Dr. Glen Almond, professor of swine health and production management and a nearly 40-year veteran of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, was recognized as the 2026 Outstanding Swine Academic of the Year at the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

In addition, Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a class of 2009 NC State DVM graduate, assumed the position of AASV president for the upcoming year.

Dr. Almond’s award, given annually to a faculty member, graduate student or researcher who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research and service to the swine veterinary profession, was the highlight of several awards recognizing NC State excellence in teaching and training in the swine veterinary field.

“As coordinator of a senior swine medicine course, Almond has provided educational opportunities for students from 12 veterinary colleges and seven countries,” the AASV said in announcing the award. “Extremely generous of his time devoted to students, his open-door policy demonstrates his drive to help others succeed. As a mentor, he is highly supportive of students and continues to advocate for their success.”

The organization said dozens of current and former students nominated Almond for the award, saying he was foundational in their careers. 

“It is an incredible honor to receive this award,” Almond told the AASV. “I do not measure my success by the number of publications, nor the number of funded grants: the success of my students has been my motivation. I always learn from the students. They are the future of our profession.”

Robbins, the new AASV president, currently is a health assurance veterinarian for Pig Improvement Company in Texas. 

“Supported by our members’ commitment to the AASV mission, I see a year ahead where we lean into the profession’s most pressing challenges — recruitment and retention, endemic and foreign animal disease, and ensuring our skill set remains relevant for all pigs, everywhere,” she told the AASV.

Also receiving awards at the meeting were:

• Student Ginny Bass, class of 2027, won a $10,000 AASV Foundation and Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship and a $1,500 AASV Student Seminar Presentation scholarship. 
• Student Molly Jones, a Food Animal Scholar from the class of 2027, also won a $10,000 scholarship and took first place and a $500 prize in the student poster competition. Lindsey Britton, class of 2028, had the third-place poster, winning $300. 
• Two NC State alums — Dr. Jamie Madigan, class of 2021, and Dr. Jenna Scott, class of 2019 — each won a $7,500 AASVF-Zoetis Foundation Student Debt Relief Grant. 
• And, drum roll, Dr. Elizabeth Noblett, class of 2020, was named Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year. Dr. Noblett works with Smithfield Foods based in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

NC State faculty members also were among the featured speakers. Dr. Ron Baynes, a toxicologist and director of the NC FARAD Program, gave his insights on “Keeping pork safe: FARAD’s extra-label guidance and industry engagement.” FARAD, which stands for Food Animal Residue Avoidance & Depletion, is a USDA-funded university-based consortium that serves as the primary source for scientifically-based recommendations regarding safe withdrawal intervals of drugs and chemicals in food-producing animals.

Dr. Michael Rahe, an immunologist in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, offered a session on “Applying immunology to practice.”

Dr. Kaori Sakamoto, head of the PHP department, says NC State’s fantastic showing at the meeting highlights its commitment to graduate veterinarians who will expertly care for pigs in a state where pork is the second-largest agricultural commodity.

“We are so proud of Dr. Glen Almond for continuing to mentor and inspire veterinary and graduate students to enter the field of swine medicine,” she says. “Because of the teaching and mentoring strengths of Dr. Almond and the rest of the swine team, NC State routinely graduates swine veterinarians who are recognized for their excellence.”