4 December 2006 Lincoln pair awarded international travel fellowships for livestock congress

Two Lincoln University agricultural students have been named among 25 outstanding students from around the world who have won Travel Fellowships to attend next year's International Livestock Congress in Denver, Colorado, USA, in January next year.

The pair, PhD student Craig Trotter of Palmerston, Otago, and Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) student Sean Wilkins of Balfour, Southland, will attend the International Livestock Congress over 6-10 January. The event, a long-respected international forum, brings together top livestock producers, retailers, packers and others in the industry supply chain.

The 25 students awarded Travel Fellowships represent 21 different universities from nine countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Slovakia, Uruguay and the United States of America.

In a stringent selection process, a multi-national selection committee chose the students on the basis of scholastic achievement, leadership experiences and letters of recommendation.

Attendance at the congress gives the students the opportunity to interact with world livestock industry leaders and to contribute to the solutions that will shape the advancement of the industry in the years ahead.

After the Congress the students must write a professional paper for the International Stockmen's Educational Foundation. The papers will be published in the Congress proceedings and on International Livestock Congress website.

Craig Trotter was capped Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours in Animal Science in April this year and has started a doctoral degree under Dr Alastair Nicol and Dr Jim Gibbs of Lincoln University's Agriculture and Life Sciences Division. His doctoral research is on ruminant nutrition and in particular liver abscesses in pasture fed animals.

Sean Wilkins, who has just completed the third year of a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) degree, came to Lincoln University in 2004 on a Rugby Scholarship. He captained his 1st XV at school and as a Rugby Scholar at Lincoln University he has been associated with Christchurch Rugby Club captaining its Colts team in 2004 and 2005.

Craig and Sean are both former pupils of St Kevin's College, Oamaru.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand