Dennis Umali, a Filipino veterinarian, received the WVPA-Zoetis Young Poultry Veterinarian Award during the recent WVPA Asia Meeting.
After being an exceptional veterinary student, Dr. Umali spent five years in Japan before returning to the Philippines where he is currently an Assistant Professor and Scientist at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB). There, he is developing an Integrated Health Management System that will proactively help poultry farmers in the tropics in the early detection of production and health problems in their flocks. While in Japan, Dr. Umali has worked for a leading diagnostic consultancy whose clients included 72 of Japan’s largest layer and breeding farms.
“In selecting Dr. Umali as this year’s winner, the selection committee was impressed with what Dennis has already achieved, in what promises to be a spectacular career, and the motivational enthusiasm he exudes when teaching students at various levels, coupled with the fact that he gives over and above what is expected of him,” said Nigel Horrox, WVPA president. “He epitomizes all that is good in his generation of poultry veterinarians – in fact, he is the perfect ambassador for our profession!”
“Dennis is a worthy winner and someone that his professional colleagues should be proud of,” added James Kim of Zoetis, who presented the award on behalf his company. “He joins the select group of previous winners who come from Malaysia, South Africa, the UK and the USA whom Zoetis is proud to be associated with.”
Dr. Umali said, “This award was such a surprise to me and it is pleasing to know that younger poultry veterinarians can be recognized in this way. It will motivate me as a poultry veterinarian to focus even more on helping the students I work with in the Philippines.”
The WVPA meeting was attended by over 350 poultry veterinarians and poultry heath scientists from across Asia who presented technical review papers from industry veterinarians and presentations from academia on the latest research in the poultry health field.
