Inspired by the exceptional undergraduate education he received at West Virginia University, alumnus Rustin Moore has established a scholarship fund that will help graduates of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design transition to the next level of their academic careers.
Moore recently committed $25,000 to establish the Dr. Rustin M. Moore Veterinary Medical Education Fund to support pre-vet students who are West Virginia residents and have been accepted into the veterinary program at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
“My goal for establishing this scholarship is to support my undergraduate alma mater and to help financially support WVU students who transition to The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Moore, a 1986 graduate of the Davis College’s animal and veterinary science program and 2015 inductee of the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni, who currently serves as dean for Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Specifically, I’d like to help offset the out-of-state differential fee during their first year of veterinary school,” he added.
The Spencer native, who also earned two doctorate degrees from Ohio State – one in veterinary medicine in 1989 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1994 – points to his WVU experiences as being a motivating factor in his decision to establish the fund.
“I feel fortunate and blessed to have had an exceptional education at WVU and, specifically, from the (now) Davis College and its pre-veterinary program,” Moore said. “WVU provided me the platform and opportunity to build upon the outstanding education I received in my native town of Spencer, prior to coming to WVU, and prepared me for admission to The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.”
In particular, Moore credits the guidance he received from his WVU faculty mentors.
“The mentorship and advising of Drs. Robert Dailey, Harold Kidder and Paul Lewis, among others, truly made my WVU experience unforgettable,” Moore continued. “It was foundational to my career success.”
“Personalized advising and mentoring of students by faculty have always been cornerstone strengths of the Davis College,” said Todd Petty, associate dean of academic affairs. “I’m so pleased to know that Dr. Moore’s experience at WVU was bolstered by those Davis College ‘tenets.’ On behalf of our College and the students who will no doubt benefit greatly from this support as they embark on the next chapter of their academic careers at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I extend my sincerest thanks for his generosity.”
Moore, who was recently recognized as a Davis College Distinguished Alumnus, noted that his inspiration was further fueled by a tradition of excellence extending beyond university ties.
“Without the encouragement and support of my parents, Daniel and Roylene Moore, and family, I would not have been able to reach my dream of becoming a veterinarian and/or my career success,” he said. “Additionally, I followed in the footsteps of two of my relatives – a great uncle, Dr. Raymond Zinn, and a cousin, Dr. Roy Zinn, who attended WVU and then went on to graduate from The Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.”
Having come from such a rich legacy of educators and veterinarians, Moore makes it clear that he hopes to ultimately support students in fulfilling their own legacies.
“My goal is to help amazing students from my native state achieve their career aspirations by reducing their educational debt so they can have personal and professional success and satisfaction,” Moore said, also stating that he hopes others will follow his lead to establish similar scholarships for West Virginia students who matriculate to their veterinary college alma maters, in particular, Ohio State.
First preference for the Dr. Rustin M. Moore Veterinary Medical Education Fund will be given to a first-generation college student. To learn more about the scholarship fund, contact Julie Cryser, assistant dean of advancement, by emailing julie.cryser@mail.wvu.edu.
Moore’s gift was made as part of A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia's University.