(August 2, 2011   Stillwater, OK) – Theresa Casey, DVM, has been selected by Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association as one of four 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.  Casey and the others will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, Oct. 7, at 11:30 a.m. in the Sequoyah Room of the OSU Student Union on the Stillwater campus.  The public is invited to attend.  Tickets may be purchased for $25 from the veterinary center.  Make checks payable to OSU and mail to Oklahoma State University, Veterinary Continuing Education, 002B BVMTH, Stillwater, OK  74078.

Casey earned her DVM degree from OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. In 1989, she earned a Master of Public Health (Environmental Toxicology) from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and in 1980, she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Following graduation in 1982, Casey began her veterinary military career in the Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps (BSC) serving as the Chief of Environmental Health Services at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma.  One of the first veterinarians to enter this new career field, Casey met the challenging responsibilities and began a stellar career moving through the military ranks.

Casey accomplished many firsts in her career as a veterinarian and BSC officer, some of which are:

• Chief, Military Public Health and Commander, Aerospace Medicine Squadron, 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• European Command Humanitarian Assistance Team Senior Medical Officer, Goma, Zaire
• Commander, 1st Medical Group, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia

The list goes on and in August 2006, Casey was appointed Brigadier General—the first active duty Biomedical Sciences Corps Officer and veterinarian to ever serve as a general officer.

She has received numerous awards including the Association of Military Surgeons of the United State’ 2009 James A. McCallum Award for her outstanding accomplishments in military veterinary medicine; the 2003 Military Volunteer Award for extended sign language/deaf ministry service and the 2000 Order of Valour from the Republic of Cameroon for leadership in a combined U.S.-Cameroon humanitarian exercise and the delivery of health care services and training.

Casey is a lifetime member of the OSU Alumni Association, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Food Hygiene Veterinarians and a lifetime member of the Air Force Association.

Currently, Casey is a consultant for DECON III, LLC, in Belton, Texas, working with Air Force and Navy medical facilities worldwide regarding decontamination of patients with exposures to chemical, biological or radiological weapons and toxic industrial materials.  She is also a member of the National Animal Health Emergency Response Corp serving as an on-call veterinarian to help protect animal populations and communities during as emergency crisis.

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 Medical 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.

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