Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Honors 2017 Rising Star and Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients

COLLEGE STATION, TX-The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) honored five of its alumni at a reception and dinner held on Friday, March 31, 2017, at the Miramont Country Club. The recipients of the 2017 Outstanding Alumni Awards and the Rising Star Award are all leaders in the veterinary medical and biomedical sciences fields, and the awards recognize their contributions and service to their communities.

“These alumni are ambassadors for the CVM, and we are proud of their commitment to service, education, and leadership,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine. “We are honored and privileged to recognize our former students and the impact of their work on our college, our state, our nation, and the world.”

Rising Star Award

Dr. Chase A. Crawford ’14

Chase Crawford
Dr. Chase A. Crawford ’14

Although Dr. Chase A. Crawford graduated from Texas A&M; University with his DVM in 2014, his career had already become one devoted to advancing One Health concepts and improving animal, human, and environmental health. He received his MS in Biomedical Science in 2010, and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, with a minor in Chemistry, in 2007, from Texas A&M; University.

Prior to graduating, Crawford completed an alternative curriculum track, which included internships with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) in Rome, Italy, in 2013, and with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland in 2014.  During these opportunities he gained valuable experience in monitoring and helping to containing global zoonotic disease threats, such as avian influenza.

After receiving his DVM, Dr. Crawford served as a congressional fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) and worked in the office of United States Senator Al Franken (D-MN), helping to advance the senator’s global health, agriculture, and energy initiatives. While working in the senator’s office, Dr. Crawford advocated for the essential roles of veterinarians and wildlife biologists in controlling and preventing zoonotic diseases, in particular the Ebola virus outbreak in western Africa. He went on to draft legislation for Senator Franken to establish a federal, interagency One Health program, and to promote a framework at the international level among intergovernmental organizations, such as WHO and the UN, which became S. 2634, “The One Health Act of 2016.”

In 2015, Dr. Crawford was named as the Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative, a joint program of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). He oversaw the development and implementation of all aspects of this initiative that elevated the role of academic institutions in national efforts to address antibiotic resistance in agriculture settings, including cultivating relationships with key stakeholders in agriculture, healthcare, industry, and advocacy, as well as UN agencies.

Dr. Crawford joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis (OPLA) as a program analyst in August 2016, overseeing a new Zika virus research initiative and providing information and guidance on Congressional actions affecting the NIH. The OPLA is a liaison with members of Congress and their staff and performs legislative analysis and policy development.

Currently, Dr. Crawford serves as a Program Health Analyst at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  Dr. Crawford continues to champion the importance of One Health and the roles of veterinarians to the community, thereby fostering understanding and bringing global visibility to the One Health concept.

Click here to see Crawford’s video.

Outstanding Alumni Awards

Dr. William R. Fenner ’73

Dr. William R. Fenner
Dr. William R. Fenner ’73

William (Bill) R. Fenner, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) (Neurology), has the perspective of both an academic and private practice veterinary career.

He was raised in his father’s private, general practice, where he gained an early understanding of the importance of listening to each client. Thirty years in teaching and research development has showed him the importance of always looking to the future.

Dr. Fenner earned his DVM from Texas A&M; University in 1973. Following his graduation from veterinary school, he completed a yearlong internship in small animal medicine and surgery, as well as a two-year residency in small animal medicine and neurology, at The Animal Medical Center in New York. He was a member of the faculty and administration at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and was a guest faculty member at Michigan State University and Purdue University Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. He was awarded the Norden Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as The Animal Medical Center Distinguished Alumnus Award.

A leader in the field of veterinary neurology, Dr. Fenner is currently the neurology specialty leader at MedVet Columbus, where he has been part of the medical team since 2004. He is also the professional liaison for the ACVIM and serves as its representative on the American Board of Veterinary Specialties.

