Symposium

11th Annual Practitioner's Symposium

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Speaker Bios

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Bradford Bentz, VMD, MS, DACVIM, DABVP

Dr. Bentz received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and his VMD
from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, and received his Masters Degree from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Bentz has worked in practices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Ocala, Florida; and Hallandale, Florida; and Lexington, KY; and has worked with the Kentucky State Racing Commission. He has also had a part-time sport horse practice in Lexington, KY from 2001-present.

Dr. Bentz was board certified in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1997 and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2001. Alternate-track resident; American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care. Current position: Assistant Professor, Equine Internal Medicine, Oklahoma State University – Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.

John D. Bonagura, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Bonagura received his DVM and MS degrees in 1974 from The Ohio State University. He completed an internship at the Animal Medical Center, a medical residency at OSU and subsequently spent 20 years at that institution achieving his current rank of Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. John was visiting Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh in 1989 and in 1996, when he began a 5-year appointment as the Gilbreath- McLorn Endowed Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Subsequently, he rejoined the faculty at Ohio State as Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and service head of Cardiology. His publications number over 150 scientific papers and book chapters in the field of clinical cardiology.

Dr. Bonagura is co-author of a Colour Atlas of Veterinary Cardiology and he edits Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy. He is a three-time recipient of the Norden Award for distinguished teaching and has been designated an Ohio State University Distinguished Teacher. Dr. Bonagura is a recipient of the BSAVA International Bougelat awards, the Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Barcelona, the Kirk Award of the ACVIM and distinguished Alumnus awards from Ohio State University and the Animal Medical Center.

Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP

Dr. Echols received his DVM from Texas A&M University in 1995 and completed his residency at the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, CA. He earned board certification from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 1999. Currently, Dr. Echols is Director of Avian Medical & Surgical Services at Westgate Pet & Bird Hospital in Austin, TX. Dr. Echols received the Ted Lafeber Avian Practitioners of the Year Award in 2005.

David Phalen, DVM, DABVP

Dr. Phalen completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Chicago, received his DVM from Cornell University and received his PhD from Texas A&M University. Dr. Phalen has earned certification from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Currently, Dr. Phalen is Associate Professor, Zoological Medicine Section at Texas A&M University. His research focus is infectious and nutritional diseases of birds.

Paul Pion, DVM

Not Available.

Steve Pittenger, DVM

Dr. Pittenger received his DVM from Texas A&M University it 1995. Dr. Pittenger is involved with the following veterinary organizations:
American Veterinary Medical Association, 1995-present. American Animal Hospital Association, 1997-present and a member of the Diagnostic Code Task Force, 2004-Present. Association for Veterinary Informatics, 1997-present and President 2003-2004; 2004-2005. Texas Veterinary Medical Association 1995-present and Vice-Chair of the Telecommunications & Informatics Committee, 1997-2000 and Chair of the Technology Committee from 2000-present. Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice, 1995-present and President 2005-2006. Harris County Veterinary Medical Association, 1995-present and member of the Board of Directors 1998-2000 and president 2002. Southwest Veterinary Symposium 2004-present and the Continuing Education Committee Program Representative 2005-present.

Norman Rantenan, DVM, MS, DACVR

Dr. Rantanen received his DVM and Master of Science Degree from Washington State University. He served for 9 years in the U.S. Air Force Veterinary Corps. He returned to academia in 1976 in the WSU radiology department. He received board certification from the American College of Veterinary Radiology in 1979. He left WSU and started an equine imaging consultation and ultrasound diagnostic service in Lexington, Kentucky. He is currently in Fallbrook, California and performs equine imaging consultation.

Mike Sanderson, DVM, MS, DACT, DACVPM (Epidemiology)

Dr. Sanderson received his DVM from Colorado State University and completed a Master’s degree and residency in the Field Disease Investigation Unit at Washington State University. He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in the Epidemiology specialty and by the American College of Theriogenologists.

His research interests are in the area of efficient and safe production of beef. He conducts experimental and observational research on the epidemiology and ecology of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in cattle to identify risk factors for high 0157 prevalence in herds and possible pre-harvest critical control points.

Dr. Sanderson is also interested in the epidemiology of disease and decreased production in beef operations and the application of analytical epidemiology and simulation modeling to beef management and production data to facilitate decision making. He is currently developing Risk Assessment tools for beef producers.

Michael Tomasic, VMD

Dr. Tomasic graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. While on faculty at the UofP Vet School from 1987–2003, he completed residency in Veterinary Anesthesiology and Critical Care; completed a 3 year post-doctoral fellowship in cellular pharmacology and physiology through the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Dept. of Anesthesiology and the School of Medicine Dept. of Physiology. He then became certified in veterinary acupuncture by IVAS and received research funding from NIH (NHLBI), American Lung Association, USDA, Morris Animal Foundation and private sources.

Dr. Tomasic served as Trustee for the Pennsylvania VMA from 1999-2001, as Regional Director of the New Mexico VMA from 2001-2005 and is currently President-Elect of the New Mexico VMA. Elected to President-elect of the IVAPM in 2005. Serving as veterinary representative on the AAPM Board of Advisors since 2004.

In 2001, established the first veterinary pain management referral practice (Veterinary Pain Management) in Santa Fe, NM.

Dave VanMetre, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. VanMetre received his BS in Animal Sciences in 1986 and his DVM with distinction from Cornell University in 1989. He was board certified in 1993 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. His research interest is Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome and his extension work includes bilingual livestock worker training.

Paul Walz, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM

Dr. Walz received his DVM from Michigan State University in 1992. Following 2 years in a mixed animal practice in Corunna, MI, he returned to Michigan State University for a residency in Food Animal Medicine, Surgery and Production Medicine. Dr. Walz completed his residency, received his MS degree in 1997 and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Large Animal Medicine.

Dr. Walz continued his graduate studies at Michigan State University and received his PhD degree in 2000. After postgraduate training, Dr. Walz joined the faculty at Kansas State University in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Section of Agricultural Practices. Dr. Walz joined the faculty at Auburn University as an Assistant Professor in the Section of Food Animal Medicine in the Departments of Clinical Sciences and Pathobiology.

Dr. Walz’s clinical interests include medical and surgical conditions affection food animals, as well as infectious diseases of cattle. His primary research focus is infectious diseases of cattle, specifically, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in cattle. Specific interests involve improving diagnostics for BVDV, and evaluating the pathophysiology of diseases associated with this viral infection of cattle.

Natasha Werpy, DVM

Dr. Werpy graduated from Colorado State University in 1999. She completed an imaging residency that was split between Colorado State University and Dr. Norman Rantanen in 2003. Currently, Dr. Werpy has a Half time position as an assistant professor at the CSU Orthopaedic Research Center in the MRI Center. She also has a consulting practice, reading equine imaging studies.

Alice Wolf, DVM, DABVP

Not Available.

Debra Zoran, DVM, PhD, DACVIM

Dr. Zoran received her DVM from Kansas in 1984, her MS from Iowa State in 1992 and her PhD in Nutrition from Texas A&M University in 1997. Dr. Zoran is a Small Animal Internal Medicine diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Zoran’s interests include nutrition, especially related to Feline disease and gastrointestinal disease (IBD).