A highlight of the opening day of the third WVPA Asia Meeting was the presentation of the fifth WVPA-Zoetis Young Poultry Veterinarian Award to Dennis Umali, a Filipino veterinarian.

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). Here, 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 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 were 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 to the fact that he gives over and above what is expected of him,” Nigel Horrox, President of the WVPA, explained. “He epitomises 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 are proud to be associated with.”

The winner, Dennis Umali, added, “This award was such a surprise to me and it is pleasing to know that younger poultry veterinarians can be recognised in this way. It will motivate me as a poultry veterinarian to focus even more on helping the students I work with here in the Philippines.”

The award was presented at the WVPA’s Asia Meeting held in Manila, The Philippines on October 20 and 21. The meeting was attended by over 350 poultry veterinarians and poultry heath scientists from across Asia and further afield who listened to technical review papers from industry veterinarians and presentations from academia on the latest research in the poultry health field.

The 2017 WVPA-Zoetis Young Poultry Veterinarian Award will be presented at the next global congress of WVPA, which will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland in September next year. Details for both can be found at www.wvpa.net.