Adam Copeland, a 2012 graduate of Texas Tech University's Department of Animal and Food Sciences, is a recipient of the 2019 Dr. W. Bruce Wren Food Animal Incentive Award from the Western Veterinary Conference. The Lubbock native is one of the five recipients of the honor, which includes expense-paid travel to the Western Veterinary Conference, an annual event in Las Vegas, and a stipend of $1,000.

Copeland was a member of Texas Tech's 2009 National Champion Meat Judging Team. Following graduation from Texas Tech, he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M University. He is now serving as a post-doctoral research associate at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Currently his focus is on becoming a diplomat of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Food Animal Practice.

Award winners are selected for leadership and must be postgraduate students from an accredited college or school of veterinary medicine. They also must also be an intern or first-year resident in theriogenology, production medicine or food animal medicine/surgery. The respective training program must by recognized by American Association of Veterinary Clinicians.

Program officials noted that The Dr. W. Bruce Wren Food Animal Incentive Awards recognizes recent graduates from veterinary colleges or schools to encourage veterinarians to enter food animal practice or other careers directly related to food animal practice, such as food animal education and/or research. In addition, the award aims to help develop recipient's leadership skills and aid their progress as future leaders in food animal practice and related activities.

Named for the longtime food animal program manager of the Western Veterinary Conference, the award honors W. Bruce Wren, who earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1958, a master's degree in veterinary pathology in 1962 and a doctorate in veterinary pathology in 1965, all from Kansas State University.

CONTACT: Michael Orth, chairman, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5653 or michael.orth@ttu.edu

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