Published 11/3/2023
John Dodam, DVM, PhD, and Reuben Merideth, DVM, have been named recipients of Faculty and Alumni Awards by the Mizzou Alumni Association. Beginning in 1968, the awards recognize achievements of faculty and alumni. Faculty are selected based on their accomplishments in their chosen field, excellence in fulfilling their academic responsibilities and exemplary relationships with students. Alumni are chosen for outstanding professional achievements and devoted service to their community and alma mater. The awards allow the Mizzou Alumni Association to express its pride and appreciation for these individuals and their service to higher education, promoting not only the outstanding accomplishments, but also the vital relationship between faculty and alumni in promoting the best interests of the university.
Dr. John Dodam, DVM, PhD
Dodam serves as professor and chair in the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. Dodam joined the faculty in 1995 and has received numerous teaching honors awarded by the college and has excelled in both clinical and didactic teaching. He has also thrived as a mentor of research trainees, clinical house officers and has mentored many faculty members through the promotion and tenure process over his time at Mizzou.
Previously serving the college as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dodam made his mark by making continual improvements to the college’s curriculum and teaching methods. He currently balances teaching and service functions of the Veterinary Health Center, where he is simultaneously an on-duty clinician, administrator, lecturer, collaborative researcher. In addition to these roles, Dodam is the faculty advisor for the Mule Club.
Dr. Reuben Merideth, DVM
Merideth, who earned his undergraduate degree at Mizzou and is a member of the CVM Class of 1978, is a nationally recognized authority in veterinary ophthalmology, as well as the author of more than 30 scientific articles and contributing author for five veterinary textbooks. Merideth is a past president of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association’s Counsel on Continuing Education and former member of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ committee on residency training and testing. He is also the co-founder of the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation, which strives to eliminate ocular diseases causing vision loss and suffering in animals.
In 1981, Merideth founded Eye Care for Animals, which is now the largest non-university ophthalmology residency program in the world, with 50 practices in the United States. The organization provides pro bono services to local zoos and wildlife rescues, as well as providing continuing education to local referring veterinarians and technicians. In addition to his accomplishments, Merideth continues to give back to Mizzou, most recently pledging a $1 million unrestricted gift to the CVM for its most critical needs.