Scholarship to support future generations of beef cattle veterinarians

A student scholarship fund has been created to honor the longtime service of Gary Rupp, who has retired as professor and founding director of the University of Nebraska Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center near Clay Center, Neb.

To recognize his 22 years of leadership, colleagues and members of the beef cattle industry created an endowed student scholarship fund in his name for the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Their charitable contributions to the University of Nebraska Foundation established the Dr. Gary P. Rupp Beef Cattle Production Management Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded annually to Nebraska students pursuing a doctor of veterinary medicine through the professional program in veterinary medicine who demonstrate a strong interest in beef animal production management.

Rupp said the honor, which was announced at his retirement, was a great surprise to him.

"I can't think of anything that will make me happier," he said. "It will allow more students to get into this field and do some great things in management. It's a real honor, and it has been really enjoyable to work with all of the people who made it possible and all of the people who have contributed to the scholarship."

Organizers say Rupp is well respected in the beef cattle industry and that the scholarship will commemorate his character, especially his unique ability to mentor and challenge others, and his contributions to the industry and university.

"He's one of the finest men I've ever known," said Dee Griffin, feedlot production management veterinarian and professor. "Every breath he takes is aimed to help the beef cattle producers in Nebraska to survive and prosper."

Since the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center opened in 1988, Rupp has played a vital role in developing the center and building its prominence as a national center of excellence in food animal veterinary medical education. It offers educational programs, research, outreach and scholarly service, which is vital for advancing the rapidly changing veterinary profession and helping livestock producers meet modern challenges.

As both director and professor, Rupp took on many roles, which included administrative, teaching, research and scholarly service for the veterinary program. He's been actively involved in the development and support of the cow-calf computerized herd health-management record system. He also implemented a certification program for veterinary practitioners called the Beef Cattle Production Management Series and served as its course mentor. In 2005, Rupp received the Merial Excellence in Preventative Medicine Beef Award.

Given his recent retirement, the fund is one way Rupp's legacy will live on, say those who recognize his many contributions.

"We always stand on the shoulders of those who came before us," said David Hardin, associate dean of the professional program in veterinary medicine. "What I hope we can do is carry on the legacy of mentoring, carry on Dr. Rupp's legacy, and educate the scholarship recipients about him and what he stands for. It will help recipients financially, no question, but I'm hoping we can instill some of Dr. Rupp's values and make them live on in our students."

More than $57,000 has been raised for the Dr. Gary P. Rupp Beef Cattle Production Management Scholarship Fund. Additional funding is sought to increase the endowment to support many future generations of veterinary medicine students interested in pursuing careers in beef cattle production management.

To learn more about the scholarship fund or to contribute in Rupp's honor, contact Ann Bruntz at the NU Foundation at (402) 458-1176, (800) 432-3216 or abruntz@nufoundation.org. The NU Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization raising private gifts to support the University of Nebraska for 74 years. The ongoing Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities, is a $1.2 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign -- the largest in the university's history. For more information, visit www.nufoundation.org.

WRITER: Robb Crouch