The VIN Veritas Award – from the Latin for truth – honors those who serve science and truth through courage and integrity.   

In 2020, as a novel virus ravaged the world, something unexpected happened. Scientists became vilified for the seemingly straightforward act of presenting research and information.

While the collision of science and controversy certainly isn’t new, the speed of the internet has ushered in new methods for the spread of disinformation, superstition, and vitriol. This shift became most obvious during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even our VIN Community was not left unscathed. Two VIN Consultants, Scott Weese and Steve Valeika, met with hostility and even threats over social media as they tried to keep the public apprised of the latest information and research while the pandemic unfolded.

To honor them, and to take a stand supporting scientific truth, VIN created the VIN Veritas Award. Recipients are nominated each fall by veterinary colleagues and are chosen by a panel of past honorees. Nominees do not need to be veterinarians or even researchers; they simply need to have taken a stand to promote the spread of factual scientific information in the face of adversity.