A Closer Look

Many thanks to Drs. Charles Looney and Jon Schmidt for the preparation and execution of a great annual meeting!

There were lots of people in attendance: 328 American members, 76 Canadian members, and approximately 25 students. Family members, technicians, and exhibitors also attended. This was one of the biggest meetings in recent memory.

It was a quality meeting from start to finish. The sessions were informative, covering a broad range of topics, both practical and academic. If you were unable to attend the meeting, please remember to check out the Proceedings on the AETA website.

Here are some pictures to help you remember the highlights of the meeting.
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To the Board of Directors and members of AETA: If you attended the banquet at the AETA & CETA/ACTE Joint Convention in Madison, Wisconsin, you witnessed the most surprised member of all time. I received the Distinguished Service Award and didn’t have a CLUE!!!! My wife, family, and colleagues pulled off the most remarkable con of all time. I was completely surprised when Rueben Mapletoft approached the podium to give this award (on my crib notes it said “to [blank]”) and said, “Bob, it’s you.” Please accept my most humble thanks for this great honor. Hopefully, I will continue to earn this award as we go forward together as members of AETA. There is no greater gift one can receive than recognition from his colleagues and friends.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Bob Rowe

Thank you for the opportunity to attend the 2014 AETA-CETA/ACTE joint convention. I had a great time and I am looking forward to coming again in the future. I arrived and immediately began learning at the preconference sessions. Receiving hands-on tutorials from a few of the industry’s best was great, and the learning curve only got steeper from then on. Each of the presentations presented studies and data that challenged me to think outside of the traditional mode of learning that I receive in the classroom, and I truly enjoyed this dynamic of the conference. Finally, Mrs. Jane Pryor did an excellent job preparing the student/technician sessions. I had the unique opportunity to see and test several different brands of tools, which allowed me to appreciate the differences to make an informed decision on what I liked and did not like, and to choose my own favorites. Thanks to everyone involved in those two sessions, as they were very beneficial. While in the laboratory, I’ll catch myself applying knowledge that was gained at the conference and feel a sense of satisfaction and gratitude.

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I would like to start by thanking all of you for the opportunity to attend the 2014 AETA Conference in Madison, Wisconsin! When I submitted my application I hoped to gain additional practical knowledge of embryo transfer and related technologies. In addition, a greater understanding for quality control, embryo biopsy, and the latest advancements in decreasing the generation interval. Of course, in addition to this I hoped to meet practitioners from all over the country and gain an understanding of the issues they face and the challenges they have overcome to reach where they are today. I can say with no hesitation that the knowledge I had hoped to gain from attending the AETA conference has been met and exceeded in ways I had not imagined.

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AETA 2014 Conference Report & Evaluation

Amanda Folkmann–2014 Scholarship Recipient

Advanced reproductive technologies have been a major interest of mine for several years. I grew up on a family farm with Angus cross beef cows and the traditional Angus/Simmental bull roaming around doing his duty when it needed to be done, but I always wondered how this system could be made more efficient. As a second-year veterinary student at Iowa State University, there were several conferences brought to my attention that would have been beneficial to attend. However, the AETA conference stood out as one that was not the usual run-of-the-mill session. Student learning and hands-on activities looked to be a major part of the program and definitely reinforced my decision to attend this particular conference.

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One of the greatest challenges in veterinary school is trying not lose sight of your career goals and staying motivated. Attending the AETA/CETA convention this year reminded me of why I am so excited to become a part of this profession in a few years. This was my first experience at a conference and I honestly did not know what to expect. I am very blessed and grateful for the opportunity to travel to Wisconsin for the convention and hope that the scholarship program continues in the future.

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While planning to attend the American Embryo Transfer Annual Conference, I was looking to gain knowledge that would not only benefit me when I was out in practice, but more importantly to help producers. Additionally, I was excited for the opportunity to network with leaders within the industry and learn about new technologies.

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