Few people in the hog industry are as well-known as Paul. With 30+ years of swine veterinary experience, he has gained recognition for his work with disease management and elimination. He also earned two veterinary awards — the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture and Swine Practitioner of the Year.
Today, Paul is a senior member of the veterinary team at the Swine Vet Center (SVC), which includes 15 veterinarians. When he joined the clinic in 1991, only three veterinarians were on staff.
Paul’s interest in pigs and veterinary science started when he was growing up on his family’s diversified farm in southwest Iowa. He remembers working with veterinarians as they treated hogs and other livestock. In high school, he worked in a hog-confinement operation, which sealed his interest in pigs.
He headed to Iowa State University where he stayed until he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. His first job was at a large group practice, until he switched to SVC.
Paul says over the years he has done a little of everything. Most recently, he is known for his work on mycoplasma and its elimination from a sow herd. He enjoys the problem solving involved in making an elimination program fit into a production system.
But really, Paul likes most aspects of his job. “I like working with on-farm research projects and records analysis,” he explained. “Along with the records, I like doing partial budgets and modeling.
“And I do enjoy working with people on the farms, teaching and seeing them grow and understand production better,” he added.
Paul’s wife Lori works in the office at SVC and also as his assistant. They have a son Adam who is attending college. Paul admits he doesn’t have many hobbies, but he does have a draft-horse team and enjoys restoring antique tractors.
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