Swine Veterinarians Association Recognizes Excellence of 2 NC State alums, 2 students

Two alumni of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and two current students were honored at a recent conference of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

Dr. Emily Mahan-Riggs, CVM class of 2017, won the $10,000 AASV Hogg Scholarship. Dr. Lisa Becton, CVM class of 1994, was awarded the Technical Services/Allied Industry Veterinarian of the Year Award.

NC State veterinary students Don Banks, class of 2025, and Hunter Everett, class of 2024, were among 10 students nationwide to each win a $5,000 Merck Animal Health Scholarship at the association’s annual meeting in Colorado this month.

“Merck Animal Health is proud to honor these students who represent the next generation of veterinary leaders for the swine industry,” said Justin Welsh, executive director of livestock technical services at Merck Animal Health, in a news release. “Through our partnership with AASVF, these exemplary students embody Merck Animal Health’s mission to advance the science of healthier animals. We are excited to see what the future holds as they embark on their veterinary careers.”

The scholarship program assists the foundation’s mission to support the development and scholarship of students and veterinarians interested in the swine industry. 

Becton’s award recognizes swine industry veterinarians who have demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in delivery of veterinary service to their companies and their clients, a news release said. Recipients also have given tirelessly in service to the AASV and the swine industry. 

Becton received her BS from Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina, her DVM from NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, an MS from Michigan State University and a public health certificate in field epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at  Chapel Hill. She currently is the director of swine health for the National Pork Board.

“I am very humbled and honored by this award and by the support of the veterinary and producer community,” said Becton upon receiving the award, according to a news release. “Working in the agriculture sector fuels my passion for swine medicine and research. I am grateful every day to have the opportunity to assist producers and veterinarians as they manage pork production!”

Mahan-Riggs was one of two recipients of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation Hogg Scholarship for 2023.

Established in 2008, the scholarship is named for Dr. Alex Hogg who was a leader in swine medicine and pursued a master’s degree in veterinary pathology after 20 years in a mixed-animal practice, according to a news release. The scholarship is awarded annually to an AASV member who has been accepted into a qualified graduate program after years as a swine practitioner. 

Mahan-Riggs is currently a production veterinarian for Smithfield Hog Production and an adjunct professor at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. She is pursuing a master’s of veterinary science at the University of Illinois and hopes the knowledge gained through the program enhances the quality of veterinary services she provides and better training to students she encounters, the news release said.