Tizard Announced as 2011 Convocation Keynote Speaker

Dr. Ian Tizard, Richard M. Schubot Professor of Exotic Bird Health in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2011 Freshman Convocation on August 28, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. in Reed Arena.  

In the spirit of convocation to motivate incoming freshmen to aspire to greatness inside and outside of the classroom, Tizard will emphasize that a university like Texas A&M University is not an extension of high school, but rather a generator of new knowledge and discoveries. Tizard will lean on his own research experience while at Texas A&M University studying exotic bird diseases in this country and the Amazon to help demonstrate the possibilities available to students. Ultimately, his speech hopes to instill a desire in each incoming freshman to use the tools and knowledge available at Texas A&M University to grow professionally and personally and to create a better future for all. 

Tizard has been part of the Aggie family since 1982, when he started his position as department head and professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitiology at the CVM. In 1990 he moved to the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the CVM to become a professor of Immunology. Then in 1999 he took the role of his current position as the Richard M. Schubot Professor of Exotic Bird Health. 

A native of Northern Ireland, Tizard received his veterinary medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1965 and then shortly received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1969. After graduation he pursued his fellowship at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada where he quickly became a professor until he moved to Texas to begin teaching at the CVM. In 1996 he became an honorary diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. 

During his tenure, he received several awards including many university-level teaching awards, and in 2006 he was the first recipient of the "Outstanding Veterinary Microbiologist Award" from the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists.  

In Tizard's nomination letter, Dr. Eleanor M. Green, Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine, highly recommended him as a motivator "based on his ability to engage and inspire undergraduate students to achieve excellence, both within the classroom and beyond. The College of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences is fortunate to be able to benefit richly from Dr. Tizard's remarkable skills as a teacher, as a mentor to undergraduate students, and also as a researcher," Green added. 

"We are delighted that Dr. Tizard has agreed to serve as speaker for this year's Freshman Convocation," noted Pamela Matthews, associate provost for undergraduate studies. "His impressive record as a scholar, as well as his respected service as teacher and mentor to undergraduates, make him an ideal faculty keynote speaker to welcome next year's incoming freshman class to our community of learners and scholars." 

For more information on Freshman Convocation, contact Kristin Harper, executive director for undergraduate studies, at kharper@tamu.edu or (979)845-3210.