2022 Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Innovation Awards

Innovation: Designed a summer program for underrepresented minorities that will be offered for the first time in 2022. This program is designed to provide 10 college students in underrepresented minority groups the opportunity to explore veterinary medicine during this week-long summer program, which exposes them to many aspects of veterinary medicine and helps them strengthen their veterinary school applications.

Innovation: Lead the creation of Animal Health Advocates in a Changing Climate. This event was a first-of-its-kind virtual symposium designed to equip clinicians, technicians, and students in the veterinary field with both knowledge and tools, so as to be effective contributors to protecting animal health in a changing climate.

Innovation: Showed innovation and creativity during his leadership within Cornell’s VBMA (Veterinary Business Management Association) Chapter and helped address a previously unmet need that will significantly promote differentiation of veterinary students as they enter their professional careers.

Innovation: Helped design, implement, and conduct a survey through the Health Belief Model (HBM). Katie also assisted with the analysis of the results and the preparation of a final manuscript to be submitted to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Innovation: Founded the Veterinary Wellness Initiative (VWI), which seeks to connect students to established veterinary professionals for a discussion about common hurdles and experiences within the veterinary field.

Innovation: Created and implemented a peer-to-peer Stress Management Program in her second year of veterinary school, that fulfilled an unmet need in the area of student wellness.

Innovation: Instrumental in providing numerous educational opportunities to DVM students related to principles of business management and has lobbied extensively for bringing the most rewarding opportunities to fellow students.

Innovation: Founded the Latinx Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) chapter at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. The club filled an unmet need for LatinX students, staff, and faculty within the CCVM.

Innovation: Worked on multiple entrepreneurial endeavors before and during her veterinary career. McCalley focused on improving camaraderie between everyone within the hospital setting and provided an opportunity for students to get outside and be active during this stressful year.

Innovation: During his internship, Shane helped create a kickball game/league for 4th-year students, faculty, and staff to promote and improve camaraderie between everyone with a focus on mental health and well-being.

Innovation: Created an Ashtanga yoga group to help promote mental well-being within the veterinary community. In her own words, “Before I knew it, the Guelph Ashtanga Community was born! Taking the time to care for oneself is especially important in veterinary medicine.”

Innovation: Played a critical role in developing one of the most impactful events held annually, which is the Vet Med Open House. The event is entirely student-run and is free to attend. Julie played an instrumental role in many other events as well.

Innovation: Played a critical role in the success of the veterinary student organization VeTouch (Veterinary Outreach for Urban Community Health.) Vetouch is a veterinary student-run free clinic providing primary care to pets whose families face systemic barriers to accessible care with the goal of keeping people and pets together.

Innovation: As a former co-president of the veterinary student organization Veterinary Outreach for Urban Community Health (VeTouch). Jonathan and his team worked with key individuals to design a clinic reopening plan, developing appointment-based outdoor and curbside clinic models.

Innovation: Founded Calving Technologies, to equip cattle producers with affordable, durable technology that reduces calving mortality rates and increases cattle production overall in an effort to improve the lives of farmers.

Innovation: Created and owns 50% of the organization Les Bergeries Adalie. The mission of this farm business is to produce quality meat while respecting higher standards regarding animal welfare.

Innovation: Created new recruitment material for potential AVC students. He created and filmed a Virtual Tour Experience to give applicants an in-depth look at the PEI campus and facilities.

Innovation: During his enrollment within the summer-long Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy, Brian developed and refined an analytic report to enhance practice implementation and usage of a customer service program.

Innovation: Developed an artificial intelligence software company “Vetreum,” which is a computer image detector that is designed to streamline and automate fecal float tests for parasite identification.

Innovation: Developed a preparation program for high school students for their Future Farmers of America Veterinary Science Competition.

Innovation: Through the utilization of digital files, Nicholas created a tool that produces printable orthotic devices. The potential of this tool has global implications. Moreover, the tool addresses the availability and cost limitations that most practitioners encounter.