Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

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Starting April 29, the USDA requires lactating dairy cows to be tested for HPAI prior to movement.
View TVMDL’s guidelines to mitigate potential delays when submitting dairy samples for movement testing.

Larson recognized as recipient of 2022 Director’s Excellence Award

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Malerie Larson, technician in the toxicology laboratory, is the 2022 recipient of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s (TVMDL) Director’s Excellence Award in the technical category.

woman white white shirt and overalls accepting award from woman in maroon vest and white hair

Malerie Larson accepting the Director’s Excellence Award from TVMDL Director Dr. Amy Swinford

Larson has been a dedicated TVMDL employee since first joining the agency in 2012. She served as a student assistant in the analytical chemistry section for five years. After returning to the agency in 2018, Larson was hired as a level-one technician in the same section. Over the past four years she has expanded her skillset to include additional responsibilities such as instrument calibration, sample extractions, and personnel training, and now serves as a level-three technician.

“Malerie is the section’s primary person for handling GC/MS and LC/MS extractions while also training and overseeing other technicians,” Chase Gwinner, TVMDL scientist and Malerie’s supervisor and nominator. “She has impressed me with her drive to learn as much as she can about everything we do in toxicology.”

Aside from her knowledge and skills, Larson is noted for having a positive attitude, no matter the task. She is known for enthusiastically assisting her coworkers and willingness to tackle new challenges.

“She always has a smile on her face and her positivity is contagious,” Analytical Chemistry Section Head Dr. Travis Mays, said. “She is a wonderful role model for her coworkers, approaching each situation with a ‘glass half full’ attitude.”

In addition to her responsibilities in the toxicology laboratory, Larson has taken on additional roles across the agency. In recent years she has volunteered for TVMDL’s after-hours necropsy program. This role requires a staff member to be available outside of TVMDL’s business hours to assist clients with necropsy submissions. Larson also volunteered to assist with Chronic Wasting Disease testing during an unprecedented surge in submissions.

“Malerie’s dedication to the mission of TVMDL is admirable,” Mays said. “I can think of no better way to recognize Malerie for her service.”