Craig Carter


Department of Veterinary Science

Specializes in: 

  • Infectious disease epidemiology
  • Veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine
  • Continuous animal health monitoring systems
  • Animal disease monitoring and cluster detection systems
  • Clinical decision support systems.

International Recognition:

  • 12th International Veterinary Congress Prize, American Veterinary Medical Association, 2016.
  • Joint Services Commendation Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2008
  • Bronze Star Medal, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, 2002

International Veterinary Positions Held:

  1. Executive Director, World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (WAVLD), 2001 – present, coordinated and assisted with planning of seven international continuing educational symposia and established two global student award programs.
  2. Served on four OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) expert committees on reference laboratories, collaborating centres, and genomics.
  3. Served as US US veterinary delegate from the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) for the OIE General Session, May, 2010
  4. Commanded the first US Army Veterinary Corps unit into Afghanistan for Operating Enduring Freedom, Nov 2001toSep, 2002.  Conducted food and water safety operations and for all deployed US forces.  Provided medical and surgical care for Military Working Dogs (MWDs) conducting mine and unexploded ordnance removal operations.
  5. Senior Reserve Theater Veterinarian, Task Force Ramadi, Iraq, Feb-Aug, 2009.  Assessed veterinary laboratories and schools;  Acquired and administered D.o.D. funding for capacity building projects. 

International Activities/Consulting/Deployments:

  • Invited speaker, 32nd World Veterinary Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, Sep 11-20, 2015.
  • Coordination for meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, XVII International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Jun 15-18, 2015.
  • Invited participant in the OIE 3rd Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jan 18-25, 2015.  Consulted with scientists on dioxin mitigation funded by USAID. 
  • Attended the Executor Director’s planning workshop for International Educational Meetings in support of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Cape Town, South Africa, Dec 8-12, 2014.
  • Attend 30th World Veterinary Congress meeting. Invited to co-accept the John Gamgee Award for Dr. James Steele, Prague, Czech Republic, Sep 24-28, 2013.
  • Invited speaker, coordination of meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, XVI International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Berlin, Germany, Jun 10-12, 2013.
  • Chair for the OIE ad hoc Brainstorming Committee on New Approaches to Diagnosis: Applied Genomics, with focus on high throughput sequencing, Paris, France, 9-13 Dec 2012.
  • Invited US delegate to the 2nd Symposium of the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD), Kazimierz-Dolny, Poland, as Immediate Past President of the AAVLD and Executive Director of the WAVLD, 28 Jun – 5 Jul, 2012.
  • Invited member and Rapporteur for OIE ad hoc Expert Committee on Reference Laboratories and International Collaboration Centres, 2nd meeting, Paris, France, 15-20 Jan 2012.
  • Invited member for OIE ad hoc Expert Committee on Reference Laboratories and International Collaboration Centres, 1st meeting, Paris, France, 16-21 Jan 2011.
  • US delegate to the 1st Symposium of the European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD), Lelystad, Netherlands, as President Elect of the AAVLD and Executive Director of the WAVLD, 10-17 Sep, 2010.
  • US delegate to the 78th General Session, World Assembly, OIE, Paris, France, 23-28 May, 2010.
  • Building capacity to control animal disease in Afghanistan, taught course in epidemiology and biostatistics to Afghan veterinarians, USAID funding, USDA FAS consultant, U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug-Sep, 2009.
  • Invited speaker, coordination of meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, XIV International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Madrid, Spain, Jun 17-20, 2009.
  • Veterinary laboratory capacity building, Livestock Meat and Marketing Initiative, USAID, Ethiopia, Jan –Feb, 2009.
  • Army Reserve Deployment.  Served as Senior Reserve Theater Veterinarian Veterinary Advisor for Task Force Ramadi, Camp Ramadi, Iraq.  Responsibilities included evaluating Iraqi veterinary diagnostic laboratories, veterinary schools and advising/responding to issues on food and water safety, rabies and other zoonoses control, Military Working Dog (MWD) health issues, and drought impact on rangeland and sheep farms, Feb-Aug, 2009.
  • Invited speaker, coordinator for meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, XIII International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Melbourne, Australia, Nov 11-14, 2007.
  • Invited consultant and lecturer, Regional Conference on Laboratory Management and Operations on Trade Sensitive Testing Procedures, Managua, Nicaragua, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Apr 17-19, 2007.
  • Invited consultant and lecturer, Workshop on Control Strategies for Infectious and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Iraq, sponsored by the U.S. Army, Aug 17-26, 2006.
  • Invited lecturer, coordinator for meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, 12th International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Montevideo, Uruguay, Nov 14-24, 2005.
  • Invited lecturer, Jilin Veterinary Research Institute, Changchun, China, sponsored by the American Association of Veterinary Informatics, Sep 15-24, 2005.
  • Meeting co-planner and presenter, 1st International Veterinary Conference for Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraqi veterinarians, Kuwait, sponsored by the U.S. Army, Sep 19-21, 2004.
  • Invited lecturer, coordinator for meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, 11th International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Bangkok, Thailand, Nov 7-14, 2003
  • Army Reserve deployment.  Led the first veterinary services U.S. Army forces as Commander of the 994th Medical Detachment into Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, Food and water safety and  Military Working Dog operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Nov-Sep, 2002.
  • Site survey and planning conference for the U.S. Navy New Horizons humanitarian construction projects, Barbados, Jul 23-27, 2001.
  • Invited lecturer, coordinator for meeting planning, and WAVLD Executive Director, 10th International Symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Parma, Italy, Jul 4-7, 2001.
  • Attended USAREUR Overseas Planning Conference, Heidelberg, Germany, Nov 6-10, 2000.
  • U.S. Army military advisor to Colombia, South America, Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2000.
  • Lead an Army Reserve veterinary team in Operation Arctic Care, Mar 18 - Apr 1, 2000 which provided preventive veterinary and rabies control care for over 800 dogs, cats and other animals in small villages in Southwestern Alaska.  Administered dog bite prevention programs at various elementary, middle and high schools.
  • Consulted with the Pan American Health Organization regarding computer-aided diagnostics and laboratory information systems during the World Veterinary Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil---Aug, 16-24, 1991
  • Planning for a New Board Specialty in Veterinary Informatics, 6th Symposium on Computer Applications in Veterinary Medicine, August 22, 1989, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
  • Mass Casualty Field Exercise, Osan Air Base, Korea, June 1-15, 1989, served in the capacity of Environmental Health Officer, USAF Reserve.
  • Visiting Professor of Epidemiology, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies---Mar-Apr, 1989
  • MASH Field Exercise, Zaragosa, Spain, August 15-27, 1988, served in capacity of Environmental Health Officer, USAF Reserve.
  • Visiting Professor of Epidemiology and Zoonoses, Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies---Oct-Nov, 1986.
  • 1983-1984 Falls County Horse Disaster, 4th World Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Brighton, England---Jun, 1985
  • New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, purchased and implemented the VISTA Laboratory Information Management System software (copyright, 1984) developed at Texas A&M University by this faculty member, 1981-85.  Consulting trips were made to New Zealand to assist in the software implementation, 1985.