In honor of his three decades of animal disease surveillance work, Dr. Mo Salman is the 2020 recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association Public Service Award. Established in 1968, the award recognizes “outstanding public service or unusual contributions to the practice or science of public health and regulatory veterinary medicine.”
As a professor of veterinary epidemiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences and founder of the Animal Population Health Institute, Salman collaborates with animal health authorities and regulators at state, national, and international levels. He has provided leadership in advising animal health programs through various international organizations, including bringing administrators of many countries together for training programs.
“To work with an animal population base, you have to think about two types of communities: both the human community coordinating the animal population and the actual community of animals,” Salman said.
Along with sharing his epidemiological expertise with the scientific community, his own current research is dedicated to managing outbreaks of African Swine Fever in China and Southeast Asia, as well as evaluating the medication strategy of livestock afflicted by ticks on the border of Texas and Mexico.
“I’m humbled that this award was given to me,” Salman said. “And I also want to recognize the many government professionals adding significant value to public service efforts.”
Working alongside international organizations like the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations gives Salman special insight into the dedication it takes to promote and maintain animal disease surveillance efforts.
“There are few other faculty at CSU or any other veterinary school who have been similarly honored by such a diverse set of organizations and agencies,” said Dr. Sue VandeWoude, University Distinguished Professor and director of the CSU One Health Institute. “Mo is one of the most productive and distinguished public health scientists I know, and it is hard to imagine a more deserving recipient.”
