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PVM Alumnus Selected as AASV Vice President

AASV organization leaders

Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus Jeff Harker (2nd from right) is installed as the new AASV vice president along with fellow AASV Officers (left to right), Dr. Scanlon Daniels, president; Dr. Nate Winkelman, president-elect; and Dr. Alex Ramirez, immediate past-president. (Photo courtesy AASV)

Dr. Jeff Harker (PU DVM ’94) of Frankfort, Ind., was installed as the newly elected vice president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) earlier this month during the organization’s annual meeting in San Diego, Calif.  Dr. Harker has been an active member of the AASV, serving as AASV District 4 director and chairing the AASV Continuing Education Committee.  He also has served on the AASV Annual Meeting Planning Committee.  In addition, Dr. Harker has been actively involved in the Indiana Pork Producers Association, serving seven years on the Board of Directors and completing a term as president in 2008.

Dr. Harker grew up on a diversified livestock and grain farm in south central Indiana. His father built one of the first confinement swine barns in the community in 1980. Interacting with the veterinarians that visited their farm stimulated his interest in population medicine and becoming a veterinarian. After earning his Purdue DVM degree in 1994, Dr. Harker joined fellow Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumnus Max Rodibaugh (PU DVM ’77) at Swine Health Services in Frankfort as an associate veterinarian. He became a partner in 2001.  Now called AMVC Swine Health Services, the practice serves a diverse swine clientele ranging from those with small show pig herds to contract growers in integrated production. The bulk of the clients have independent family farms.

With his election as vice president, Dr. Harker was officially installed along with the organization’s other officers March 6.  He joins the AASV leadership team of Dr. Scanlon Daniels (ISU ’98) of Dalhart, Texas, president; Dr. Nathan Winkelman (UMN ’84) of Rice, Minn., president-elect; and Dr. Alex Ramirez (ISU ’93) of Ames, Iowa, immediate past-president.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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