Inductees

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Dr. Ken Leslie has been a champion for the dairy and veal industries and a visionary leader in advancing bovine veterinary medicine in Ontario.  He assisted the University of Guelph in becoming a global leader in dairy research and had a profound impact on farm animal health and welfare.  Ken’s groundbreaking work in mastitis control and reproductive health in dairy cows, combined with his ability to bridge the gap between veterinary science and farm management, has resulted in healthier herds and more efficient dairy production.

He has had an illustrious academic career with much of his extensive research being peer reviewed and published. He was a driving founder of the Department of Population Medicine where his legacy is the application of integrative preventive medicine applied to groups of animals.  Perhaps his most notable ability is his talent in identifying and developing young veterinarians.  He was a master teacher, mentor, and communicator, always seeking to extend the collaborations between academics, graduate students, government officials, veterinary practitioners, and farmers.  These collaborative efforts extended to industry organizations such as Veal Farmers of Ontario.  He conducted groundbreaking research on calf health management, looking to provide insights into the health challenges of veal and dairy calves.  He translated research findings into practical applications, and as a result, he improved calf welfare and set the stage for the continued growth of the veal industry.  In the early 1990s, Ken led research on how information on Somatic Cell Counts (SCC) in milk could be applied to improve udder health and milk quality in dairy cows. His resulting targets and guidelines for action from the SCC analysis of individual cows are now used by every veterinarian and dairy farmer in Ontario and beyond.

He was also an early promoter of women for leadership positions starting in 1982 when he supported the hiring of the first female faculty member of the Ruminant Farm Service Clinic.  He supported Dr. Deb Stark as the first woman elected to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in 1997 and was a key proponent of Dr. Ann Godkin becoming the first woman to be President of the National Mastitis Council in 2000.  One of his former students, Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, is the current Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada.

Over the years, Ken has received numerous awards from such notable groups as the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the Canadian Animal Health Institute and the American Dairy Science Association, all acknowledging his leadership, research excellence, teaching and mentorship abilities.

Dr. Ken Leslie has had a profound impact on the progress of bovine veterinary medicine and is an outstanding new member of the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame.