The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) recognized three outstanding veterinarians for their contributions and service to the swine industry during the AASV annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
2025 Howard Dunne Memorial Award
John Waddell, DVM, received the Howard Dunne Memorial Award for his important contributions and outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.
“It is both an honor and at the same time, very humbling, to be recognized by our friends and colleagues,” Waddell says. “To be included on the list of many of my mentors and role models makes it a very special honor. It is difficult to feel worthy of such recognition when it really has less to do with what I could have or would have, had it not been for all the others in our association, many who are yet to be recognized for all their contributions. Of course, my career and everything in life, would not have been possible without the never-ending support of my wife, Carol, my sons and their families and foremostly the blessings from our Lord.”
He was born and raised on a grain and livestock farm in central Illinois where he became interested in veterinary medicine after shadowing his family farm’s local veterinarian. He later spent a summer on a large, by 1976 standards, farrow-to-finish farm where he was introduced to all aspects of “modern” confinement pork production. After achieving a bachelor’s degree and DVM from the University of Illinois, he received an executive MBA at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and completed the Executive Vet Program at the University of Illinois. Following graduation, he entered a large animal veterinary practice in rural Nebraska. In 2011, after 30 years in practice, he joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a professional services veterinarian where he currently leads a team of five swine veterinarians.
2025 Meritorious Service Award
Terri O’Sullivan, DVM, was named the 2025 recipient of the Meritorious Service Award for providing outstanding service to the AASV.
“It is a profound honor to receive the AASV Meritorious Service Award this year,” she says. “This recognition is deeply meaningful to me, as it reflects my commitment to serving our profession and advancing the field of swine health and production. Thank you once again for this incredible honor. I am truly grateful to be recognized by an organization that has been so influential in shaping my career and supporting the advancement of our profession.”
O’Sullivan earned her DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and spent over a decade in rural Ontario, Canada, in private mixed-animal practice with an emphasis in food-animal medicine. She returned to OVC to complete a PhD in epidemiology, then subsequently joined the OVC as a faculty member, where she currently pursues her passion for teaching and swine research. In 2012, she became the executive editor for the Journal of Swine Health and Production (JSHAP) a trusted resource and leading journal in peer-reviewed swine research. Under her leadership of the peer-review process of JSHAP, 270 manuscripts have been published. She also applies skills gained during her recently acquired MA in leadership to develop and inspire future leaders and advance the swine veterinary profession.
2025 Outstanding Swine Academic of the Year Award
Pat Halbur, DVM, was named the 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Swine Academic of the Year Award for his demonstrated excellence in teaching, research and service to the swine veterinary profession. Faculty members, graduate students, and researchers are eligible to receive this award.
“I highly value and greatly appreciate the win-win relationship that exists between academia and swine practitioners,” Halbur says. “We recognize the challenge AASV members face serving the most progressive livestock producers in the world. It has been a sincere privilege to work alongside many truly remarkable people at ISU to build educational, research, professional practice, outreach and extension programs of value to AASV members and the swine producers they serve.”
Halbur received his DVM, master’s degree, and PhD from Iowa State University. He currently serves as chair of the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) and Executive Director of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL). Before returning to ISU for advanced degrees in veterinary pathology, he was co-owner of a mixed animal practice in Williamsburg, Iowa. He spent 15 years as a diagnostic pathologist in the ISU VDL before taking on several administrative roles including Director of the ISU VDL, associate dean for Public Services and Outreach, and interim dean of the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine.
He has published over 225 peer-reviewed manuscripts related to food animal health and holds 14 U.S. patents. Halbur was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2017 and is the recipient of the Iowa State University Award for Achievement in Intellectual Property. He is a past president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association. Halbur was named to the “Masters of the US Pork Industry” and is the recipient of several other awards including the AASV Howard Dunne Memorial Award. He also served on the AASV Board of Directors 2004-2007 and has contributed to several AASV Annual Meeting Program Planning Committees.
Your Next Read: Myers, Burton and Sponheim Take Home Top Veterinarian Awards
