August 6, 2004

UI's Woods Named Idaho Veterinarian of the Year

MOSCOW – Gordon Woods, the University of Idaho professor of animal and veterinary science who led the team that produced the world's first equine clone in 2003, Friday was named Idaho's Veterinarian of the Year.

The Idaho Veterinary Medical Association announced Woods' selection during its annual meeting at Boise .

“I am honored to be included among the great group of people who have received this award before me,” Woods said.

Jerry Conger, IVMA awards chairman and a retired veterinarian from Caldwell , said Woods' selection was made by past recipients of the award, a group that includes Conger.

“It's been a big surprise to me that he wasn't selected previously,” Conger said. “I've been in awe of the man myself for many years. He's a great asset to veterinary medicine and he's a great person.”

Woods, who directs the Northwest Equine Reproduction Laboratory at UI, is connected professionally to many past recipients of the award. Five members of the lab's board of directors have previously received the award, including last year's recipient Dave Tester of Hayden, and Bruce Lancaster, Jack Walker, Greg Nelson and David Rustebakke.

Woods also becomes the fifth alumni of the Lewiston Vet Clinic to receive the award, following Leonard Eldridge, Bob Bryant, Ray Turner and Rustebakke.

The award criteria include an accumulation of accomplishments to veterinary medicine over a period of several years or a single outstanding identifiable contribution to veterinary medicine within the preceding five years. Other criteria include outstanding expertise within a specific branch of veterinary medicine as recognized by his or her peers or an outstanding contribution to society outside the field of veterinary medicine.

The selection reflects Woods' total contributions to veterinary medicine, as well as the cloning project, Conger said.

Woods, Dirk Vanderwall, UI assistant professor of animal and veterinary science and fellow veterinarian, and Ken White of Utah State University made world news during the past year by producing the world's first equine clone, the mule Idaho Gem. The cloning team produced two more mule clones last summer. All three identical triplets are vigorous and healthy.

Vanderwall earlier this summer was a co-recipient of the George Oakshott Award, given by the Northern Idaho Veterinary Medical Association to recognize outstanding service to the profession.

Woods said the honor by his peers humbled him and reinforced his belief that veterinary medicine attracts the finest people.

In his thousands of miles with the mule clones during the past year, Woods said, he always considered every veterinarian along the way as a friend who would help if the need arose.

Woods and Vanderwall continue to attract worldwide attention with their fete.

Thursday, Vanderwall addressed equine cloning as an invited featured speaker at the Sixth International Symposium on Equine Embryo Transfer in Rio de Janeiro .

Later this month, Woods travels to Stockholm to EuroScience 2004, the first pan-European general scientific meeting, as an invited speaker. He will discuss his experiences as a scientist at the center of an international news story.


********************************

Contacts: Gordon Woods, UI professor of animal and veterinary science, (208) 885-6507, gwoods@uidaho.edu ; or Bill Loftus, UI science writer, (208) 885-7694, bloftus@uidaho.edu .