Shomer Award posthumously awarded to veterinary dean Franlin M. Loew

NORTH GRAFTON, MASS. — Former dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University Franklin M. Loew, DVM, PhD, was posthumously awarded the 2011 Robert Shomer Award at the AVMA Convention in St. Louis in recognition of his significant contributions to veterinary medical ethics.

Awarded by the Society of Veterinary Medical Ethics, the Robert Shomer Award has been given to only four others in the veterinary field who have led distinguished careers as leaders in the field of veterinary medical ethics through scholarship, advocacy or mentorship.

Loew, who created the Center for Animals and Public Policy at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, was recognized for his vision and eloquence and for elevating the understanding of human-animal relationships, says Tufts' Dean Deborah T. Kochevar, DVM, PhD.

"Frank was a great man, a visionary; he was 20 years ahead of his time in urging veterinarians to take animal welfare seriously," says Jerrold Tannenbaum, MA, JD, a professor of Animal and Veterinary Ethics and Law at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in his nomination of Loew. Tannenbaum taught veterinary ethics at Tufts during Loew's tenure as dean and is a previous winner of the Shomer Award. "I can tell you from first-hand experience that there has been no one who believed more strongly in the importance of ethics in the professional role of veterinarians and in the activities of all who interact with animals."

Loew, who died in 2003, also served as dean of his alma mater, Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as president of Becker College in Worcester, Mass. He served as a consultant to many universities, foundations, government agencies and companies.

Loew's plaque will be displayed in the Franklin M. Loew Veterinary Education Center, which houses a lecture hall and the Cummings School's veterinary library.