3/13/03

AU CITES TOP COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE FACULTY

AUBURN -- Four faculty members in Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine have been honored for their outstanding teaching ability and research achievements.

The awards went to Drs. Ellen Behrend of the Department of Clinical Sciences; Byron Blagburn of the Department of Pathobiology; and Drs. Robert Judd and Larry Myers, both of the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology.

"These four truly represent the high standards that make our entire faculty among the best in the country," said Dr. Timothy Boosinger, dean of AU's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Behrend received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching; Blagburn received the Student Government Association's Outstanding Teacher Award; the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the highest teaching honor, went to Judd; while Myers won the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence. The awards were presented at the college's annual award night ceremony.

Boosinger said the Norden award "recognizes an outstanding teacher who contributes to veterinary science through talent and dedication."

"Dr. Judd is appreciated by his students for his ability to take a challenging subject and teach it so that students understand," he said.

Judd, who teaches pharmacology, joined the AU faculty in 1998 after serving on the faculty at Northeast Louisiana University, where he earned his Ph.D. In addition to teaching, he conducts research on new treatments for Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and in 2001 was appointed as the Boshell Chair in Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases.

The award is named in honor of Carl J. Norden, founder of Norden Laboratories, and it is sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health. It is given annually to a teacher at each U.S. veterinary college.

Myers was honored for his research on a dogs' sense of smell, behavior and practical applications.

"Early in his career, he was one of only a handful of researchers investigating the neurophysiological properties of the canine sense of olfaction," Boosinger said. "He is now internationally recognized for his efforts, especially for his work with law enforcement dogs."

Myers joined the AU faculty in 1982 after earning his veterinary degree at Mississippi State University, and his master's and Ph.D. degrees from Oklahoma State University. He established the Institute of Biological Detection Systems at Auburn and has served as a consultant to several governmental agencies.

Boosinger noted that Blagburn is an excellent teacher as well as an outstanding researcher in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

"There's a myth that someone who is a good researcher won't be a good teacher," Boosinger said. "This recipient proves that wrong, because he excels as both."

Blagburn, who joined the Auburn faculty in 1982, holds the appointment of Distinguished University Professor at Auburn, being only the 10th person to be named to the post. He has a master's degree from Andrews University and a Ph.D from the University of Illinois.

His research is dedicated to new veterinary drugs directed against parasites and parasitic diseases. He has been involved in nearly every worldwide development in the parasite-control market since the mid-1980s.

Boosinger said he was pleased Behrend decided to remain at AU after earning her Ph.D here.

She came to Auburn in 1994, and in 1996 was appointed as a research fellow. She was named assistant professor in 1998, and obtained her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences in 2001. Behrend was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor.

Behrend has a veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree from Colorado State University, and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Her area of interest is endocrinology, and this past fall she coordinated the college's endocrine system course.

"To quote some of the student evaluations, 'Her course should be used as an example for all faculty,'" Boosinger added.

# # #

mar03:AU-vetmed