University of Georgia Professor Emeritus Appointed AAEP Vice President

P. O. Eric Mueller, DVM, PhD, DACVS, professor emeritus of surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, has been appointed the 2025 vice president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He will be installed December 10 during the AAEP’s 70^th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., and will assume the role of AAEP president in 2027.

After receiving his veterinary degree from Michigan State University in 1989, Dr. Mueller completed an internship, surgical residency and PhD at the University of Georgia, where he started as an assistant professor of surgery in 1996 and became a professor in 2006. His clinical interests focused on lameness, equine gastrointestinal disease, and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. Until his retirement in 2019, Dr. Mueller also served in a variety of administrative roles, including residency program director, chief of large animal service, director of equine programs, director of continuing education, and chief medical officer of the Large Animal Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Mueller, who is in the final year of a three-year term on the AAEP’s board of directors, has contributed significantly to the association’s educational offerings as a former member and chair of the Educational Programs Committee; program chair of several continuing education meetings; and presenter at the annual convention. He currently serves on the Wet Lab Initiative Task Force that conceptualized the new AAEP XP hands-on learning CE series.

“The AAEP has been pivotal in shaping my approach to providing exceptional care to my equine patients and their owners,” said Dr. Mueller. “I am honored and excited to continue my service with the AAEP, the staff, and the numerous dedicated volunteer leaders on behalf of the profession, the horse, and our membership.”

Beyond the AAEP, Dr. Mueller serves on the AVMA Council on Education, which accredits DVM and equivalent educational programs. He previously served on the boards of the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and Georgia Horse Racing Coalition and held a variety of positions within the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, including chairman, president, board member, Foundation trustee, chair of the Examination Committee and member of the Editorial Review Committee. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the ACVS presented Dr. Mueller with the Al and Carolyn Schiller Distinguished Service Award in 2023.

Dr. Mueller has authored over 65 scientific publications and 20 veterinary book chapters. He is a frequent speaker at national and international scientific and continuing education meetings. Dr. Mueller currently owns and practices at Southeast Veterinary Consultants, LLC, providing lameness and surgical services and consultations on a limited basis.

About AAEP

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.

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