Recognition Awards
The ACVIM greatly values the dedication of our members to the profession as well as their investment in and support to help make the ACVIM successful. We offer awards annually for volunteer service, outstanding achievements within the profession and by specialty.
ACVIM Lee and Inge Pyle Service Award
Recognizes outstanding and dedicated service by a Diplomate as a College volunteer.
Robert W. Kirk Award for Professional Excellence
Presented in recognition of outstanding achievements and dedicated service to the veterinary profession.
ACVIM Specialty Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to the most prominent leaders in each specialty and provides the opportunity to celebrate those who have made significant contributions in each of the five specialties.
William R. Fenner Early Career Award for Outstanding Service
Awarded to a Diplomate exemplifying exceptional service in the College and/or their Specialty in a volunteer capacity within the first 10 years following Board-certification.
ACVIM Certificate of Clinical Excellence
Recognizes students who demonstrate sincere interest in internal medicine and outstanding didactic and clinical expertise in internal medicine.
2022 ACVIM Recognition Award Winners
2022 ACVIM Lee & Inge Pyle Service Award
For outstanding and dedicated service by a Diplomate as a college volunteer
William (Bill) Fenner, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)
Dr. Bill Fenner graduated from Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine. After obtaining his DVM degree in 1973, he went to New York City to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center. He continued his training as a resident in internal medicine (1974-1975) and neurology (1975-1976), and became a staff neurologist (1976-1977). He came to Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and became an ACVIM Diplomate in neurology in 1978. At Ohio State, he received the Norden Distinguished Teaching Award in 1982, was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine in 1984, and became Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and College Secretary in 1991. He completed his career as the head of the neurology department at MedVet in Columbus, Ohio.
2022 ACVIM Robert W. Kirk Award for Professional Excellence
In recognition of outstanding achievements and dedicated service to the veterinary profession
Mark Kittleson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Dr. Mark Kittleson is currently a
professor emeritus (University of California, Davis School of Veterinary
Medicine) and working at Veterinary Information Network. During his career he
paved the way in the understanding of myocardial function in veterinary
cardiology. From his earliest work, to his co-discovery, with Paul Pion, of the
critical role of taurine in myocardial disease in cats, and later dogs, Mark has
spent much of his career examining how the heart contracts and relaxes. His
fundamental work with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats, maintaining and studying
a colony of Maine Coon cats that led to the discovery of the first genetic
mutations in cardiac disease in dogs and cats, showed his resolute dedication
to the field of cardiology.
2022 ACVIM Specialty Lifetime Achievement Award
Celebrating those who have made significant contributions in one of the six ACVIM specialties.
Philip Fox, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Dr. Fox received his DVM degree at The Ohio State University. He is a well-recognized international speaker and has won many honors, including the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) Speaker of the Year, Distinguished Alumnus Award from Ohio State University, Daniels Award, Award of Merit from the NYPD, City of New York (for research to identify health risks in police dogs at and following the World Trade Center 9/11 terrorist attacks). He has published extensively, including two cardiology textbooks, and is one of the founding editors of the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology.
Philip Johnson, BVSc (Hons), MS, DACVIM (LAIM)
Dr. Johnson is a graduate of The University of Bristol (BVSc[Hons], MRCVS/veterinary degrees) and the University of Illinois (MS), Philip Johnson completed specialty training at the University of Illinois. He joined the MU faculty in 1991. Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson contributed to our collective understanding regarding the disease processes that lead to laminitis, an obviously important disease for horses, ponies and the horse industry overall.