Wisconsin Ag Connection - Dr. Cook Named WVMA Veterinarian of the Year

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Dr. Cook Named WVMA Veterinarian of the Year
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/03/2019

The head of the Department of Medical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine has been named the 2019 Veterinarian of the Year by the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Nigel Cook, BSc, BVSc, Cert. CHP, DBR, MRCVS was honored during the group's annual convention in Madison last month.

"Dr. Cook is an advocate for the cows, the sustainability of agriculture and the allied industries, and the power of our profession in creating a positive image of animals and the food products produced by the animals under our care," says Dr. Sheila McGuirk, Professor Emerita of the UW SVM. "Through extensive research, clinical trials and on-farm observation, training, trouble shooting and collaborations, he has advanced the basic premises of productivity, longevity, health, welfare and responsible interventions on farms that are home to food-producing animals. He has been tireless in engaging alliances amongst veterinarians, dairy and animal scientists, engineers, allied industry professionals, agricultural companies and technologists to create and disseminate usable tools that measure, benchmark, calculate, and enhance health and welfare practices on the farm."

Cook received his Bachelor of Veterinary Science with honors from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science in England in 1992 and his Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Certificate in Cattle Health and Production in 1995. In 1998, he received his diploma in bovine reproduction from the University of Liverpool. Dr. Cook began his career in private practice in Wiltshire, England, and then went on to become a lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire, England, prior to coming to the United States.

He now teaches in the Core Skills and Advanced Skills in Production Medicine final year elective rotations and lectures on bovine mastitis, lameness and animal welfare. In addition, he manages the Dairyland Initiative, an online resource that offers virtual tours, building guidelines, benchmarks, workshops and real-time multilingual support to address concerns with facility design and dairy cow health and well-being.

A WVMA member since 2003, Dr. Cook is also a respected leader on the Food Armor Committee, a group tasked with developing the content and providing program support for the Food Armor Foundation's Antimicrobial Stewardship Solutions program. Other organizations he has been involved with include the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Dairy Science Association and the National Mastitis Council.

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