Date: 2008-04-24
You are viewing a printer friendly version. If you want to view the original release please click the link below:
Original Article: http://media-newswire.com/release_1064827.html
Distributed by: Media-Newswire.com
COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Wednesday named Dr. Tammy Beckham as director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. The Board of Regents made the announcement following a telephonic meeting. Beckham was selected as the sole finalist for the position at the March Board of Regents meeting.
(Media-Newswire.com) - COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Wednesday named Dr. Tammy Beckham as director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. The Board of Regents made the announcement following a telephonic meeting. Beckham was selected as the sole finalist for the position at the March Board of Regents meeting.
“Dr. Beckham is one of the nation’s foremost experts in animal diseases, and we are extremely fortunate that she has accepted the opportunity to lead our efforts in this important area,” said Bill Jones, chairman of the Board of Regents.
For the past year, Beckham has been director of the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of USDA’s Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York. Her responsibilities included managing the diagnosis of animal diseases, overseeing a nationwide animal health diagnostic system and coordinating efforts with the Department of Homeland Security, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and other entities.
Beckham’s lab serves as the nation’s authority on animal disease diagnosis. Any suspected outbreak of a foreign animal disease, such as foot and mouth disease, must first be confirmed by the lab at Plum Island.
Working in various capacities at Plum Island over the last six years, Beckham specialized in developing ways using emerging technologies to more rapidly diagnose, and with greater accuracy, such potentially devastating diseases as foot and mouth, rinderpest and classical swine fever.
“Her experience at the premier animal disease diagnostic laboratory in the country will be invaluable for leading our Texas program forward,” said Dr. Mark Hussey, interim vice chancellor for agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M.
The Texas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is one of 12 core member laboratories in the country that comprise the National Animal Health Laboratory Network providing surveillance and response to high-consequence animal diseases.
The Texas lab is one of the busiest full-service diagnostic facilities in the world, handling more than 220,000 cases a year. At its two major locations in College Station and Amarillo, the lab conducts diagnostic testing for thousands of veterinary hospitals and clinics across the country. Two smaller labs in Center and Gonzales provide disease surveillance and diagnostic testing for the poultry industry.
About the A&M System
The A&M System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $2.9 billion. Through a statewide network of nine universities, seven state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the A&M System educates more than 106,000 students and makes more than 15 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. Externally funded research brings in almost $627 million every year and helps drive the state’s economy.
Contacts: Dave Mayes
979-845-2803
d-mayes@tamu.edu
Frank Griffis or Amy Halbert
979-458-6023
SysComm@tamu.edu