Four talented veterinarians have been chosen as the first beneficiaries of a financial support program sponsored by Aviagen and poultry diagnostics company BioChek.
Launched in September, the annual program is designed to award promising veterinarians who aspire to pursue a Master of Avian Medicine (MAM) degree at the University of Georgia (UGA). UGA is home to a world-leading advanced degree program in Avian medicine. UGA’s Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center (PDRC) chose this class of MAM students from a pool of the world’s top veterinary students. Applicants must have earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, competitive Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and English language proficiency.
Beginning the 18-month MAM program in June, the Class of 2021 will be...
- Katie Burchfield -- Texas A&M University, U.S., College of Veterinary Medicine
- Isabella Hannay -- University of Nottingham, U.K., School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
- Alix Nelson -- University of Saskatchewan, Canada, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Michael Quist -- University of Georgia, U.S., College of Veterinary Medicine
Karen Burns Grogan, DVM, MAM, Diplomate ACPV, is a clinical associate professor of Avian Medicine and graduate coordinator of the PDRC. She explained that the UGA MAM program is one of the few offered worldwide. Graduates are in high demand in the global poultry industry. Jobs may involve live poultry production, disease diagnostics, customer service, research and development, food safety, academia, and regulatory affairs.
“Our program has produced numerous poultry veterinarians, who serve in prominent positions in both the US and global poultry markets. Aviagen and BioChek, both leaders in the industry, are dedicated to educating the future of the global poultry industry, and we are honored they’ve chosen to demonstrate this commitment by supporting the MAM program,” she commented.
Dr. Bill Stanley, Director of Global Health Monitoring, joins Dr. Nick Dorko, Global Head of Veterinary Technical Services; and Dr. Eric Jensen, Vice President of Veterinary Services, as three Aviagen leaders who are MAM program alumni. Dr. Stanley remarked that the program’s comprehensive advanced education in avian medicine is unique in the world.
“The future of the industry depends on the availability of innovative and highly educated poultry professionals. By contributing to programs such as MAM, we’re helping to support the talent that will help us fulfil our vision to feed the world with a sustainable and nutritious food source, while continually advancing bird health and welfare,” concluded Dr. Stanley.
