Partner Spotlight: FFAR and AAVMC
Few organizations are more naturally aligned than FFAR and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The AAVMC is an international association of veterinary medical colleges and schools that represents almost 80 institutions and an estimated 40,000 faculty, academic staff members and students. Many of the most important discoveries that promote agricultural animal health and productivity have emerged from within university laboratories at AAVMC member institutions.
The partnership between the AAVMC and FFAR can be traced to the origins of FFAR itself in 2015. One of the most promising examples of that partnership is the FFAR Vet Fellows Program, which provides research fellowships for veterinary medical students. These fellowships enable students to gain hands-on experience, make important contributions, and possibly lead to careers in scientific research and public service. At the same time, the program advances FFAR goals of fostering needed research at the intersection of global food security and sustainable animal production. The inaugural cohort of 10 FFAR/AAVMC Fellows was funded in 2019. This year, the program will fund 12 new investigators.
One promising area of mutual interest is zoonotic and pandemic disease prevention and control. Veterinary medicine has been diligently working in this area for more than 100 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has focused global attention on the profession’s critical role and obligation. Other areas of future collaboration include antimicrobial resistance, gene editing and biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture.
Bio: AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe
Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe brings a broad range of experience—the military, law, public health, veterinary medicine—to his position as the CEO of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). He earned his DVM from The Ohio State University, his MPH from Harvard University, and his law degree from the University of Arizona. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force in 2017 following a 24-year career of active and reserve experience as a public health officer.