With research published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Fenner maintains an interest in all aspects of small animal neurology with particular interest in the management of canine seizures. He has been the principal investigator of several clinical studies focused on the treatment of epilepsy and the response of the nervous system to inflammation (encephalitis). In addition, he is the principle editor and a contributor for all three editions of “Quick Reference to Veterinary Practice.” An active advocate of continued education for veterinary professionals, Dr. Fenner has lectured on small animal neurology topics both nationally and internationally.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Fenner’s interests include history, travel, food, and music. His season tickets to both the Lyric Opera in Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera in New York give him the opportunity enjoy both music and food. He regularly visits friends in Great Britain, where he has explored ancient Roman ruins-in particular, Hadrian’s Wall.

Click here to see Fenner’s video.

Mr. Joshua A. Floren, ’97

Mr. Joshua A. Floren '97
Mr. Joshua A. Floren ’97

Joshua Floren, FACHE, has developed a reputation for his commitment to advance-care delivery and working collaboratively with physicians and other caregivers. That reputation has allowed Floren to rise quickly through the ranks at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, where he directs the acute care hospital in its continued leadership of the North Texas market in improving the health of the communities the hospital serves.

Floren earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M; in Biomedical Sciences in 1997 and went on to earn his Master’s in Health Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

After a 2 year fellowship and 6 years in various administrative positions at Charleston Area Medical Center, he moved back to Texas to work at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He spent 7 years there ultimately becoming their chief of hospital operations.

He was named president of Texas Health Plano in 2015, a promotion that came less than two years after joining the hospital as vice president of professional and support services, for which he oversaw ancillary and support services, including radiology, rehabilitation, pharmacy, orthopedic joint program, and nutrition services.

At Texas Health Plano, Floren has been instrumental in the opening of the Texas Health Ben Hogan Concussion Center and the Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine Center at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. Under his leadership, Texas Health Plano became the first hospital in North Texas to offer EOS, a low-dose, 3-D imaging technology that provides another advanced diagnostic option for patients.  His hospital has been recognized as a top performer in quality and patient satisfaction for many years and has continued to be recognized by the community as the “Best Place to Have a Baby”.

Floren is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and served for several years on their North Texas board of trustees ultimately becoming the president of the board.  The College went on to recognize him in 2016 with the ACHE North Texas Reagent’s Award.

He also is an active proponent in the community, serving as a member of Leadership Plano, Class 32, a program of the Plano Chamber of Commerce dedicated to educating, developing, and empowering current and future leaders. He is currently on the Children’s Advocacy board in Collin County, the Texas Hospital Association Policy Council and is a member of the Biomedical Sciences Advisory Council here at Texas A&M.;  In addition, Floren was on the advisory board for the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society.

He and his wife of 12 years, Valerie, have three children: Jackson, Brooks, and Charlotte. His hobbies include hunting, skiing, cooking, and traveling, though most of his spare time is spent coaching kids’ baseball and attending his children’s sporting events.

Click here to see Floren’s video.

Dr. Stephen D. Lewis, ’79

Dr. Stephen D. Lewis '79
Dr. Stephen D. Lewis ’79

Dr. Steve Lewis has found success in a number of arenas. A leader in feed yard/stocker cattle medicine, Dr. Lewis also has become known for both his dedication to the profession via research, as well as his business ventures.

Dr. Lewis graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in veterinary science in 1977.  He earned his DVM degree Cum Laude in 1979, both from Texas A&M; University.  Following graduation, he began his career at a mixed animal practice in Muleshoe, Texas. There, he came to recognize the need for a large animal practice in the Panhandle and established his Hereford Veterinary Clinic, in Hereford, Texas, in 1982.

Today, Dr. Lewis serves as manager and senior partner at the clinic, which contributes to the practice of general medicine and surgery, with specializations in beef cattle consultation, equine and food animal research, embryo transfer, equine surgery, and orthopedic surgery. The clinic’s annual client cattle population is more than 1.75 million head.

In addition to being a prominent practicing-consultant veterinarian, Dr. Lewis is a successful businessman, as director of Hereford State Bank.

