The Humane Society of the United States is pleased to announce that Dr. Andrew N. Rowan, the organization's Executive Vice President for Operations, is the 2008 winner of the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics' prestigious Shomer Award.
The SVME, founded in 1994, promotes discussion and debate about ethical issues arising in and relevant to veterinary practice. Its primary objective is to encourage the ethical practices and professional behavior of veterinarians in all aspects of the profession through numerous organizational activities.
This award is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Robert Shomer, co-founder and first president of SVME. The award is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution throughout his or her career to the field of veterinary medical ethics as a leader through scholarship, advocacy or mentorship.
Dr. Rowan has indeed met the qualifications for this honor. Besides his position at The HSUS, Dr. Rowan is also adjunct professor at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, senior fellow at the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy and a faculty member at the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
Previous winners of the Shomer Award are Dr. Carl A. Osborne, professor of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Bernard E. Rollin, a university-distinguished professor at Colorado State University.
“I am honored and humbled, as a non-veterinarian, to be a recipient of this award and to be part of a community of scholars in veterinary ethics that includes the likes of Drs. Shomer, Osborne and Rollin,” Dr. Rowan said.
His colleagues agree that Dr. Rowan is deserving of this honor.
“Dr. Rowan almost single-handedly worked successfully to acquire intellectual credibility for animal welfare issues among working scientists. I can think of no person more deserving of this award,” said Dr. Rollin.
For more information about the SVME, visit their website at vetmed.wsu.edu/org_SVME.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
