WDA In Memoriam

Daniel O. Trainer died on 8 December 2007 at his home in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He was 81 years old. In the words of his friend and colleague Tom Yuill, “The WDA owes a lot to Dan.” Indeed he was a core member and contributor for many years. Within the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA), Dan served as editor of the Newsletter (1962-1964), the first editor of the Bulletin of the Wildlife Disease Association (name later changed to Journal of Wildlife Diseases), secretary (1962-1965), vice president (1967-1969) and president (1969-1971). Following service in the U.S. Navy, Dan graduated from Ripon College, Wisconsin in biology and general science. He worked as a bacteriologist with Fromm Laboratories in Madison, WI before returning to complete his M.S. in Bacteriology at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Working as a wildlife pathologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from 1956-1962, Dan completed his doctoral research on leptospirosis in Wisconsin deer. He did this work in the lab of Bob Hanson working jointly jointly with the Departments of Veterinary Science and Bacteriology at UW-Madison. Other WDA leaders who worked with Hanson over the years included Joan Budd, Lars Karstad and Tom Yuill. In the words of Lars Karstad, “Dan and I were best friends, hunting buddies and research collaborators….He will be greatly missed.” Dan joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 1962. Dan’s early research and continuing focus were on arboviral diseases but he also published on occurrence and impact of salt poisoning, protozoa, helminths, ectoparasites, and environmental contaminants in and on a wide variety of wildlife. Typical of a person who believes in working with others, Dan’s scores of papers were published with many people including numerous publications with each of Bob Hanson, Lars Karstad, R.P. Cook, C.J. Issel, Milt Friend, Gerald Hoff, and Bill Samuel. In addition, Dan was a co-editor of the books “Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals” and “Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds” first published in 1970 and 1971 respectively. Dan’s accomplishments in wildlife health were acknowledged with him receiving the WDA Distinguished Service Award in 1973 and the status as a WDA Emeritus Member in 1997. For those of us with a focus largely on wildlife diseases, this is a truly exceptional set of accomplishments. However, this relates to only some of Dan’s professional contributions. In addition to being a scientist, Dan was a conservationist, naturalist, hunter, and educator. It was with these collective interests, particularly as an educator, that Dan, along with his wife Betty and two children, was attracted in 1971 to University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UWSP) to establish a natural resources program. From his arrival to his retirement 17 years later, Dan served as Dean of the College of Natural Resources at UWSP, developing it into one of the leading such schools in the United States. In Wisconsin, Dan Trainer is best known as a conservationist and educator. Dan received recognitions in environmental education from many organizations including the Wisconsin Environmental Council, Wisconsin Soil Conservation Society, the Izaak Walton League, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and theUniversity of Wisconsin to name a few. In 1988, Dan received a special commendation by the President of the United States for “outstanding achievements in environmental protection services.” It is only fitting that the legacy of Dan Trainer remains large and ‘tangible’ on many fronts: advancement in research through publications; training of students positioned widely through the research and resource management sector in the U.S., and preservation of many wonderful natural areas within Wisconsin. We are indeed fortunate that a part of the legacy of this wonderful man included the Wildlife Disease Association!

-Ed Addison

Tom Thorne and Beth Williams, two very close friends, outstanding members of the Wildlife Disease Association and wildlife disease scientists of great skill were killed in a car accident on Wednesday night, December 29 2004, when they were returning in a snow storm to Wyoming from Denver airport. A truck with a flat-bed trailer jack-knifed across their lane and they lost their lives when their pickup truck collided with the trailer. The death of Tom and Beth is a great loss for their families, the WDA, scientists, friends and colleagues all over the world. Tom and Beth were not only regular members of the WDA; they were the most positive and enthusiastic members that one could find. Everyone who has been at a WDA meeting during the last 25 years can remember Beth or Tom presenting their scientific papers with enthusiasm, being active members of Council or the Editorial Board, but also taking active part in all social events. For example, what would the Annual Auction have been without the presence of Tom and Beth? The loss of these dear friends and colleagues is enormous at both the personal and professional levels. For many, the personal and professional relationships with Tom and Beth were one and the same because once we had met them and worked with them on committees, research, editorial boards or on other projects, they instantly became our friends. This was not hard to imagine for those who knew them personally. Tom and Beth were also both highly productive scientists. Among many things, Beth was the first one to identify Chronic Wasting Disease in deer in Wyoming and Tom was the leading scientist concerning Wyoming wildlife and disease issues like Tuberculosis and Brucellosis. They both shared that wonderful blend of being extremely committed to and serious about their work while simultaneously displaying a sense of respect and caring for others and a sense of humor that made the world around them uplifting and positive. The extent to which Tom and Beth have enriched the lives of those WDA members personally is inestimable. However, their contributions to the WDA can more readily be put into words.

