CVM Awards
Each fall, MSU CVM hosts an Awards Day to recognize key alumni, friends of the College, and members of the faculty and staff for outstanding contributions to the College and/or the field of veterinary medicine.
President’s Pegasus Award
The President's Pegasus Award is presented by the president of Mississippi State University to a person or persons who has/have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the various missions of the university, MSU CVM and the veterinary medical profession. The nomination for this award may, but not necessarily, be made by the dean and/or the vice president for the MSU Division ofAgriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine. The awardee may or may not be selected from the faculty of MSU CVM.
For more than two decades, Dr. Lanny Pace was at the helm of the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory System. His knowledge and expertise were key to the MVRDLS’s success, and he made many contributions to the success and mission of Mississippi State University, MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, and the veterinary medical profession.
As executive director of the MVRDLS, Dr. Pace was responsible for operations and personnel at each of the four labs included in the system: The Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Lab (MVRDL) and Poultry Research and Diagnostic Lab (PRDL), both of which are located in Pearl, Miss., the Aquaculture Research and Diagnostic Lab (ARDL) located in Stoneville, and the CVM Diagnostic and Aquatic Lab located in Starkville, all of which fall under the purview of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The labs are charged with providing much-needed surveillance and diagnostic testing for practicing veterinarians, individual producers, pet owners, and the livestock, aquaculture, and poultry industries throughout the state.
Dr. Pace took great pride in ensuring these services not only met but exceeded expectations. During his tenure, the lab system maintained continuous full accreditation by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians through four accreditation cycles and became a part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), attaining a Level 1 laboratory status within the network.
Early on, Dr. Pace was actively involved with garnering the support of the state legislature to build a new facility for MVRDL/PRDL and, a few years later, support for renovation of the CVM necropsy facility. Over the years, he recruited impressive faculty and staff with exceptional qualifications and abilities to increase the lab system’s capabilities. He ensured that cutting-edge technologies were available to meet the needs of clients. He also oversaw the implementation of a functional quality system. However, Dr. Pace always remained focused on and gave credit to the hard working and dedicated faculty and staff throughout MVRDLS.
Their commitment and his leadership was especially evident and much appreciated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they went above and beyond to continue meeting the needs of those the labs serve. This required many modifications to operations and accommodations to meet precautions set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the lab system continued to serve without a single day of closure. Dr. Pace’s service was also key as our state dealt with the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in domestic poultry and wild birds and with chronic wasting disease in white tailed deer.
During his career, Dr. Pace was involved with numerous professional associations and veterinary and laboratory organizations, and he received many awards, including the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association Veterinarian of the Year award for his work within the state and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture Meritorious Service award for being a leader within animal agriculture and havinginvested his career to advancing the animal agriculture sector.
Dr. Pace has consistently demonstrated dedication to the land grant mission of the university and this college. He has improved the lives of animals and people. The MVRDLS, MSU CVM, and Mississippi State University are better because of the work he has done, and we are fortunate to have had his leadership and service.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Kent H. Hoblet
2022: Dr. Mac Huddleston
2021: Lynn Spruill
Vice President’s Pegasus Award
Karen J. McCord is a proud graduate of Mississippi College where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1985. Since then, she has channeled her expertise into her role as an accountant at Reed Food and Technology in Pearl, Mississippi.
But Karen’s influence extends far beyond her professional career. She is actively involved with a number of organizations and activities, including serving as a dedicated member of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Deans Council. Karen is a longtime supporter and friend of the CVM, and her commitment to the advancement of veterinary education and veterinary medicine is evident. Along with her husband, John, she has shown remarkable generosity by establishing scholarships that benefit CVM students. The McCords are also loyal supporters of the overall university, having also established scholarships in the College of Business, as well.
Through the years, Karen has become a beloved friend to so many here at the college. Her acts of kindness and thoughtfulness such as delivering sweet treats on holidays and for special occasions are greatly appreciated. Visits from her dog Elvis-- in costume-- always lift everyone’s spirits. And, her behind-the-scenes contributions to the college like writing notes to perspective student sand furnishing one of the college’s guest rooms are additional examples of her support and generosity.
