CVM Alumnus Named President of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians

AASV President Dr. Locke Karriker (Mississippi State ‘99) is the Director of the Swine Medicine Education Center and a Morrill Professor, holding the Dr. Douglas and Ann Gustafson Professorship for Teaching Excellence in Veterinary Medicine in the Iowa State University (ISU) Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department.
Dr. Locke Karriker

Dr. Locke Karriker was installed as president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians on March 4, 2025, during the association’s 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. He succeeds Dr. William Hollis, who has been acting president in the absence of Dr. Angela Baysinger, who passed away in March 2024. Hollis is now the immediate past president. Dr. Rebecca Robbins has ascended to president-elect. The newly elected vice president is Dr. Chris Rademacher.

AASV President Dr. Locke Karriker (Mississippi State ‘99) is the Director of the Swine Medicine Education Center and a Morrill Professor, holding the Dr. Douglas and Ann Gustafson Professorship for Teaching Excellence in Veterinary Medicine in the Iowa State University (ISU) Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department. Dr. Karriker has served the association as District 6 Director, co-chair of the Collegiate Activities Committee, member of the Program Planning Committee, the Pharmaceutical Issues Committee, the AASV-National Pork Board Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance, and the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. He delivered the 2011 Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture and was honored with the AASV Howard Dunne Memorial Award in 2014.

When asked to comment on his thoughts about the future of AASV and his tenure as president, Dr. Karriker said, “I am excited to be a part of such an energetic and impactful organization and I appreciate the opportunity to serve the colleagues that have given me so much through my career.”

Dr. Karriker lives in Ames, Iowa with his wife, Racheal, and children Adley and Vaughn. 

AASV President-elect Dr. Rebecca Robbins (North Carolina State University ’09) is a health assurance veterinarian for Pig Improvement Company (PIC). Dr. Robbins has served the association as a member of multiple AASV Annual Meeting Program Planning Committees, chair of the Pharmaceutical Issues Committee, and as AASV’s representative on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Antimicrobials. She has served the broader swine industry as a member of several other committees and task forces led by the National Pork Board and Swine Health Information Center. She was honored with the Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award in 2018.

AASV Vice President Dr. Chris Rademacher (University of Minnesota ’98) is a clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian in the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department at Iowa State University and the associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center. Previously, he was the Director of Health Services at New Fashion Pork and the Director of Production Improvement at Murphy-Brown Western Operations (Smithfield Foods). At ISU, he has led programming efforts in the Common Swine Industry Audit, Veterinary Feed Directive, foreign animal disease preparation, strategic antibiotic use, PEDv, PRRS, and Senecavirus A. Since joining AASV as a student, Dr. Rademacher has been an active member of the AASV as the pharmaceutical committee chair, Annual Meeting research topic chair, program planning committee participant, and District 6 Director on the AASV Board. 

Commenting on his upcoming role as vice president, Dr. Rademacher said, “I am honored and excited to serve an association that has made such a significant impact on swine veterinarians worldwide. As we move forward, we will face any challenges head-on, continuously evolving to meet the needs of both our clients and the pigs we care for.” 

Dr. Rademacher lives in Polk City, Iowa with his wife, Melissa, and their children Isabella, Alexandra, and Aidan. 

AASV Past President Dr. William Hollis (Illinois ’96) is a partner and veterinarian of Carthage Veterinary Service and serves as the president of Professional Swine Management, the Carthage swine service management company. Dr. Hollis was named the AASV Swine Practitioner of the Year in 2019. He is a Pork Quality Assurance Plus Advisor, served on the National Pork Producers Council Animal Health Food Security Policy Committee, and served on the National Pork Board Swine Health Committee. He has served on the American Veterinary Medical Association House of Delegates representing AASV, and on the AASV Board of Directors representing District 5.