Dr. Renison Named 2020 OSU Distinguished Alumnus

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

George Renison, DVM, MS, MPH, of Custer City, Oklahoma, was recently named a 2020 Distinguished Alumnus by Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. An Oklahoma native, Dr. Renison earned his DVM degree from Oklahoma State’s veterinary college in 1988.

Following graduation, Renison entered the U.S. Army and never looked back. During his first tour of duty, he completed the requirements for a Master’s of Science degree from Oklahoma State University. Later he earned a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Renison’s Army service is extensive. He served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm deploying to classified forward operating bases to ensure the food safety and public health of soldiers, sailors, and airmen. He also tended to animal care and assisted with water safety and quality, vaccination programs and cholera camps.

Stateside, Renison participated in training held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. From there he was assigned to Heidelberg, Europe, where he deployed veterinary teams to Albania and Macedonia. He directed food safety, facility sanitary programs and animal medical support for all Army, Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense agencies in the EUCOM theater. In 1999, he returned to the United States serving in the Mid-Atlantic District. As Commander, he was responsible for providing comprehensive military veterinary support including food safety, veterinary preventive medicine, and animal health care to all Department of Defense installations throughout the district. Renison held many more positions and continued his service until he retired as a Colonel in 2013.

Renison’s military awards include the Order of Military Medical Merit Badge, awarded to the top ten percent of Army Medical Officers, and the Army Surgeon General “A” Proficiency for Veterinary Medicine. He also earned a Bronze Star for combat operations and the Legion of Merit, the second highest peace-time award, for his outstanding service and support to the United States of America.

Dr. Renison and his wife, Cheryl Ann Renison, have two children and two granddaughters. Renison currently helps his father and brother with a cattle ranch in Western Oklahoma. Renison is one of three alumni who will be honored at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Distinguished Alumni Award Luncheon scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2020.

MEDIA CONTACT: Taylor Bacon | Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator | 405-744-6728 | taylor.bacon@okstate.edu