Atlanta, GA - Jan. 28, 2020 - The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to announce Gail Kuhlman, Ph.D., of Mars Petcare and Kate Shoveller, Ph.D., of the University of Guelph as the recipients of the inaugural Friend of Pet Food Award.
The awards were presented at AFIA’s 2020 Pet Food Conference, in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo, happening this week in Atlanta, GA.
Launched this year, the Friend of Pet Food Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to support the growth of the pet food industry.
Kuhlman and Shoveller are the very first recipients of the award.
“Gail and Kate are both truly friends of pet food,” said Louise Calderwood, AFIA’s director of regulatory affairs.
“Gail has been instrumental in influencing decisions and providing for data driven solutions throughout the pet food industry, as she has given her time to be an active member of several industry committees.
"She has been a valuable resource, mentoring and coaching future pet passionate professionals.
"Her breadth of experience and willingness to share her knowledge and teach skills has helped people across the industry improve themselves and the businesses they work for.”
“Kate is a professional who is shaping the future of the industry.
"She has been instrumental in founding the pet food program at the University of Guelph that is focused on the science of metabolism and nutrition.
"Her years of industry experience benefits the next generation of pet food professionals by helping them understand how nutrition impacts the health and well-being of dogs and cats, and how to apply this knowledge when developing commercial products.”
Kuhlman is a technical manager in research and development at Mars Petcare.
She is skilled at bringing together diverse innovate scientists to design, develop and validate new and upgraded diets for companion animals and then work to bring these to market.
Shoveller is an associate professor with the University of Guelph in Canada.
She is dedicated to debunking myths on pet food and working to transfer knowledge that is fact based and relevant, helping students learn and giving the industry and consumers another place to turn for correct information.
For more information, please contact Lacie Dotterweich at 703-666-8851 or ldotterweich@afia.org