APHIS

Hello, I’m Dr. Jeffrey Nelson. I’m a Veterinary Medical Officer with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I work in Ames, Iowa at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL). Being a veterinarian runs in my family - my father is a veterinarian for USDA as well. I heard...

In a scene that’s a telltale sign of summer across the southern United States, farmers’ markets and grocery stores are now proudly declaring that they are stocked with ripe, delicious, American-grown peaches. Thanks in part to a Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) grant from USDA’s...

Hello, my name is Dr. Pauline Nol. I’m a veterinary epidemiologist for USDA APHIS. As a veterinarian and a researcher, I’ve worked in the wildlife health field since 1999, starting my career at the United States Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis. I joined APHIS’s...

USDA’s Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC), a program with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is in its tenth year of protecting American agriculture from invasive pests and diseases. Some of SITC’s efforts toward this goal include identifying and closing...

Hello, I’m Dr. Bill Huls, Facilities Manager with USDA APHIS’s Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB). I have been with APHIS since 2002. The CVB regulates the industry that manufacturers veterinary biological products including animal vaccines and diagnostic test kits. I communicate with firms on a...

For a bird watcher like me, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a rare or elusive bird—or watching any of our feathered friends in their natural habitats. Whether you are a die-hard enthusiast or just take pleasure in seeing birds outside your window, you have a deep appreciation for...

My name is Thunder. Not too many months ago, I was homeless and waiting for someone to take me home from the Houston Beagle Rescue in Houston, Texas. Then, a nice lady from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s National Detector Dog Training Center (NDDTC) in Newnan, Georgia came to visit...

Hello, I’m Dr. Barry Pittman, an Area Emergency Coordinator for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I cover the states of Kansas and Missouri, where I do liaison work with local, state and other federal representatives to help ensure we’re prepared to respond when disasters or...

The emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees across 15 States. It has had a devastating effect wherever ash trees grow. Whether the ash is used by industry; shading homes and urban streets, or an integral part of our forest ecosystem...

Hello, I’m Dr. Beth Lautner, Director of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)'s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. We’re the animal health reference and confirmatory lab for USDA. We work mainly with livestock and poultry health, but also deal more and...