In May 2024, Karen became the inaugural donor to the CVM’s Coat of Excellence program. Karen is a longtime client of the college’s Animal Health Center, and this initiative offers the opportunity to honor exceptional faculty, clinicians, interns, residents, students, or staff who have made a meaningful difference in the lives of clients and their pets, while supporting clinical research and care that advances the efforts of educating future veterinarians.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Brigid Elchos
2022: Joe Duncan
2021: Reuben Moore
Dean’s Pegasus Award
Dr. Bob Wills’ career has spanned over four decades and is a testament to his steadfast commitment to advancing both the science and practice of veterinary medicine.
Since joining the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, Dr. Wills served as associate professor of veterinary epidemiology, interim head of the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, and professor of veterinary epidemiology, before being named head of the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences in 2019. Bob retired in June and was named professor emeritus in July, continuing his exemplary work in epidemiology and population medicine.
A Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine with a specialty in epidemiology, Dr. Wills has a heart for agriculture and a dedication to bettering rural America. His research focuses on the ecological epidemiology of animal diseases, applying quantitative methods to address some of the most pressing challenges in food safety, animal disease, and antimicrobial resistance. Through his expertise, he has ensured that an abundant supply of safe, wholesome food reaches consumers while helping animal industries meet the rigorous demands of modern agriculture. One of Bob’s notable research approaches has been system dynamics modeling, which he has applied to disease management in poultry production, food safety in poultry processing, and research needs in the beef cattle industry.
In 2013, he served as a Loaned Expert with the Global Early Warning System (GLEWS) at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. In this role, he developed a system dynamics model to assess the risk of introduction and spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in cattle, demonstrating the model’s potential for global risk assessments.
Dr. Wills’ influence extends beyond research. He has been a cornerstone in academia, not only leading critical courses such as Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics but also mentoring countless students and colleagues. His dedication to knowledge-sharing is evident in his international contributions to training veterinarians in countries as far-reaching as Uganda and China.
In addition to his academic and service achievements, Dr. Wills has received numerous accolades, including the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Pegasus Award for Research in 2007 and Pegasus Award for teaching in 2016. These awards underscore his commitment to improving animal health and food safety on both national and international levels.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Jan Chambers
2022: Dr. Heath King
2021: Dr. John Thomason
E. Wynn Jones Award for Exceptional Service
The Dr. E. Wynn Jones Award for Exceptional Service recognizes individuals who have provided exceptional service to the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Wynn Jones was among the first faculty in the CVM, and even after he retired, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the CVM, leaving a lasting legacy and example for all in the CVM family. The awardee will be selected by the dean of the college and may or may not be selected from the CVM faculty. This award is only presented when merited and, consequently, may not be presented every year.
This award celebrates Dr. Lee Tyner’s lifetime of dedication to veterinary education, clinical excellence, and mentorship—qualities that have marked every stage of his remarkable career.
One of Dr. Tyner’s most significant accomplishments was his role in the establishment of the Animal Emergency & Referral Center in Flowood, a project that would not exist without his vision and hard work. As the lead person in this endeavor, Lee worked with ten Jackson-area practitioners to establish a professional corporation agreement that would become the foundation of the original 5,200-square-foot AERC clinic. It took a great deal of “diplomacy” on his part. In 2010, the CVM purchased the emergency practice from this group of veterinarians, and in 2011, it became a required rotation for our DVM students. More than 1,200 graduates have since benefited from real-world ER experience in Flowood, thanks to Dr. Tyner’s vision.
In addition, Lee worked with recently retired longtime Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory Director Dr. Lanny Pace to renovate student housing at the lab, allowing students to stay close by in Pearl during their rotations at the AERC.
When the college took over the fourth floor of the Wise Center, Dr. Tyner collaborated with building services manager Kevin Moore and then associate dean for administration Dr. Ron McLaughlin to create what we now know as the CVM Clinical Skills Lab, Veterinary Medical Technology program space, and Population Medicine offices and labs. In addition, Lee worked closely with Kevin and his team to repurpose spaces in the Animal Health Center and Scales buildings, including the on-campus spay/neuter facility.
When Dr. Tyner joined MSU CVM in the spring of 2000, it was in the role of Professor and Chief of Anesthesiology, which may be surprising to many at the college, who have only known him in his role working with facilities expansion projects since his “retirement” in 2013. Lee was not only a clinical services faculty member and service chief, but he also served as director of the Animal Health Center.
