The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) Alumni Association has recognized two graduates with 2024 alumni awards for achievements in advancing the veterinary medical profession, animal and human health, and humanity.
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Advisory Board launched the awards program in 2019 to recognize graduates who have made significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments, affiliations and careers honor the legacy of excellence at the school. Award categories recognize both DVM and graduate degree program alumni.
The Alumni Advisory Board has since grown into the UW SVM Alumni Association (SVMAA), established in July 2022 to support the school’s advancement through alumni engagement.
Learn more about the 2024 award recipients:
SVMAA Distinguished Service Award (DVM)
Dr. Jeffery Zuba
Jeffery R. Zuba obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduate school in virology and immunology, he completed his residency in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at San Diego Zoo Global. Dr. Zuba then received an appointment as Clinical Professor in Zoo Medicine at Colorado State University. He then joined the veterinary staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park where he was privileged to work until his retirement 31 years later. Professional highlights include mentoring too numerous to count students, interns and residents; being a faculty member for the EnviroVet Institute (an ecosystem veterinary health program); an affiliate instructor at the Wildlife Health Center at the UC-Davis; the Director of Veterinary Programs for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s California Condor Recovery Program; Veterinary Coordinator for the Condor Release Program in Baja, Mexico; Veterinary Advisor for both the AZA’s California Condor and White Rhinoceros Species Survival Plans; and a principal investigator of a team of international veterinarians who developed anesthetic and laparoscopic protocols to perform the first ever surgical contraception procedures in free-ranging African elephants. Dr. Zuba consults and lectures internationally on a wide range of subjects including mega-vertebrate anesthesia and conservation medicine and serves as a scientific advisor for several conservation and educational institutions. He is an appointed Board member for the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine and two charitable organizations dedicated to animal rescue, health, and welfare as well as humanitarian efforts. Dr. Zuba is owner and founder of In Case of Anesthesia which designs and manufactures specialized mega-vertebrate anesthetic equipment.
SVMAA Distinguished Service Award (Graduate Program)
Dr. Rebecca Johnson
Dr. Johnson (right) obtained her DVM degree from the Ohio State University in 1993. She completed her MS degree in Veterinary Science (1997), became board-certified in Veterinary Anesthesiology and Pain Management (1997), and completed her PhD in Respiratory Neurophysiology in 2002 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently is a Clinical Professor of Anesthesia and Pain Management and the Research Anesthesiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her interests include: 1) investigating novel anesthetic and analgesic techniques for companion, exotic and laboratory animals and 2) providing education on pre-hospital emergency care and the unique anesthetic and analgesic requirements of law enforcement K9s.