Newswise — (Denver, Colo.) The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is proud to announce Dr. Eleanor C. Hawkins, Professor of Internal Medicine at North Carolina State University, as the recipient of the ACVIM Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented annually to an ACVIM Diplomate and is given in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service by a Diplomate who has served as an ACVIM volunteer for 10 or more years.

Eleanor C. Hawkins, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine) has been a dedicated volunteer for the ACVIM since 1992. She is an active member of the ACVIM community and has provided distinguished service for more than 10 years in every capacity. She has been a moving force behind many innovations that have improved the ACVIM.

Hawkins started her service on the certifying examination committee early on in her career and continued to provide valuable expertise to the Examination Task Force and Education and Research Committee. As a result of her efforts, the evaluation of examination questions became more rigorous and committees started using trained raters to improve the certification and examination processes.

She also served on the Board of Regents from 2002-2006 and 2007-2012. Hawkins held multiple elected positions including ACVIM Vice President, President Elect, President and Chair of the Board of Regents, and President of the Specialty of Small Animal Internal Medicine. She dedicated many hours of service during a key review of the ACVIM administrative structure.

Hawkins is admired and respected by her students and colleagues at North Carolina State University. She has mentored numerous students, interns and residents, many of whom became ACVIM Diplomates. She is known as a leader in the field of respiratory medicine and volunteers to review respiratory abstracts for presentation at the ACVIM Forum. She has published nine manuscripts in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Hawkin’s enthusiasm and generous volunteerism make her a truly distinguished ACVIM leader. She has made significant contributions to the examination and certification processes, and helped lead the ACVIM to where the College is today with her ideals of fairness and inclusiveness. The ACVIM is proud to present her with the 2014 ACVIM Distinguished Service Award. To view a video highlighting Dr. Hawkin’s accomplishments, please go to www.acvim.org.

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About the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM)The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through education, training and certification of specialists in veterinary internal medicine, discovery and dissemination of new medical knowledge, and increasing public awareness of advances in veterinary medical care.

The ACVIM hosts the ACVIM Forum, an annual continuing education meeting where cutting-edge information, technology and research abstracts are showcased for the veterinary community. More than 3,000 veterinary specialists, veterinarians, technicians and students attend.

The ACVIM is the certifying organization for veterinary specialists in cardiology, large animal internal medicine, neurology, oncology and small animal internal medicine.

To find out more about ACVIM specialists, please visit www.ACVIM.org.