Tom was a member of the WDA by 1971. Over the years, he served on a wide variety of committees some of which were the Student Activities Committee (Chair, 1987-88), Sections Committee (Chair, 1981-82), Time and Place Committee (Chair 1980-81), Awards Committee, and on the Public Awareness Committee on many occasions to which he provided his special perspectives acquired as a scientist working in a resource management agency. Tom was elected Member-at-Large to the WDA Council for 1979 to 1982 and Vice President of the WDA from 1983 to 1985. Tom was a strong supporter of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases both through publishing papers in the Journal and also through serving on the Editorial Board from 1984 until his untimely death. Tom was the Chair of the organizing committee for a highly successful WDA meeting held in Laramie, Wyoming in 1981. Tom brought with him to all WDA meetings he could attend (which was most of them), wonderful contributions to the science of the ! meetings, a keen interest in the science of others, and a special collegiality with other participants that served to emphasize the WDA as a family of people sharing a commitment to the betterment of wildlife and achievement of that goal by helping one another. In recognition of his contributions to the WDA, Tom received the Distinguished Service Award of the WDA in 1996. Tom also worked very hard but unsuccessfully every year for many years at the Annual Meeting to be considered for the Duck Award. Ever persistent and successful, Tom finally received the Duck Award in Saskatoon in 2003 after a wonderful story with a fantastic dress that he bought at the auction for Beth, a lady who seldom wore dresses.

Beth joined the WDA in or before 1978. She served on many committees including the Sections Committee, Student Activities Committee (Chair 1982-85), Editorial Search Committee, Nominations Committee, Public Awareness Committee (Chair 1993-95), Budget and Audit Committee and most recently as Chair of the ad hoc Journal of Wildlife Diseases "On Line" Committee that is ushering the Journal into the electronic age. Beth was elected Member-at-Large on Council for 1982 to 1985. Beth was an Assistant Editor and served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases from 1987 to 2000, at which time she was appointed Editor, a position in which she continued to serve the Association through to the present. In addition to all of her publishing in other journals, Beth was an author on more than 40 publications in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. Beth contributed greatly with excellent talks in the scientific sessions at annual WDA meetings and was the Program Chair for! the 1981 meeting in Laramie. Beth was invariably inclusive and cooperative in assisting others. These characteristics are emphasized by the very large number of collaborators, both within and outside of the WDA, with whom Beth published. In 1996 Beth was awarded the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) of the WDA, the Association's highest honor. The DSA is not presented every year and has rarely been presented to more than one individual in the same year. It is befitting that both Beth and Tom were acknowledged with this award in 1996, a symbol of their shared contributions and commitment to the Association that meant so much to them.

Torsten Morner and Ed Addison

The Wildlife Disease Association and its members lost a dear friend and colleague when Dr. Alan Kocan suffered a heart attack and died on December 15, 2004 while teaching at Ross University, St. Kitts, FWI. He was 58 years old.

Alan was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Hiram College in 1968 and completed a M.S.P.H. and a Ph.D. in parasitology at the University of North Carolina by 1973. Following postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina and Duke University in 1973-74, Al accepted a position in 1974 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Microbiology and Public Health at the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In the ensuing 30 years (the last 20 years as Professor) through to retirement from Oklahoma State (OSU) in 2004, Al enriched the lives of innumerable students, friends and colleagues both in Stillwater and elsewhere. He was a visiting scientist in a number of locations including in Africa and the West Indies. Al developed a number of courses in parasitology at OSU and taught these and other courses. He taught veterinary protozoology and entomology for approximately 15 consecutive years. Al supervised 16 graduate students to 17 graduate degrees. Also while at OSU, Al contributed greatly to the local community through service upon and chairing numerous academic committees.

The research conducted by Al and his co-workers was very well supported by funding agencies and received the attention of colleagues with receipt of research recognition awards. Al’s research interests in parasitology were diverse but had a particular focus on ticks and tick-borne parasites and diseases. Al authored or co-authored approximately 90 scientific research papers. However, publishing in scientific journals was not enough for Al. His interest in teaching and communicating left an indelible mark on his publications. He communicated with people in various academic, wildlife and agricultural sectors through more than 30 extension publications.

Alan was a member of numerous scientific societies. We, in the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) knew well of Al’s well published work but that is not how we got to know him and how so many of us developed friendships with him. Al was a member of the WDA by at least 1971. He attended most annual meetings and beginning in 1977 made a minimum of 16 scientific presentations in wildlife parasitology at the meetings. Within the organization, Al served in numerous capacities including from 1985 to 1990 as our sixth Treasurer. Al served on WDA committees but above all else is best remembered as the mainstay of the Educational Aids Committee for more than 10 years. He displayed patience, tenacity and a strong commitment to the development, promotion and distribution of the slide sets used in talks and lectures. It was Al’s effort that made this program successful. Al’s connection with WDA colleagues went beyond meetings, committees and being on Council. As one of three co-editors of “Parasitic Diseases of Wild Mammals” and a co-author of two chapters within the book published in 2000, Al was interacting with many WDA colleagues. Al liked people and had time for them. I recall one day at the WDA meeting in Fort Collins in 1991 when Al took our 12-year-old son up the Poudre Canyon to fish for trout. Al will be greatly missed.

Ed Addison