Gov. Jim Pillen and University of Nebraska leaders honored the first group of students selected for a new program aimed at increasing the number of production animal veterinarians in the state.
The Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinarian Program, announced in February, offers scholarships to students specializing in working with livestock such as cattle, swine, and poultry. Nineteen students have enrolled in the program, each receiving the Nebraska Production Animal Health Scholarship, which covers 50% of their tuition for the first two years of study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“These students are embarking on a challenging, yet hugely rewarding career path,” said Gov. Pillen, who also received his doctorate in veterinary medicine. “The demand for production animal veterinarians is high. This program is a leader in the United States. It will provide students the top-level training they need, and it will set them on a career path that will allow them to continue practicing, right here in Nebraska.”
Up to 25 students can receive the initial scholarship. After two years, 13 students will receive a continuation scholarship covering 100% of tuition for their third and fourth years. The Elite 11 are selected to have all tuition and fees paid during their dual Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program with Iowa State University.
The program requires applicants to be Nebraska residents and show a strong interest in production animal health, with a commitment to major in animal or veterinary science.
“I am thrilled to welcome these 19 scholarship recipients to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at UNL,” said Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. “These outstanding students had their choice of colleges, but I’m delighted to be able to say that all have committed to staying in our state both during college and after. This is a big win for Nebraska, our veterinary workforce, and the future of agriculture in our state.”
Upon graduation, Elite 11 participants agree to work as production animal veterinarians in Nebraska for eight years or repay the scholarship. The next application period will open this fall.
The 19 students are:
Dix: Hannah Keilian
Dodge: Meg Anderson
Hastings: Lynsie Lancaster
Hershey: Peyton Fisher
Hooper: Klayton Hilbers
Keystone: Presley Nowak
Lincoln: Alannah Crabtree
Maywood: Haydn Farr
Naponee: Addison Pool
North Platte: Haylie Hoatson
O’Neill: Claire Stauth
Oakland: Bailey Denton
Palmyra: Jacob Wood
Phillips: Jack Steenson
St. Libory: Chloe Scheer
Weeping Water: Brooklyn Ahrens
Wellfleet: Chase Martin
West Point: Sydney Hutchinson
York: Emma Snider
