June 12, 2017...Ames, Iowa:  In a recent election at the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), Gabe Middleton, DVM, was chosen as the President-Elect for 2017-2018. Dr. Middleton has been involved with CAST since 2014 as the board representative for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He also serves as the vice chair for the  Animal Agriculture and Environmental Issues Work Group and the task force board liaison for the forthcoming publication titled Social and Economic Impact of Misinformation in Agriculture.

Dr. Gabe Middleton began working at a dairy farm in northeast Ohio at the age of 12, where he became interested in veterinary medicine and agriculture. The experience on the dairy farm led him to appreciate how difficult making a living in agriculture can be and how farmers need the help of technology to improve the health and productivity of their operations. Following graduation from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008, he joined Orrville Veterinary Clinic in Orrville, Ohio. His area of expertise is in large animal medicine, specifically dairy cattle, with a focus on milk quality, calf health, and proper drug use and residue prevention. He also serves as a calf ventilation consultant, designing systems all across the northeastern United States.

He has received inspiration for his work with CAST through Dr. Norman Borlaug's vision, as well as the enthusiastic and engaged leadership of CAST and the Board of Representatives. He plans to continue that enthusiasm by implementing the excellent ideas proposed through the Strategic Planning Committees. His vision for CAST also includes not only providing CAST information through social media, but also designing tools to help people improve social media skills and convey messages in a more effective manner.

Middleton will officially assume his responsibilities as President-Elect at the conclusion of CAST's fall board meeting in October. In 2018-2019, he will become the 46th president of CAST, a singular honor and responsibility dating back to 1972, when Charles A. Black and Norman Borlaug, along with other committed scientists, spearheaded the movement to "bring science-based information to policymaking and the public."