Dr. Tyner’s work has set standards in clinical care and education that benefit the college and its students to this day. He served on numerous committees and boards, including leadership in the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association, and the Veterinary Technician National Examination Committee. His contributions to curriculum development, faculty mentorship, and continuing education have been recognized with multiple honors, including the Dean’s Pegasus Award and outstanding achievement awards from Banfield Pet Hospitals.
Receiving the E. Wynn Jones Award today is a testament to Dr. Tyner’s enduring legacy in veterinary medicine, his impact on generations of veterinarians, and the remarkable contributions he has made to our college.
Past Winners
2023: Nancy Wilson
2022: Cindy Ratcliff
2021: Michael Dawkins
Pegasus Faculty Award for Research
This year’s faculty research award recipient joined the CVM Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences in 2008 as a student pursuing his second Master's and Ph.D., and over the last 16 years he has progressed into an exceptional researcher, dedicated mentor, and highly respected member of the college’s research faculty. Dr. Hasan Tekedar is truly committed to advancing scientific knowledge.
In 2018, Dr. Tekedar became a postdoc, and during his training was selected a research fellow at the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Workforce Development Program. He also received the prestigious USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellowship. These achievements underscored his outstanding research capabilities and potential to contribute significantly to the field.
Dr. Tekedar’s role within our college expanded in 2022 when he was appointed assistant research professor, and his impact within the research sphere is undeniable. Over the past five years, he has served as a principal investigator or CO PI on nine external and internal grants. He actively pursues external funding and recently submitted USDA-NIFA andNSF CAREER grants. Hasan’s scholarly endeavors are remarkable; he has authored 32 research articles published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Bacteriology, PLOS One, Microbial Genomics, Frontiers in Microbiology, and Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. His scholarly output is further validated by Google Scholar data, which documents 626 citations and an impressive h-index of 16. Hasan’s research portfolio attests to his exceptional productivity and contributions within his area of expertise.
In addition, Dr. Tekedar has consistently shown a deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers. He actively recruits undergraduate students to engage them in meaningful research experiences. He successfully established a highly effective international collaboration network, recruiting three talented undergraduate international students as summer interns specializing in molecular biology or genetics. Earlier this year, Hasan earned MSU’s prestigious Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor of the Year Award. He currently mentors a Ph.D. student, two Master's students, and an undergraduate student. He is also an active committee member for seven graduate students.
Hasan’s unwavering commitment to his work is nothing short of extraordinary. He consistently dedicates long hours to his research—often extending into weekend, and he displays an unflagging willingness to assist his peers.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Steve Pruett
2022: Dr. Barb Kaplan
2021: Dr. Graham Rosser
Pegasus Faculty Award for Service
At MSU CVM, teaching is also very often service, as our faculty clinicians are very much serving the college, clients, and students as they care for patients. Such is the case with this years’ service award recipient, Dr. Kristie Chavez. An assistant clinical professor and service chief of the AHC Emergency and Critical Care Service, Dr. Chavez goes above and beyond to serve and, consequently, has a positive impact on all around her.
When Dr. Chavez arrived at MSU CVM just four and a half short years ago, she stepped into a very busy but fragile emergency and critical care service in need of strong leadership. The service was both understaffed and underequipped. Under Dr. Chavez’s guidance, the ECC service has undergone a remarkable transformation. She has worked to steadily grow the number of technicians and clinicians and add a board-certified criticalist to the team. In addition, she and that team have dramatically improved the evaluations provided by students enrolled in the rotation regarding the quality of teaching and service provided.
Dr. Chavez has also worked closely with other clinical services to develop and implement numerous policies and procedures to improve patient care, and she continues to look for ways to improve the quality of teaching and service provided in the ECC unit. Her efforts have included a ventilator training program for techs and a student worker program for Phase I students. In addition, she lectures in the Phase I Toxicology course, serves as faculty advisor for the ECC club, and assists with the Pre-Vet club. Despite all these responsibilities, Dr. Chavez also finds time to serve as the intern liaison and was recently elected president of the MSU CVM Faculty Organization.
