Veterinary college’s dean receives honor from Auburn University

M. Daniel Givens, dean of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, was recently honored with a prestigious award from Auburn University — his alma mater and the university for which he previously served on faculty and as an administrator.

Givens was named the recipient of the El Toro Award for Excellence in Food Animal Medicine at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual conference Oct. 20-23.

Givens graduated from Auburn with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1994 and then practiced veterinary care for both food and companion animals at Campbellsville, Kentucky. After completing a Ph.D. in biomedical science and National Institutes of Health-funded post-doctoral research at Auburn, Givens joined the faculty of his alma mater for the next 24 years, serving as a professor, acting department head, and associate dean for academic affairs.

In June 2020, Givens arrived at Virginia Tech to become dean of the veterinary college.

“It's been my privilege over the years to dedicate efforts to both food animal production and the development of students in this area,” Givens said in recorded remarks to the conference, which took place the same weekend as the Connect 2022 event in Blacksburg.  “We talk often about how we owe such a debt to our past, but a greater debt is always to the future. And the students in this area are going to do great things.”

Givens has conducted basic and applied research in infectious diseases that affect the reproduction of cattle. His research has led to more than 85 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, seven book chapters, two international patents, and numerous national and international presentations.