Greene honored for a lifetime of achievements

ORLANDO-Dr. Craig E. Greene, DVM, MS, dipl. ACVIM, will receive the prestigious 2005 Mark L. Morris Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award this month at the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC).

The national award is presented annually to a veterinarian who has made a lifetime commitment to improving the health and well-being of companion animals.

Dr. Craig E. Greene

Known internationally for his ground-breaking research on infectious diseases in dogs and cats, Greene is an acclaimed researcher and award-winning teacher from the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine. Greene is expected to accept the award at the opening ceremony of the NAVC on Jan. 8 in Orlando.

"It is a particular honor to recognize Dr. Craig Greene for his lifelong dedication to improving the health of companion animals," says Mary Beth Leininger, DVM, director of Professional Affairs for Hill's Pet Nutrition. "His innumerable contributions to veterinary medical science and his passion for teaching others are a perfect mirror of the legacy, which Dr. Mark Morris Sr. left to our profession."

One of the world's premier experts in small animal infectious diseases, Greene's accomplished career has resulted in three textbooks, more than 35 chapters in other textbooks, more than 100 refereed publications in scientific journals and more than 185 presentations worldwide.

His textbook, "Infectious Diseases of the Dog & Cat," is considered by many in the animal health profession to be the "Bible" of infectious diseases for veterinarians.

Colleagues describe Greene as "the quintessential academic of our time."

Leland Carmichael, the John M. Olin Professor Emeritus of Virology at Cornell University says, "Craig is considered by veterinary infectious disease experts, worldwide, to be at the very top, a reputation that in my opinion is more than well deserved."

Greene joined the faculty of the University of Georgia in 1976 and has mentored a generation of veterinarians and veterinary internal medicine specialists receiving numerous "excellence in teaching" awards.

"Without a shadow of doubt, Dr. Greene has influenced more students and residents during his active teaching life than any other academic in the field of small animal infectious disease," says Dr. Stephen Barr, chief of Small Animal Medicine at Cornell. "He's larger than life with a reputation that's eight-foot tall and bulletproof!"

Decorated with awards and honorary degrees, Greene's innumerable written contributions have changed the way the general practitioner handles infectious diseases, according to Hill's.

Dr. Guy Pidgeon, president and CEO of the Animal Medical Center, says, "As Dr. Mark L. Morris Sr. taught us to think of nutrition in the management of all diseases, Dr. Craig Greene has taught us that infectious disease can produce almost any clinical sign and must be on the differential diagnosis list for almost any presentation."

Hill's is making a $20,000 donation to the Morris Animal Foundation in Dr. Greene's name. The Morris Animal Foundation, founded in 1948, improves the health and well-being of companion animals and wildlife by funding humane health studies and disseminating information about these studies.