Dr. Nelson J. Montialto from the Cavite State University – College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) is among the 10 Filipino fellows of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Faculty Exchange Program (FEP) on Veterinary Science and Medicine who completed the training at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville.
This USDA-initiated fellowship intends to capacitate veterinary educators in the country in improving their teaching and research skills. Through this program, the fellows are introduced into the teaching methodologies and various assessment techniques used in the US higher education system as well as useful tips and recommendations to improve the curriculum.
During the fellowship, Dr. Montialto was mentored by Dr. Sreekmari Rajeev, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Director of Bacteriology and Mycology Laboratory from the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was introduced to the different microbiological techniques using state of the art equipment especially with regards to AST profiling of important pathogens.
The fellows were also given the chance to visit livestock farms, slaughterhouses, government offices, extension centers, research institutions, and animal facilities to gain firsthand experiences on their research and extension practices. They also visited various national and zoological parks to explore the animal diversity and their conservation efforts.
Furthermore, the FEP provided the fellows with various seminar-training courses concerned with human, animal, and environmental health. They were also immersed in some cultural activities in the US. (with photos and report from Dr. N.J. Montialto)
