(February 16, 2011 Stillwater, OK) – The Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association hosted its annual convention in Oklahoma City recently. During the awards program, OSU Veterinary Technician, Dianne Hudson, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia) was honored as Veterinary Technician of the Year.

Hudson, a registered veterinary technician who also has her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Anesthesia, has worked at the center’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for 26 years.

As a veterinary technician, her job is many-fold working with technicians and veterinary students at OSU.

“Dianne is a Technical Staff Supervisor,” says Dr. Meg Gross, clinical associate professor and Diplomate of the American College of Anesthesiologists. “She is also an instructor for the Veterinary Support Personnel network and she makes time to lecture and provide wet labs to students in Oklahoma Veterinary Technology programs giving courses in anesthesia and ECG interpretation. She has a genuine compassion for animals, is able to connect with people, and is an excellent role model for technicians not only in Oklahoma but across the country.”

“I was completely surprised and very honored to be chosen for such an award,” smiles Hudson. “I love my job; working with and teaching students veterinary anesthesia is great. They keep me young and always have questions that keep me on my toes. Over the years, I have had the satisfaction of watching individuals grow from pre-veterinary students to completing their DVM degree and becoming very successful clinicians. It is very rewarding knowing I had a small part in their education. I also have the pleasure of working with a great team of veterinarians and veterinary technicians.”

Hudson is from Stillwater, Okla., where she resides with her husband, Robbie, and their two sons, Matthew and Justin who are OSU students, and the best cat in the world—a 9 year old domestic long hair named Fubu.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The center's Boren Veterinary Medial Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine and specialized care for small and large animals. It also offers 24 hour emergency care and is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.cvhs.okstate.edu or call (405) 744-7000.

###