Dr. Chavez is widely respected for her ability to rapidly stabilize and triage patients, and in cases where transfer to another service is needed, she does an excellent job of collaborating with that service to ensure a smooth transition in patient care. She incorporates students into all aspects to maximize learning. She is also fiercely protective of her team and will do anything she can to help them. Her dedication is likely why there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students interested in emergency medicine over the last few years.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Lester Khoo
2022: Dr. Diana Eubanks
2021: Dr. Alison Lee & Dr. Skip Jack
Pegasus Award for Teaching
Teaching is undoubtedly the cornerstone of any college’s existence, and at MSU CVM, we have had the good fortune of securing some amazing faculty for this purpose. Dr. Alex Shealy, who only four short years ago earned his DVM here, is one of those individuals. Dr. Shealy has established himself as an outstanding teacher and mentor. He is respected by fellow faculty, and students sing his praises. In fact, despite teaching in a department that has many outstanding teachers—including several university-wide professional teaching award winners and many college teaching award winners—Dr. Shealy was in the last series of annual evaluations, the only faculty member to be awarded the truly rare distinction of “exceptional” in teaching.
Dr. Shealy’s work is tied directly to MSU CVM providing students the most surgical experience. His teaching consists of spay-neuter and other surgical procedures along with basic healthcare and medical management of shelter animals for Phase II students. In addition to teaching within the core shelter rotation, Dr. Shealy also serves as a course instructor for fourth-year students seeking advanced clinical rotations in shelter medicine, and he developed a very popular shelter medicine elective course. In addition, he developed orientation videos to help students prepare for their shelter med experience.
Dr. Shealy is meticulous in guiding students through surgical procedures. His approach with junior students is to allow them to perform the entire surgery with him encouraging, providing correction when needed, and demonstrating various techniques. With senior students in the advanced clinical rotation, he allows them to either assist or take the lead in performing more advanced procedures such as amputations, fracture repairs, enucleations, and other such procedures which make these animals adoptable. He is thorough and precise—an excellent surgeon, and more importantly, an excellent teacher.
When he’s not working with students in the surgical environment, Dr. Shealy teaches students every aspect of medical care—physical exams, basic diagnostic procedures, and treatment of conditions—for shelter animals. This exposes students to many “real world” experiences and skills, helping prepare them for careers not only in shelter medicine but other areas of the profession. Dr. Shealy also completes additional teaching duties by providing lectures for other courses and services and advising students with their Clinicopathologic Conference.
Past Winners
2023: Dr. Graham Rosser
2022: Dr. Marc Seitz
2021: Dr. John Thomason
Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
The Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence is presented annually to a member of the MSU CVM faculty who demonstrates outstanding achievement and dedication in the area of research in the field of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Lora Petrie-Hanson, an Associate Professor here at the college, has established herself as a pioneer in understanding the immune systems of aquatic species. Her dedication and innovation have not only advanced this critical field but also hold significant implications for the future of aquaculture.
For the past three years, Dr. Petrie-Hanson has consistently demonstrated exceptional skills as a principal investigator. Her groundbreaking research on immune responses in fish, specifically channel catfish and zebrafish, has redefined our understanding of fish immunity. Her focus areas – trained immunity, innate immunomodulation, and disease resistance – directly address challenges faced by the aquaculture industry.
Dr. Petrie-Hanson’s work on trained immunity, the ability of the innate immune system to develop memory, is particularly noteworthy. Her lab is one of only two worldwide exploring this phenomenon in fish. This groundbreaking research, published in the study “Trained immunity provides long-term protection against bacterial infections in channel catfish,” has garnered international attention and offers a potential path towards reducing reliance on antibiotics in aquaculture.
This is just one example of the transformative impact Dr. Petrie-Hanson is making. Her research has been met with significant national and international recognition. Her collaborations, funded projects, and publications have cemented her reputation as a leader in fish immunology.
Looking towards the future, Dr. Petrie-Hanson continues to push boundaries. Her ongoing projects, including research on beta-glucan-induced trained immunity and cytotoxic cell mechanisms, hold immense potential for further revolutionizing disease resistance strategies and immune system understanding in aquaculture.
Past Winners:
2023: Dr. Hossam Abdelhamed
C. Edward Couvillion, DVM, PhD, Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Keegan Jones, who earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Mississippi State University in May 2023, is currently pursuing his PhD in Veterinary Medical Science and residency in Population Medicine with Dr. David Smith.
