Sheep Industry News June 2022

Small Ruminant Practitioners Award Grant to TT's Gibbons T he American Association of Small Ruminant Practi tioners has awarded Dr. Philippa Gibbons, Texas Tech University, its first research grant for her proposed study the sensitivity and specificity of auscultation, ultrasound and radiographs, and which combination is most helpful to diag nose respiratory disease. Clinical cases will be used and lung sounds will be recorded using a recordable stethoscope. The lung sounds, ultrasound and radiograph images will also be stored for future use for training veterinary students.”

Relationship Between Thoracic Auscultation, Thoracic Ultraso nography and Thoracic Radiographs in Small Ruminants. This award is just shy of $23,000. “The AASRP Research Committee is excited to contribute to the AASRP’s strategic focus on supporting research that provides clinically relevant information our members can use in practice,” said AASRP Research Committee Chair Dr. Virginia Fajt. “We received 12 excellent submissions to this year’s request for pro posals, which was a great showing for the first year of the grant.” Fajt adds that all 12 grants were reviewed by experts, and after consideration by the research committee, the AASRP Board of Directors made the final selection. The project is a collaboration between the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine and the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. “The project will look at the relationship between thoracic auscultation, ultrasound and radiographs in sheep and goats,” Gibbons explained. “As veterinarians, we know that diagnos ing respiratory disease in sheep and goats by auscultation alone can be challenging, so the aim of this project is to determine

The research committee modeled the request for proposals and review criteria off the criteria used by the American As sociation of Bovine Practitioners Foundation for their clinical research grants. The committee would like to acknowledge the scientific reviewers who gave their valuable time to provide feed back and comments about the proposals: Oche Andrew Adogwa, Melanie Boileau, Joan Burke, Lionel Dawson, Sarah Depenbrock, Sherrill Fleming, Derek Foster, Gretchen Grissett, Jennifer Halleran, Maggie Highland, Matt Miesner, Rachel Oman, Scott Radke, Emily Reppert, Jennifer Schleining, RC Scimeca, Clifford F. Shipley, Philip Skuce, Jamie Stewart, Cindy Wolf and Amelia Woolums. “We hope to be able to fund projects every year, and we look forward to the contributions clinical research can make to im prove the health and welfare of small ruminants and elevate the standards of small ruminant practice,” Fajt said. Source: AASRP

WyomingWGA Hires Alison Crane

22 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org “The WWGA board is so thrilled to have found Alison Crane amongst the many ap plicants for the executive director opening,” Smith said. “Her burning personal desire W yoming Wool Growers Asso ciation President Regan Smith announced recently that sheep specialist Alison Crane, Ph.D., has been selected as the organization’s next executive director. Crane’s background in small ruminant science, combined with a passion for working with sheep producers and promot ing the sheep industry, will help further advance the mission of the association as it celebrates its 117th year of representing the state’s sheep and wool producers.

to get to the Mountain West, to making the most of her education and her love of the sheep industry, is a perfect match for what we need to continue our growth in the WWGA.” When Crane assumes the role in July, she will serve as the public face and spokesperson for the organization and will manage its day-to-day functions, including serving as WWGA’s primary contact with key partners, agency staff and governmen tal leaders. “I could not be more excited to take part in the legacy of premier wool and sheep production in the state of Wyoming. It’s an honor to be chosen to work with and sup port the producers in this state,” Crane said.

Crane currently serves as an assistant professor and sheep and meat goat Exten sion specialist at Kansas State University. Source: Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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