Dr. William D. Liska (ISU '73) is the recipient of the AVMA Practitioner Research Award for accomplishments in veterinary research by a practicing veterinarian.

Dr. Liska is an expert in joint replacement surgery—specifically canine total hip replacement, hip replacement in small dogs and cats, and canine total knee replacement. He has published numerous findings relevant to hip replacement and maintains the largest ongoing database of veterinary patients that have received hip replacements.

Dr. Liska was instrumental in development of the BioMedtrix Canine Total Knee Replacement System. He supervised development of the first commercial multiple-size knee implant as well as associated surgical instrumentation, surgical technique, and surgeon training workshops. He also performed and reported on the first custom canine total knee replacement.

Dr. Liska has been in practice in Houston for more than three decades and is one of the founders of Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists.