Tina Smith: “I rise on the floor today to express my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Kent Ames, who today completes his fellowship in…”

“I rise on the floor today to express my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Kent Ames, who today completes his fellowship in my office, after 9 months of dedicated work with me, my staff, and my constituents in Oregon. Dr. Ames is a distinguished member of two occupations: veterinary medicine and higher education. He was selected by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges as the North American Outstanding Teacher in 1995. In 2001, Kent served as president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. Kent's fellowship in my office was sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During his time here in Washington, DC, Kent has provided a unique scientific perspective on a notable array of policy issues across the spectrum. In the Commerce Committee, he has worked on nanoscience, NASA authorization and the confirmation of the current NASA Administrator. It is thus only fitting that the last week of Kent's fellowship coincided with the successful launch of Shuttle Discovery. Kent's passions seem to be sparked most when politics and science converge. There is no better arena to experience this than in natural resources, especially if one is a veterinarian. In a short time period, Kent has lent his scientific background and outlook to issues such as mad cow disease and international beef trade, foodborne disease, biosecurity, wolf reintroduction, and animal treatment.…”