Contacts: Tracy Ann Raef, College of Veterinary Medicine, (515) 294-4602, traef@iastate.edu
January 6, 2012
Iowa State University alumnus, Dr. Marcus E. Kehrli, Jr., was one of seven world-renowned veterinarians awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Liège in Belgium. The prestigious Honoris Causa Doctor insignia was bestowed during the fall celebration of the 175th anniversary of the university’s faculty. Established in 1836, the veterinary college at the University of Liège is one of the oldest in the world.
The honorary degree was given to Dr. Kehrli in recognition of his nearly 30 years of research contributions to veterinary medicine. Dr. Kehrli is internationally recognized for his research in immunology and genetics that has had a global impact on animal health. For nearly 25 years he has work at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. Currently, he is the research leader of the Virus and Prion Diseases Research Unit, leading a team of 13 scientists investigating various swine and prion diseases including swine influenza, PRRSV, PCV2, swine bacterial pathogens, chronic wasting disease of deer and elk, scrapie in sheep and BSE in cattle.
Dr. Kehrli received his veterinary degree (1982) and PhD in Immunobiology (1989) from Iowa State University.