OSU Vet Med Fall Conference with the World Rabies Day sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim announces Rabies Track Speakers.
One Health/Rabies - National Rabies Management Program Overview
November 5, 2026, 9:00 AM-10:00 AM CT
Roger J. Panciera Education Center 142 & online virtually through the Attendee Hub
This session is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Kathy Nelson received her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont and has worked for the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program for the past 28 years. She is currently the Coordinator of the National Rabies Management Program, overseeing oral rabies vaccine bait distribution, enhanced rabies surveillance, post-bait monitoring, and research in 21 states plus Puerto Rico. In her spare time she enjoys hiking with her dog, fishing, turkey hunting, gardening, knitting, and doing virtually anything outside.
What You Will Learn: This session provides an overview of rabies in the United States, including current trends, public health impacts, and the role of the National Rabies Management Program in preventing and controlling wildlife rabies. Participants will learn about key rabies management strategies such as oral rabies vaccination, the use of surveillance and serology data to inform decision-making, and the critical role of One Health partnerships and research in advancing rabies prevention and control efforts.
One Health/Rabies - Curing Human Rabies
November 5, 2026, 10:15 AM-11:05 AM CT
Roger J. Panciera Education Center 142 & online virtually through the Attendee Hub
This session is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Dr. Rodney Willoughby is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin, specializing in Infectious Diseases. He graduated from Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He did his pediatrics residency at University of California-San Diego and Johns Hopkins. He then remained at Johns Hopkins for 18 years, completing a fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and physician-scientist training in carbohydrate biochemistry before joining the faculty. He moved to Milwaukee in 2004, where he improvised the Milwaukee Protocol for human rabies. He has served on the Committee on Infectious Diseases at the American Academy of Pediatrics and on various working groups of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His research interests include hydrogen sulfide as an infectious toxidrome and the metabolomics of brain infections. He advises on treatment of human rabies.
What You Will Learn:
This session provides an overview of rabies as a major global zoonotic disease, including its pathogenesis, clinical progression, and the mechanisms by which it causes death. Participants will also review current therapeutic approaches, examine the rarity of survival following clinical rabies, and explore emerging investigational therapies aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Rabies Pre & Post Exposure Prophylaxis Protocols/ Animal Bite
November 5, 2026, 11:15-12:05 PM CT
Roger J. Panciera Education Center 148 & online virtually through the Attendee Hub
This session is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Jolianne (Joli) Stone is a public health leader and subject matter expert in applied epidemiology. She is the founder of Applied Health Strategies, a consulting company that provides strategic support to public and private health agencies in epidemiology, program implementation and evaluation, and strategic planning. Joli served as the State Epidemiologist for Oklahoma from 2021 to 2026. During her tenure, she transitioned Oklahoma’s COVID-19 response from epidemic to endemic, led the state response for mpox, collaborated with the State Public Health Veterinarian to foster a One Health approach to public health investigation and response, and supported the unprecedented 2025–2026 U.S. measles outbreak at both the state and national levels. She also provided epidemiologic direction for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, coordinating public health prevention and response across agency programs. With more than 20 years of public health experience, Joli has extensive knowledge of infectious disease prevention and response in both the public and private sectors. Prior to becoming State Epidemiologist, she led the Infection Prevention team at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City and worked as an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Joli is passionate about developing leaders in applied epidemiology and improving public health through process improvement and collaboration to help communities thrive. Joli received her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma and her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her work focuses on the relationship between institutional trust and rural community engagement to improve adherence to respiratory disease prevention recommendations. Joli is an active supporter of Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Center and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma. She lives with her husband, Pete, in Yukon, Oklahoma, and enjoys adventuring with their kids, family, and dogs. An alumna of the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band and avid college football fan, she enjoys cheering on the Sooners each fall.
What You Will Learn:
This session examines rabies prevention and response in Oklahoma through a One Health framework, emphasizing the epidemiology of animal rabies, assessment of human exposure risk, and the role of animal vaccination, surveillance, testing, and management. Participants will also learn how public health, veterinary, wildlife, laboratory, and healthcare partners collaborate to investigate exposures and implement effective rabies prevention strategies.
Lunch & Learn - RABIES 2026 and the "Must Know" Issues
November 5, 2026, 12:30-2:00 CT
McElroy 101 & online virtually through the Attendee Hub
This session is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Following graduation from The Ohio State University, Dr. Richard Ford practiced small animal and equine medicine for 3 years. Subsequently, he completed an internal medicine residency at Michigan State University, then joined the faculty at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine before becoming a professor of medicine at NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is an emeritus professor. He also recently retired from the Air Force Reserve as a brigadier general, where he was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General at the Pentagon. Dr. Ford is a coauthor of both the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Guidelines and the American Academy of Feline Practitioners Feline Vaccine Guidelines. For almost 15 years, he has provided continuing education seminars to veterinarians on infectious diseases and immunization. He has published more than 200 papers and textbook chapters pertaining to infectious disease in companion animals.
What You Will Learn:
This session will examine current rabies risks, the impact of vaccination campaigns in the U.S. and globally, and key vaccination laws while introducing the Rabies Aware website as a valuable resource.