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National lab director named sole finalist to head TVMDLTexas 
Dr. Tammy Beckham, who directs a national laboratory that's a front-line defender against foreign animal diseases, has been named the sole finalist for the position of director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. The finalist designation was approved by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in meetings that ended March 28. By state law governing certain key appointments, the board must give a 21-day notice before officially filling the position. "We believe we have found an outstanding candidate in Dr. Beckham," said Dr. Mark Hussey, interim vice chancellor for agriculture and life sciences. "She is a distinguished scientist, an expert in diagnostic technologies and a key leader at the premier animal disease diagnostic laboratory in the country." For the past year, Beckham has been director of the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of USDA's Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York. Her responsibilities included managing the diagnosis of animal diseases, overseeing a nationwide animal health diagnostic system, and coordinating efforts with the Department of Homeland Security, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and other entities. Beckham's lab serves as the nation's authority on animal disease diagnosis, Hussey explained. Any suspected outbreak of a foreign animal disease, such as foot and mouth disease, must first be confirmed by the lab at Plum Island. Working in various capacities at Plum Island over the last six years, Beckham specialized in developing ways using emerging technologies to more rapidly diagnose, and with greater accuracy, such potentially devastating diseases as foot and mouth, rinderpest and classical swine fever. Beckham is a magna cum laude graduate of Auburn University, where she earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1998. She also holds a doctorate in biomedical science from Auburn, received in 200, while she served as a captain in the U.S. Army. She served at the Army's Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases in Frederick, Md., where she helped develop improved techniques for detecting such viruses as Ebola and Marburg. "I am both excited and honored to have been chosen to work with the personnel at TVMDL," Beckham said. "This is an exciting time in veterinary diagnostic medicine, and I'm looking forward to leading the TVMDL team as we continue to provide excellent service to the citizens and industries of Texas." The Texas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is one of 12 core member laboratories in the country that comprise the National Animal Health Laboratory Network providing surveillance and response to high-consequence animal diseases. The Texas lab is one of the busiest full-service diagnostic facilities in the world, handling more than 220,000 cases a year, Hussey said. At its two major locations in College Station and Amarillo, the lab conducts diagnostic testing for thousands of veterinary hospitals and clinics across the country. Two smaller labs in Center and Gonzales provide disease surveillance and diagnostic testing for the poultry industry. Following the Board's action, final action to appoint Beckham may be taken after the 21-day notice expires. She would succeed Dr. Lelve Gayle, who retired in 2007 after a 31-year career with the laboratory. Dr. Gayne Fearneyhough, the lab's long-time head of diagnostic services and informatics, has been serving as interim director. ------CUTLINE------ Dr. Tammy Beckham 4/7/08 Date: 4/3/08 Advertisement
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