RCVS 2019 award winners, Professor the Lord Trees and Jane Devaney.
Two members of the Institute of Veterinary Sciences have been honoured in this year’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) awards.
The recipient of this year’s Queen’s Medal – the highest award that can be bestowed by the College upon an individual veterinary surgeon – is Professor the Lord Trees of the Ross. Lord Trees was made a life peer of the House of Lords in July 2012 following a long and distinguished career as an academic at the University of Liverpool where he remains an Emeritus Professor. He sits as a crossbench peer and is currently the only veterinary surgeon represented in Parliament. He was President of the RCVS in 2009/10 and also currently serves as the Veterinary Editor-in-Chief of the Vet Record and Chair of the Board of the Moredun Research Institute.
Professor John Innes, who nominated Lord Trees for the honour, said: “He… provides expertise to Parliament in agriculture, animals, food and rural affairs, education, energy and environment, health services and medicine, international development, professional regulation, science and technology, tropical medicine and veterinary matters. In Parliament, he has been particularly active in areas such as welfare of animals at slaughter, bovine tuberculosis, dog breeding and the equine industry.”
He added: “In summary, it is challenging to think of a more deserving recipient of the Queen’s Medal. The breadth, depth and impact of Lord Trees’ contribution to our profession has been, and continues to be, immense.”
The recipient of this year’s RCVS Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award, which is bestowed upon a veterinary nurse who leads by example, is Jane Devaney. Jane is the head technical nurse at the University’s Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital and has led the now six-strong nursing team for over 15 years.
Her nominator was Dr Ebony Escalona MRCVS, a former student of Jane’s. She said: “This woman has been a constant in an ever-changing veterinary landscape from assisting pioneering medics and surgeons Professors Derek Knottenbelt and Barrie Edwards to supporting student learning experiences of thousands of veterinary professionals, including my own.”
She added: “She is an incredibly humble lady who shies from the limelight but I think Jane’s years of service deserves more than the thank you I can give alone.”
The recipients will receive their accolades at this year’s RCVS Day, which will take place at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London on 12 July.