He combined his passion for veterinary medicine with his business acumen through two corporations. Hereford Vet Supply, Inc., of which Dr. Lewis is a majority stockholder and the chief executive officer, provides an assortment of products and feed for livestock and pets. Through its stockholder consultants, the company represents more than 3 million head of cattle annually.

Because of his extensive research and clinical trials experience, Dr. Lewis co-founded the Veterinary Research Associates, PLLC (VRA), a group of beef cattle veterinarians who provide feedlot clients cost-efficient methods to decrease disease, increase productivity for their cattle, and foster a centralized cooperative to conduct field trial research. The VRA partners have consulted for more than 75 feed yards, which represent more than 6 million head of cattle annually.

Throughout all of his achievements, Dr. Lewis has maintained a servant’s heart, giving his time to a number of professional organizations, including serving as president and director of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), which recognized him as the AVC Consultant of the Year, and as a member and past board member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, which recognized him for Preventative Medicine Practitioner and the AABP Practitioner of the Year. Most recently, he was named the Food Animal Practitioner of the Year by the TVMA.

He also offers workshops on areas related to his expertise, serves on the endowment committee and for fundraisers at West Texas A&M; University, and is a member of First United Methodist Church in Canyon.

Currently, Steve is still very busy in his consulting practice. However, more thought is being given into slowing down and dedicating more time to his wife, grandkids and hobbies. Steve and his wife, Sally have three children, Dustin, Kody, and Augusta, and five grandkids.  He enjoys flying his airplane, fishing, and traveling with Sally. Pasturing calves and cattle feeding are also included in his hobbies, which qualifies, as they are fun, cost money to do, and recently do not make much money.

Click here to see Lewis’ video.

COL Timothy H. Stevenson, ’88

COL Timothy H. Stevenson '88
COL Timothy H. Stevenson ’88

As an officer in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, COL Timothy H. Stevenson has devoted his career to ensuring the safety of his fellow soldiers, and the animals that support them.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree and DVM from Texas A&M; in 1986 and 1988, respectively, COL Stevenson worked as a private practitioner before joining the Army Veterinary Corps in 1990. He returned to Texas A&M; to earn his Doctor of Philosophy degree in food microbiology in 1999.

COL Stevenson’s career took him across the United States and Europe, serving as deputy director for the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory at Fort Sam Houston and as the commander of the Veterinary Laboratory Europe, during which time both labs achieved accreditation for the first time.

Today, he serves as chief of the Defense Health Agency Veterinary Service, where he leads the Veterinary Service Branch at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) in Falls Church, Virginia, a position for which he was hand-picked.

Throughout his career, COL Stevenson has contributed significantly to the betterment of military veterinary medicine, both within the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military community, via leadership of working groups and nine publications on water and food safety and beef production and safety.

He was the driving force behind the creation of the U.S. Army Medical Department’s Food Defense program; arranged a food defense summit; and coordinating the development of laboratory capacities to test and identify chemical, biological, and radiological agents that could be used by terrorists to contaminate subsistence items.

He helped draft a Memorandum of Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to train and authorize veterinary service personnel to use the direct rapid immunohistochemistry test for rabies, which was used by deployed veterinary units in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect soldiers.

During this time, COL Stevenson also was dedicated to the development of future Army veterinary leaders through teaching and mentoring, including organizing and teaching a course on auditing commercial laboratories for dairies, bottled water, and other food production facilities that has become the standard for all U.S. Army veterinary officers in Europe.

He has been recognized as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiology and the American College of Preventative Medicine, Epidemiology Specialty, along with many other awards and recognitions.

COL Stevenson has been married to Harriet for 30 years.  She is a Biomedical Science graduate (Class of ’84). They are blessed to have two adult sons. His hobbies include home renovation projects, skiing, running, and serving in his church and community.

Click here to see Stevenson’s video.


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