MISSISSIPPI STATE – A Mississippi State University veterinary student interested in bovine health recently won a national scholarship.

Matt Mundy, a third-year student at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, received an American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ Amstutz Scholarship. This is the first time an MSU student has received this prestigious award.

Mundy received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from MSU in 1996. After graduation, he worked for Aesland Farms in north Mississippi before embarking on a career farming cattle and row crops. His experiences owning, operating and managing a large cattle operation led him to shadow veterinarians and ultimately return to MSU to pursue his doctor of veterinary medicine degree.

Canadian-born Mundy grew up in Carrollton, Ga., but plans to return to Canada after graduation, as he has already secured a job with Metzger Veterinary Services in Ontario. He intends to be a food animal practitioner and focus on the health of feedlot cattle.

“My family has a history of working in the medical field,” Mundy said. “My dad, granddad and uncle built great reputations by caring for their clients’ individual needs, and I hope to do the same.”

The $7,500 scholarship is named for a leading authority on bovine diseases, Dr. Harold E. Amstutz. He is also known for developing national and international organizations devoted to bovine veterinary practice, including the AABP, which is an international professional organization of more than 6,000 veterinarians specializing in bovine medicine.