2025 AVMA Animal Welfare Assessment Contest winners announced

(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) November 12, 2025-The Fall 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (AWJAC) took place this past weekend at Texas A&M University, drawing over 270 registrants from 23 universities across North America who tested their skills in assessing the welfare of animals.

The competition saw undergraduate, veterinary, and graduate students, as well as AVMA member veterinarians, engaged in a unique, hands-on opportunity to evaluate animal welfare. Contestants worked through scenarios involving a variety of species, including tilapia, pet gerbils, Gaboon vipers in a zoo, and dressage horses. They then presented their findings to an esteemed panel of experts, which included leading scientists and veterinarians with specialized knowledge in animal welfare.

A highlight of the event was the keynote address, hosted by Charles River and delivered by Dr. Sheilah Robertson, senior medical director of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice. In her thought-provoking presentation, "How do we know they hurt?", Dr. Robertson tackled the complexities of assessing and managing pain in animals - particularly when they cannot self-report their discomfort. She explored key topics, such as species-specific behavioral indicators of acute and chronic pain, validated assessment tools, and cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence applications that analyze facial expressions and movement to detect pain. Her talk underscored the critical role of accurately recognizing pain to improve quality of life and animal welfare across veterinary settings.

This year's expert panel of distinguished professionals included: Drs. Jackson Gross, Stephen Smith, Wasseem Emam, Marcia Chiasson, Colleen Brady, Carissa Wickens, Richard Mitchell, Kate Pritchett-Corning, Mary Lee, Emma Kieffer, Joanna Webb Hitzschky, and Sheilah Robertson. They offered valuable insights that played a critical role in the competition's success.

Honors were awarded as follows:

Live Assessment Top Placing Individual, Undergraduate Junior Division
Hazel Frazier, Tuskegee University

Live Assessment Top Placing Team, Undergraduate Junior Division
Aurora University (Team 2)

Individual Winners, Undergraduate Junior Division
1st place: Dylan Archer, Texas A&M University
2nd place: Gabrielle Lawhon, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
3rd place: Grace Garland, Texas A&M University
4th place: Faith Wilson, Aurora University
5th place: Kendall Kelledy, Colorado State University

Team Winners, Undergraduate Junior Division
1st place: Texas A&M University, Team Gig 'Em
2nd place: Colorado State University, Team Gold
3rd place: Aims Community College, Team Red
4th place: Aurora University, Team 2
5th place: University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Team Volunteer

Live Assessment Top Placing Individual, Undergraduate Senior Division
Christopher Jarrett, Texas Tech University

Live Assessment Top Placing Team, Undergraduate Senior Division
Rutgers University, Scarlet Knights

Individual Winners, Undergraduate Senior Division
1st place: Evie Anderson, Colorado State University
2nd place: Anja Shull, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
3rd place: Maija Tollefson, University of Minnesota
4th place: Amber Colvin, University of Minnesota
5th place: Samantha Maher, University of Minnesota

Team Winners, Undergraduate Senior Division
1st place: Colorado State University, Team Green
2nd place: University of Guelph
3rd place: Rutgers University, Scarlet Knights
4th place: University of Vermont, Team 1
5th place: University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Team Orange

Live Assessment Top Placing Individual, Veterinary Student Division
Kyra Davidson, The Ohio State University

Live Assessment Top Placing Team, Veterinary Student Division
University of California-Davis

Individual Winners, Veterinary Student Division
1st place: Megan Guptill, Atlantic Veterinary College
2nd place: Hadley Bryce, Ontario Veterinary College
3rd place: Kyra Davidson, The Ohio State University
4th place: Mia Nanini, Ontario Veterinary College
5th place: Victoria Michel, University of Missouri

Team Winners, Veterinary Student Division
1st place: Ontario Veterinary College
2nd place: Colorado State University
3rd place: Atlantic Veterinary College, Team 1
4th place: Atlantic Veterinary College, Team 2
5th place: University of Missouri, Team 1

Live Assessment Top Placing Individual, Graduate Student Division
Kristin Soucek, University of Minnesota

Live Assessment Top Placing Team, Graduate Student Division
The Ohio State University

Individual Winners, Graduate Division
1st place: Hayley Sutherland, Purdue University
2nd place: Kristin Soucek, University of Minnesota
3rd place: Lyndsay Ritzler, The Ohio State University
4th place: Bianca Florence Metallo, Texas Tech University
5th place: Gillian Forestell, University of Guelph

Team Winners, Graduate Division
1st place: Purdue University, Purdue Herd
2nd place: The Ohio State University
3rd place: Purdue University, Boilermaker Den
4th place: Atlantic Veterinary College
5th place: Colorado State University, Team Orange

"Attending this year's Animal Welfare Assessment Contest left me inspired by the skill and dedication participants brought to tackling real-world animal welfare challenges," said AVMA President-Elect Dr. Jen Quammen, DVM, MPH. "Their ability to combine sound science with ethical reasoning to address complex scenarios shows both their deep understanding of the issues and their readiness to make a meaningful impact. The enthusiasm and insight of these students and professionals give me tremendous confidence in the future of veterinary medicine, animal science, and the ongoing advancement of animal welfare."

The Animal Welfare Assessment Contest was founded at Michigan State University in 2001 as the Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest (AWJAC) and was modeled after traditional livestock, horse and meat judging competitions. Funded in part through an educational grant from Merck Animal Health, today's Animal Welfare Assessment Contest brings students together from across the United States and internationally.

To learn more about the Animal Welfare Assessment Contest, visit AWJAC.org.

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA senior media relations manager, at 847-732-6194 (cell/text) or [email protected].