Travis Burns, chief of farrier services at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech University, has been promoted to associate professor of practice in large animal clinical sciences. He has been with the university since February 2010.

Burns told American Farriers Journal that he is grateful to be recognized and rewarded for all of his work. He says that the faculty members at the college have been very supportive and he is especially thankful for mentorship from Dr. Scott Pleasant and Dr. David Hodgson, whom he credits with helping him move up the academic ranks. Although Burns has a new title, he says his role at the university largely will remain the same.

“Outside of considering how lucky I am, I also think it is a huge step for the farrier profession to have farriers employed by universities and see them performing well and being promoted through the ranks,” says Burns. “I hope it is a movement that will continue to grow.”

Burns was elected president of the American Farrier’s Association (AFA) in March 2018 on a 2-year term. In 2016, he earned his fellowship from the Worshipful Company of Farriers. There are only six other farriers based in the United States who hold this distinction: Doug Butler of Crawford, Neb.; David Duckett of Ambler, Pa.; Chris Gregory of Lamar, Mo.; Mike Miller of Huntsville, Ala.; and Mike Wildenstein of Sharon, Vt. In addition to his fellowship, Burns is a certified journeyman farrier with therapeutic and education endorsements from the AFA, and he also serves on the advisory board of American Farriers Journal.