Professor
Colin Burrows, President of the WSAVA between 2013 and 2016 and a member of its
Executive Board for many years, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the
Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London, in recognition of his service to the
veterinary profession globally.
British-born
Dr Burrows, an alumnus of the RVC, received a PhD in comparative medical
sciences from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and joined the University
of Florida in 1980. A board-certified veterinary internist, his specialty
was the study of canine and feline gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic
disease.
Dr Burrows
has always maintained a global outlook – he was Programme Coordinator of the
North American Veterinary Conference between 1984 and 2002, becoming its Chief
Executive that year. He later became Emeritus Editor in Chief of Clinician’s
Brief, the WSAVA’s official practice journal, and Editor in Chief of its Global
Edition, which is available free of charge to WSAVA members. He is also
passionate about education, not only for veterinary students but also for
veterinary practitioners, particularly those in countries in which companion
animal practice is still emerging.
Receiving
his honorary doctorate during an online ceremony as part of the 2021 graduation
ceremony in July, Dr Burrows thanked the RVC for the honour it had bestowed on
him and congratulated this year’s graduates as they started out on their
careers. “It used to be all about the animals,“ he said, “but now it is about
animals, people and the environment. It is all about One Health.
“As you
review each stage of your career, ask yourself – did I make a difference?” he
told them: “because that is what being a vet is really all about.”
Current
WSAVA President Dr Siraya Chunekamrai said: “Dr Burrows has made an
immeasurable contribution to the WSAVA, as he has to the many veterinary
associations he has freely given his time to during his distinguished career.
We count ourselves very lucky and congratulate him on this well-deserved
honorary doctorate.”
