FFAR Names Sixth Cohort of Veterinary Fellows

Today’s national shortage of large animal veterinarians poses a serious threat to the agriculture industry, especially in the event of an animal health crisis that affects our food supply. To attract and support veterinary students in their professional development, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) today announced the sixth cohort of FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship  (FFAR Vet Fellows). The fellowship provides 15 students from around the world the opportunity to pursue research furthering global food security, sustainable animal production and environmental sustainability.

Fellows conduct their research with a qualified mentor at an AAVMC member institution in the U.S. The year-long fellowship culminates with the Fellows presenting their research at the annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium, a national event attended by more than 700 veterinary students, as well as animal health researchers and leaders from top veterinary schools across the country.

The 2024 FFAR Vet Fellows are:

1. Muhammad Abu Bakar, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan (enrolled in the University of Missouri Veterinary Research Scholars Program)
2. Kehinde Adebayo, University of Ibadan, Nigeria (enrolled in the University of Missouri Veterinary Research Scholars Program)
3. Kimberly Aguirre, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
4. Katherine Choo, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
5. Alana Gates, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine
6. Paige Johnson, Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine
7. Emilia Jones, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech
8. Carlos Mejia Toro, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine
9. Cathal O’Scanaill, University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine
10. Erin Scannell, University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine
11. Morgan Ostrander, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
12. Sydney Puda, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
13. Ivy Schmid, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
14. Kellyne Skillin, University of Wisconsin-Madison
15. Amber van Suylekom, Utrecht University & University of Calgary

To learn more about each Fellow’s research project, please visit the FFAR Vet Fellows webpage.

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR 

American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges

The member institutions of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) promote and protect the health and wellbeing of people, animals and the environment by advancing the profession of veterinary medicine and preparing new generations of veterinarians to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. Founded in 1966, the AAVMC represents more than 40,000 faculty, staff and students across the global academic veterinary medical community. Our member institutions include Council on Education (COE) accredited veterinary medical colleges and schools in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand as well as departments of veterinary science and departments of comparative medicine in the U.S.

Connect: @AAVMC