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James H. Bias Scholarship

James H. Bias

Background & Purpose

Dr. James Hendrix Bias was the first Black man to graduate from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1910. Upon graduation, he assumed a veterinarian position at Tuskegee University, a historically Black university, where he established the veterinary medical program. The courses he developed, which focused on the study of the anatomy and physiology of the diseases and treatments of farm animals, helped encourage livestock production in the region. Dr. Bias is credited with establishing veterinary medicine as a critical component of the agricultural science department at Tuskegee, and fostering a positive image of veterinarians in the local community. This influential scholarship is named in honor of this historic trailblazer who opened many doors for veterinary students of color.


In the spirit of his legacy, this scholarship will be awarded to AABP veterinary student members from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds who demonstrate excellence in their leadership skills and passion in their pursuit of a career in beef or dairy medicine. This scholarship will provide an invaluable opportunity to allow these students to pursue crucial externship opportunities and enhance the practice of bovine medicine through sharing their varied cultural perspectives. 

 

Who May Apply

Students applying for this scholarship must:

Selection Criteria:

Selection will be based on an applicant’s knowledge, experience, passion and commitment to bovine medicine, diversity, equity and inclusion. Career aspirations within bovine medicine should be clear, thoughtful and show future potential to become a bovine practitioner. Leadership experience and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as the criteria mentioned previously, will be assessed by the student’s resume, response to essay questions and their letters of recommendation. One of the letters of recommendation must be from an AABP member. Financial need will be assessed through the student’s self-reported current and expected debt load from their veterinary education. 

 

Application Materials

  1. An electronic application will be made available on the AABP website.
    1. Specify racial and ethnic background by selecting the option(s) that best describe yourself.
    2. Submit an up-to date resume.
    3. Answer four essay questions (two 500-word essays and two 250-word essays).
    4. Specify the range of current and expected student debt load when graduating from veterinary school (inclusive of student loan debt accrued prior to entering veterinary school).

  2. Provide two letters of recommendation. One of these must be submitted by an AABP member.

 

The deadline for submission of the application and supporting letters of recommendation is May 30, 2025, 5 pm EST. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application and letters of recommendation are completed before the deadline. Incomplete applications, including those without recommendation letters by the deadline, are disqualified.

 

Award Amount & Benefits

This scholarship will be awarded to two students per year. Each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship as well as travel and hotel costs for the AABP Annual conference in the year the award is received. The recipients will also receive a free registration for a Recent Grad Conference which must be redeemed within three years of graduation from veterinary school.


Student applicants are responsible for ensuring recommendation letters are uploaded before the listed deadline. If letters of recommendation are not electronically submitted by the deadline, the application is considered incomplete and will be discarded. Applicants can check the status of their applications and track the submission of required materials, by logging on to the AABP website, go to the Students Menu and selecting Scholarship/Grant Portal.

 

For questions about this scholarship, please contact Dr. Fred Gingrich fred@aabp.org