Winners of inaugural VIN Veritas Award announced

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the message boards of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN)—an online community for veterinarians—have been chock full of questions and comments including debate, occasional misinformation, and more. To address these concerns and confusion, various veterinary colleagues have provided VIN members, the greater industry, and the public timely responses based on current information and recommendations.

To celebrate colleagues who worked diligently to master and empathetically share the constantly evolving information on the COVID-19 pandemic, serving science and truth through courage and integrity, VIN presented its inaugural Veritas award to 2 recipients—Steve Valeika, DVM, PhD, and J. Scott Weese, DVM, DACVIM. According to an organizational release, the name of the award–the VIN Veritas Award–derives from the Latin for truth.

Valeika is a small animal veterinarian in Asheville, NC. He has a PhD in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and before practicing, was an epidemiology professor at the University of Georgia. Weese, professor at the Ontario Veterinary College and Director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph, is an internist with a specialization in infectious diseases, specifically emerging diseases, and infection control.

The stand-out veterinary thought leaders have received acknowledgments from colleagues for their commitment to data and maintaining composure when faced with occasional personal insults, accusations, and rare violence threats.

The VIN Veritas award will be annually granted to veterinary professionals who display extraordinary courage and integrity in the service of science and truth. Nominations for the VIN Veritas award will be derived from colleagues and distributed in the spring of each year beginning in 2022.

Reference

The Veterinary Information Network announces inaugural Veritas Award for Courage and Truth in Science. News release. Veterinary Information Network. December 1, 2021. Accessed December 1, 2021.