas, before joining the CVM faculty in 1967.
As a respected veterinary neurologist and clinician, he gave over 50 professional presentations and authored or co-authored 14 scientific publications. He served as the co-principal investigator of a three-year study researching the comparison of combination anticonvulsant therapies in the treatment of refractory epilepsy. His teaching responsibilities included courses in both the departments of Large and Small Animal Clinical Sciences, and those designated as Veterinary Medicine Interdisciplinary courses.
Dr. Dale S. Lonsford ’72 served as a Captain in the US Army Veterinary Corp from 1972-1975. In 1978, Lonsford established the Center Animal Hospital, which he later merged with the Animal Hospital of Deer Park. The practice has been known as the Deer Park Animal Hospital since 1985. He earned accredited hospital status from the American Animal Hospital Association in 1986. In 1997, he became a charter member of Texas Group One, a group of veterinarians who scrutinize each other’s clinics, staff, and records to maximize each member’s quality of practice. He was also the charter owner and operator of the Banfield Pet Hospital in Pasadena from 2002-2012.
From 1989-1995, he was the district director for the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) for Harris County and Chairman of the Board from 1995-1996. Lonsford served on the Executive Board of the TVMA from 1995-2001, was its president in 2000, and has participated as a member and/or chairman of a multitude of TVMA committees.
Dr. Daniel E. Scott ’54 was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the US Air Force after getting his DVM degree. He served in its Vet Corps for two years and was promoted to captain. In 1957, Scott began practicing veterinary medicine in Tyler, Texas. In the fall of that year, he entered the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. While studying human medicine, he continued to practice veterinary medicine during the summers and on holidays. He graduated in the top 5% of his class in 1961.
After completing a two-year internship in Salt Lake City, Utah, Scott returned to Dallas where he completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at Parkland Hospital. He joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School faculty as an assistant professor in 1966, and was appointed chair of the OB/GYN department and director of residents at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in 1978. He was elected president of the Texas Perinatal Society in 1982. The trustees of Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas honored Scott with a distinguished professorship in OB/GYN in 1998.
Dr. Ed Smallwood ’69 also holds bachelors and masters degrees from Texas A&M. After receiving his DVM, he taught anatomy and radiology at the CVM until 1981, when he moved to NC State University’s new College of Veterinary Medicine as Professor of Anatomy. From 2003-2013, he served as the Director of CVM Alumni Relations. Since 2002, he has been a part-time professor at St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. In 2013, he retired from NC State and was named Professor Emeritus.
Smallwood has received numerous recognitions and teaching awards, including election to the NC State Academy of Outstanding Teachers and Chairman of the NC State Faculty Senate. He has also served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Physicians’ Health Program, and as a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Health Program. In 2013, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation established and endowed “The Dr. James Edgar Smallwood Endowed Scholarship for Student Excellence.”
The College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences annually recognizes graduates from the DVM professional program who have made significant contributions to society through veterinary medicine and who have not only brought honor and recognition to themselves, but also to the college.
Graduates of the CVM may be nominated for the Outstanding Alumni and Rising Star Awards. A resume, or curriculum vitae, that summarizes major career accomplishments and two letters of support are required to nominate an alumnus or alumna. Additional information or letters may also be helpful to the selection committee.
To receive a nomination form and eligibility criteria, please call 979.845.9043 or email Noell Vance at nvance@cvm.tamu.edu.
