Dr. Gretchen Flo, Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University, is one of the longest serving members and former president of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society. Research, education, and mentoring are the hallmarks of Dr. Flo’s storied career in veterinary orthopedics. She is considered a pioneer of our field, especially for women faculty in veterinary surgery. In honor of Dr. Flo’s contribution to the education of countless students and interns as well as to VOS over the decades, in 2022 the Veterinary Orthopedic Society renamed the Student/Intern Award program the Gretchen Flo Student/Intern Awards.

Up to six awards are given each year to students or interns submitting abstracts for presentation at the VOS Annual Conference. The awards allow the recipients to travel to the meeting to present their work.

Winners of the Flo Awards are encouraged to attend the Thursday night banquet. This is the recipient’s opportunity to be recognized by the VOS membership and to “give back” by attending and acknowledging VOS’s contribution to his or her research and career. The Flo lectures will be scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

It is our intent to endow these impactful awards. Please send donation inquiries to Heidi DeCamp, VOS Executive Secretary, at secretary@vosdvm.org.

Gretchen Flo Student/Intern Awards - 2024

  • Chessa Brown, University of Tennessee - “Clinical Effect of Multidose Oral Administration of Firocoxib and t-TUCB Alone and in Combination for the Treatment of Naturally Occurring Osteoarthritis in Horses”

  • Agnieszka Fracka, Michigan State University - “Adding the Third Dimension to Surgical Planning”

  • Margaret Kane, BluePearl Pet Hospital Sandy Springs - “The Effect of Wire Twist Location on Wire Tension in a Tibial Tuberosity Pin and Tension Band Wire Fixation Model”

  • Elaina Peterson, University of Florida - “The development of customized 3D printed casts for external fixator wire placement in the antebrachium of dogs”

  • Karly Souders, University of Florida - “Characterization of aseptic protocol breach events during scrubbing, gowning and gloving amongst veterinary students in a teaching hospital setting”

  • Anna Lia Sullivan, Cornell University - “Effect of BODPUO or PLUS Procedure on Intra-articular Contact Mechanics of Cadaveric Canine Elbows with Experimentally Induced Negative Radioulnar Incongruence”

Gretchen Flo Student/Intern Awards - 2023

  • Sarah Ciamillo, University of Pennsylvania - “Comparison of Standing Computed Tomography and Positron Emission Tomography to Evaluate Subchondral Bone Injury of the Metacarpo-/Metatarsophalangeal Joint in Thoroughbred Racehorses”

  • Megan Gallagher, University of Missouri - “The Effect of Intra-Articular Morphine on the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Intra-Articular Ceftiofur”