Hector Cervantes

Hector was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on April 28, 1953.  He received his DVM degree from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the National and Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1978.  He did his graduate work at the University of Georgia under Professor Leo S. Jensen and received his MS degree in 1981.  He received an Avian Medicine Internship Certificate from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986.  He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Pathologists (Past President 2016-2017), the American College of Poultry Veterinarians (Past President, 2007-2008) the Poultry Science Association, the Southern Poultry Science Society (Past President, 2009-2010) and Asociación Nacional de Especialistas en Ciencias Avícolas.

He served as Turkey Production Veterinarian for Cargill, Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas and as Director of Avian Health for Peterson Farms, Inc. in Decatur, Arkansas.  In 1994, he joined Pfizer Animal Health and moved to Watkinsville, Georgia.  In 2000, Phibro Animal Health acquired the Pfizer Division where he worked.  He was promoted to Sr. Technical Services Veterinarian, Manager of Poultry Veterinary Services and Sr. Manager of Poultry Veterinary Services.

During his tenure at Peterson Farms Hector published a method that today is known as the “The Cervantes Method” to quantify the quality of baby chicks based on a series of physical and microbiological parameters.  His method has been adopted by nearly every broiler chicken producing Company in Latin America and other regions of the world and in great part due to this Hector was inducted into the Latin American Poultry Hall of Fame in 2017.  This year Mexico’s ANECA paid tribute and honored Hector’s career by dedicating its Annual Convention to him and presenting him with the “Golden Turkey Award”, this was the first time ANECA granted this honor to a poultry veterinarian not residing in Mexico.

Hector has been an Adjunct Professor of Avian Medicine at the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia and North Carolina State University since 1996.  For his contributions, in 2011 he was granted Honorary membership in the Master of Avian Medicine Alumni Association of the University of Georgia and in 2012 the Ben Harrington Award for mentorship of veterinary students by North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Hector received the Special Service Award by the American Association of Avian Pathologists in 2010 and he was President of the AAAP in 2016.

Hector says his biggest accomplishment is having succeeded in 1985 in validating through examinations his DVM degree from Mexico and securing a USA license to practice when UNAM was not an AVMA-accredited University.

During his stay in Georgia, he met his wife of 39 years, Shirley Ann Smith, and the one who for 39 years has been his son, Christopher Scott Wise.  Chris has given Hector & Shirley 5 grandchildren and two of the grandchildren have each given them a great grandchild.