Awards
The deadline for award nomination submissions is January 31.
To recognize outstanding alumni accomplishments, we present two annual awards: The Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award and the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. We also recognize an outstanding current faculty member with the Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award.
About the awards
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Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award , articleThe college recognizes a distinguished alumnus for sustained contributions to the veterinary medical profession resulting in demonstrable positive impact. The award consists of a plaque and recognition at a notable college event.
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Outstanding Recent Alumni Award , articleThe college recognizes a deserving individual who graduated from the DVM program within the past 10 years. The award winner receives a plaque from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.
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Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award , articleThis award will be presented to an influential faculty member, as nominated by alumni for their contributions to student and alumni education and mentorship.
Past Recipients
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From dairy farms to drug resistance, Ray Kaplan’s career-long fight against parasites the world keeps underestimating , articleRay Kaplan, a 1988 DVM graduate, is the recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Date: Apr 22, 2026 - -
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Veterinary college alum honoree Tierra Price does not choose the quiet life , articleTierra Price, a 2020 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health graduate, owns and directs Unleashed Veterinary Care in Louisville and has received the 2026 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Date: May 04, 2026 - -
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From charter class to Lifetime Achievement: Bill Pierson’s 40-Year bond with the veterinary college , articleBill Pierson helped build the veterinary college as a first-year student more than 40 years ago and kept coming back to a school that, even in retirement, he still cannot quite leave.
Date: Apr 22, 2026 - -
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Jessica Walters never expected to love the lab — now she runs all four of them , articleJessica Walters, a 2016 DVM graduate who now oversees all four of Virginia’s veterinary diagnostic laboratories, is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Date: Apr 28, 2026 - -
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Veterinary college's Distinguished Alumni Awards honor graduates from three decades , articleMatthew Iager DVM ’96, Sara Waltz Johnston DVM ’16, and Michael Erskine DVM ’88 received awards.
Date: Aug 15, 2024 - -
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Distinguished Alumni Awards to be presented at Connect 2023 , articleTwo alumni and a faculty member of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine have been chosen to receive prestigious awards at the Alumni Awards Ceremony during Connect 2023.
Date: Oct 02, 2023 - -
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2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards , articleThe college announced the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award, the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award and an additional award, the Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award, given to a faculty member for their contributions to student and alumni education and mentorship.
Date: Jun 07, 2023 - -
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Veterinary college’s distinguished alumni award winners to speak at Connect 2021 , articleThe Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine recognizes the achievements of alumni through its annual awards.
Date: Aug 19, 2021 -
If you know of a graduate who deserves recognition, but is not eligible for one of these awards, please email cvmadvancement@vt.edu. These alumni may be recognized in an VMCVM Alumni Spotlight, in the college's monthly e-newsletter, or on the college's social media feeds.