Harold Amstutz

ABOUT THE AABP FOUNDATION AMSTUTZ SCHOLARSHIP

PURPOSE

The purpose of the AABP Foundation Amstutz Scholarship is to identify and support the most superior students with a graduation year of 2025 or 2026 that demonstrate the character, knowledge, experience, motivation, and potential to become outstanding bovine veterinarians in the United States and Canada, prepared to meet the needs of the 21st century. The scholarship provides them with a one-time cash award to be used at their discretion to provide them with unique educational experiences to maximize their preparation for the future.

AMSTUTZ SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2024

The AABP and the Amstutz Scholarship Committee announce the availability of scholarships for 2024. Amstutz Scholarships are funded by the AABP Foundation Amstutz Scholarship Fund, AABP member donations, the Stampede 5K fun run, and the scholarship auction at the AABP Annual Conference. In 2022, nine $10,500 scholarships were granted. The Scholarship Committee determines the dollar amount of the scholarships and the number to be granted each year. Scholarship recipients will be encouraged to attend the AABP Annual Conference in Columbus, OH, Sept. 12-14, 2024 to receive their awards in person. The funds are presented to those Amstutz Scholarship recipients attending the Annual Conference, but their attendance is not mandatory to receive the funds.

WHO MAY APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS?

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be a student AABP member.
  2. Be enrolled in a college/school of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA Council on Education. For a list of AVMA accredited colleges/schools click here.
  3. Will graduate in 2025 or 2026 at the time of application. Students enrolled in other years of the curriculum are not eligible to apply.
  4. Intend to engage in bovine veterinary medicine in the United States or Canada after graduation.
  5. Previous winners of the Amstutz Scholarship are not eligible to apply. Those who previously applied but were not selected are encouraged to apply again.

WHEN ARE APPLICATIONS DUE?

Completed electronic applications and two electronic letters of recommendation must be received on the AABP website by, May 31, 2024, 5 pm EST.

WHAT CRITERIA DOES THE COMMITTEE USE TO SELECT AMSTUTZ SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS?

The committee evaluates the character, knowledge, experience, motivation, and potential of each applicant to become an outstanding bovine veterinarian in the United States and Canada. The evaluation is based on information from the electronic application about the student's experiences, academic achievements and extracurricular activities. The applicant's ability to provide written answers to two essay questions is also evaluated. Information on the applicant is also evaluated from two required electronic letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an AABP member on the faculty of the student's veterinary school.

AMSTUTZ SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Click here to submit an electronic application. The online application at this link consists of the following:

  1. Name, contact information, and veterinary school details. Ensure that the email and cell phone numbers provided will be current and monitored during the summer months when the scholarships are announced.
  2. Current cumulative veterinary school GPA through December, 2023 and current class rank (i.e. 5th out of a class of 110 should be submitted as 5/110). If GPA is not calculated at your school, class rank only will be adequate.
  3. A biographical narrative of your background and interest in the cattle industry, animal agriculture and veterinary medicine. Discuss factors that stimulated your interest and involvement in bovine medicine, your academic background and interests, and your extracurricular activities, including your participation in areas other than in agriculture/veterinary medicine that may help the committee get to know you. (LIMIT: 500 words).
  4. Describe your plans following graduation from veterinary school to become part of bovine veterinary medicine in the United States or Canada (LIMIT: 500 words).
  5. List all scholarships/loans/grants/other financial support awards you have received while in veterinary school.
  6. Answer the first essay question: "Identify the most challenging issue facing food animal veterinary medicine. Justify your selection and propose a solution." (LIMIT:500 words)
  7. Answer the second essay question: "How do you see yourself maintaining relevance and progressiveness in bovine practice (for yourself, your producer clients and the veterinary profession)?" (LIMIT: 500 words)
  8. Answer: "If selected as an AABP Amstutz scholarship recipient, how do you plan to use the money from the award?" (LIMIT: 500 words or less)
  9. Two electronic letters of recommendation are mandatory for your application to be considered. These should be from persons who can provide information on your worthiness for an Amstutz Scholarship award. An additional mandatory requirement is for at least one of the two letters of recommendation to be written by an AABP member on faculty at your veterinary school. Failure to have two letters, as described, will disqualify your application. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the letters are uploaded prior to the deadline to prevent disqualification. Please ask the persons submitting a letter of recommendation to click on Letters of Recommendation to submit a letter of recommendation for you. They must submit their letters electronically no later than than May 31, 2024, 5 pm EST.

Your completed electronic application and two letters of recommendation must be received electronically through the AABP web site (aabp.org) no later than May 31, 2024, 5 pm EST. It is up to the applicant to verify that letters of recommendation have been submitted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Previously entered applications can be reviewed or edited here.

Following an electronic submission, an applicant should receive an electronic reply to the email address indicated in the application which confirms electronic receipt of the application. If email confirmation is not received within one working day, please contact Dr. Fred Gingrich in the AABP office.

 

Student applicants are responsible for ensuring reference letters are uploaded before the listed deadline. If letters of reference are not electronically submitted by the deadline, the application is considered incomplete and will be discarded. Applicants can check the status of their applications and track the submission of required materials, by logging on to the AABP website, go to the Students Menu and selecting Scholarship/Grant Portal.


 

PHOTO

Dr. Harold Amstutz - the Honoree

This Scholarship Fund is named to honor the unique leadership role of Dr. Harold E. Amstutz in the maturation and development of national and international organizations in the area of bovine veterinary practice. A native of Barrs Mill, Ohio, Amstutz received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from The Ohio State University in 1942. He was awarded his D.V.M. three years later from the same institution. He practiced briefly before becoming an instructor in veterinary medicine at his alma mater, becoming a professor in 1957. In 1961 he became Department Head of the veterinary clinics at Purdue University's new veterinary school. He retired from full-time teaching at Purdue in 1989.

After the founding of AABP in 1965, Amstutz carried two full loads, one in academia and the other with AABP, excelling in each. He was AABP's first Executive Vice President, previously serving as secretary-treasurer. Though the title has changed through the years, Amstutz's service did not. He was the one responsible for the grunt work of the organization, the details; he provided the glue. He retired from the position on November 1, 1993.

Dr. Amstutz was widely recognized as an authority on bovine diseases with special interest in bovine lameness and respiratory diseases. He presented his work to many national and international groups and served widely as a consultant throughout the United States. He won numerous awards, including the Borden Award in national recognition for outstanding research in dairy cattle diseases and the National Gamma Award from Omega Tau Sigma veterinary medical fraternity. In 1986 the American Association of Bovine Practitioners established the Amstutz-Williams Award in honor of Harold E. Amstutz and Eric J. Williams to recognize the long and distinguished service of the two honorees. Drs. Amstutz and Williams were the first recipients of this award.



Dr. Amstutz was a charter diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, honorary president of the World Association of Buiatrics, past Executive Vice President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, member of the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Amstutz served a major role in international veterinary medicine. He served the World Association of Buiatrics as first vice president (1966-1972), president (1972-1984), and honorary president from 1984. He played an important part in organizing eight international meetings of the World Association of Buiatrics.

Dr. Amstutz was chairman of the organizing committee of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine that succeeded in gaining recognition of the Specialty Board by the AVMA on July 17, 1972. He wrote the first draft of the constitution and By-Laws of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and was the first president of the college. His conviction that a broadly-based clinical discipline deserved recognition as a specialty by the AVMA was justified since it currently has the second highest number of active members of the 17 specialty organizations recognized by the AVMA.

Dr. Amstutz was elected secretary-treasurer of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in 1966 when the membership totaled 250 and the organization's finances were under severe stress. Under his management, the membership grew to 5,000 and the annual budget exceeded $500,000. In 1989 he was appointed the first Executive Vice President of the AABP. Much of the success and growth of the organization was due to the dedication of Dr. Amstutz. He had major responsibilities for the annual meetings, from recommending sites for future meetings to taking care of the myriad of details that arise during the meeting. For over 20 years Dr. Amstutz edited and published a very well respected monthly newsletter for the membership. He was an alternate delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates for the AABP from 1969 until 1994. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Bovine Practitioner, official publication of AABP.

Dr. Amstutz served on the Board of Editors for the Merck Veterinary Manual for many years. He was editor of Bovine Medicine and Surgery and wrote chapters for many other veterinary texts.

He served unselfishly on many important committees at Purdue, including Admissions and Curriculum. He donated funds in 1988 to the SVM to establish the Amstutz Bovine Proficiency Award for students interested in bovine practice.

Harold E. Amstutz, DVM, was awarded the Alumni Faculty Award at Purdue University for Excellence and retired with the title of Professor Emeritus in 1989. He received the inaugural Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame award in 2011. Dr. Amstutz passed away June 11, 2013 at the age of 93.


AABP Amstutz Scholarship - DONATION INFORMATION

To accomplish the AABP Amstutz Scholarship goals, AABP needs donations from the members and friends. This tax deductible contribution can be made at any time to the AABP office. Checks should be made to the AABP Foundation which administers the Amstutz Scholarship Funds. There is a space on the membership renewal form, as well as the annual meeting registration form, for your voluntary contribution for this important AABP Amstutz Scholarship Fund. A receipt for your donation will be sent from the AABP for tax deduction purposes.

AABP OFFICE Address:

AABP
1130 Main St. Ste. 302
Ashland, OH 44805
Phone: 419-496-0685
FAX: 419-496-0697
Email: fred@aabp.org