[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S9451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DR. KENT AMES

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise on the floor today to express my 
thanks and appreciation to Dr. Kent Ames, who today completes his 
fellowship in my office, after 9 months of dedicated work with me, my 
staff, and my constituents in Oregon.
  Dr. Ames is a distinguished member of two occupations: veterinary 
medicine and higher education. He was selected by the Association of 
American Veterinary Medical Colleges as the North American Outstanding 
Teacher in 1995. In 2001, Kent served as president of the American 
Association of Bovine Practitioners.
  Kent's fellowship in my office was sponsored by the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science. During his time here in 
Washington, DC, Kent has provided a unique scientific perspective on a 
notable array of policy issues across the spectrum. In the Commerce 
Committee, he has worked on nanoscience, NASA authorization and the 
confirmation of the current NASA Administrator. It is thus only fitting 
that the last week of Kent's fellowship coincided with the successful 
launch of Shuttle Discovery.
  Kent's passions seem to be sparked most when politics and science 
converge. There is no better arena to experience this than in natural 
resources, especially if one is a veterinarian. In a short time period, 
Kent has lent his scientific background and outlook to issues such as 
mad cow disease and international beef trade, foodborne disease, 
biosecurity, wolf reintroduction, and animal treatment. The management 
of feral horse populations in the West, which significantly affects 
Oregon, has been of particular interest to Kent. He developed an 
enthusiastic and widely recognized expertise in the issue, as well as 
the scientific and ethical implications of varying policy options.
  More than all of this, however, my staff and I deeply value the 
friendship we have made with Kent Ames. We will miss his warm character 
and his stories, and wish him happy trails for the days ahead.

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