As a resident, Dr. Jones teaches 3rd year veterinary students on topics related to population medicine and leads field disease outbreak investigations in various species of animals. His current research focuses on the control of Anaplasma marginale, a significant blood-borne pathogen affecting cattle. Dr. Jones is working to develop innovative methods for diagnosing and controlling this disease, which has significant implications for the livestock industry.
The current study Dr. Jones is conducting is to gather Dermacentor spp. ticks and Tabanid biting flies to determine if they might serve as a sample for diagnostic testing to indicate the infection status of proximal beef cattle herds. Dr. Jones has undergone many hardships in collecting arthropod samples as well as samples of blood from the cattle herds under investigation.
Distinguished Staff Awards
Mary Beth Dail
Conscientious and meticulous; hardworking, professional, and productive—Ideal qualities for a research associate and all qualities exemplified by MaryBeth Dail, senior research associate in the lab of Dr. Jan Chambers. MaryBeth has worked with Dr. Chambers in the Center for Environmental Health Sciences for 22 years, and during that time she has contributed not only to the physical conduct of scientific assays but also to the intellectual base that underlies the science. MaryBeth is well prepared for whatever task is at hand, more than willing to go beyond what is expected, and produces data that is always trustworthy. Her readiness and initiative to research and identify new methods, implement them, and see them through to completion is greatly appreciated, as is the guidance she provides students and the patience she exhibits with them. MaryBeth is truly invested in the research being conducted and the success of the program. She is an asset to the CEHS and the CVM.
Joey Kellum
Quality is something that can be measured in many ways; however, the quality of an individual’s performance is often obvious without a formal assessment. The quality of Joey Kellum’s work is an example of this. Joey has served as the quality and safety manager for the Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory System for more than two decades. During his tenure, he has successfully guided the MVRDLS through five American Association of Laboratory Diagnostician Accreditation Site visits with the system performing well on all of them; full accreditation status was achieved in the first four visits, with the same result anticipated next spring from the visit this fall.Joey is nationally recognized and respected by his peers. He has been actively involved with numerous quality-related organizations, serving on committees and in leadership roles. He serves as an AAVLD site visit team chair each year, and for the past 14 years, has served as an instructor for the USDA National Animal Health Laboratory Network Quality Management System. He is currently serving a five-year term as co-chair of theAAVLD Accreditation Committee. Joey does all these “big” things, yet he is directly engaged in day-to-day management of the lab system, assisting with facilities management and biosecurity/ biosafety within the laboratories. He goes beyond the call of duty to improve the service, quality, and image of the MVRDLS, CVM, and MSU.
Chloe Laxer
It’s no secret that Chloe Laxer is the “go to” person at the Animal Emergency & Referral Center in Flowood. No matter what you need, you can count on Chloe to help! Chloe joined the AERC staff in 2018 and was promoted to veterinary supervisor earlier this year. Extremely knowledgeable, self-motivated, and an excellent technician, Chloe is a tremendous asset to the AERC team. She is committed to not just meeting but exceeding expectations. Her outstanding customer service skills and love for her patients make her a favorite of AERC clients. Her efforts to improve the onboarding of new hires, establish new training protocols, and develop and implement a charge nurse program have been instrumental in improving employee morale, retention, and job satisfaction at the AERC. Chloe is a great leader, awesome co-worker, and an even better friend. She is genuine and sincere, and the AERC—and everyone who works there—is better because of her dedication.
Russell Madison
Some folks just spread sunshine. Such is the case with Russell Madison, a member of the CVM custodial staff known for always having a smile on his face. Russell has a joyful spirit that uplifts all who come into contact with him, whether while going about his duties at work or out and about in the community. He is a hard worker but always has time to share a kind word or offer encouragement, and he is genuinely interested in our students, faculty, and staff. Russell routinely takes care of things that are not directly his responsibility or without being asked, because he considers himself to be a caretaker of our college. Last year, when one of his fellow custodians became ill and unable to work, he stepped in and filled the void for several months. Russell truly has a servant’s heart. He makes the CVM—and our world—a better place.
Recent Faculty Honors & Recognition
Brookshire Selected to MCCTR Scholars Program
CVM Faculty Members Honored by DAFVM
Betbeze Elected to ACVO Board of Regents
Eddy Selected for ACVS Credentialing Committee
Researchers Honored with Publication Award
Researchers Receive Innovation Award for COVID-19 Antibody Test
CVM’s Lawrence Currently Serving on National and International Boards
