The World’s Poultry Science Journal is indebted to Prof J.A. Castello, Prof D.K. Flock, Dr M. Tixier-Boichard, Dr S. Cherepanov and Prof N. Yang for the translations of these summaries.

Professor Dr Rose-Marie Wegner was born on 16 March 1924 in Pegnitz/Tilsit. After an apprenticeship in agriculture from 1943 to 1945 she studied general agriculture in Halle/Saale and in Bonn. She received her Diploma in Agricultural Science from the University of Bonn in 1950 and graduated at the same University in 1952. Thereafter she was employed as a scientific assistant at the Institute of Animal Husbandry and moved in 1961 into the special field of Poultry and Small Animal Sciences. After five years of research and teaching in poultry, rabbits and fur animal production, she was appointed Professor and head of the Breeding and Management of Small Animals section. From January to June 1966 she was guest professor at the poultry science department of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In 1976 she accepted the position of Director of the Federal Institute for Small Animal Research in Celle, where she worked until her retirement in 1989.

Rose-Marie Wegner joined the WPSA in 1952 when the German Branch was first established. She was elected as board member of the German Branch in 1962 and as secretary in 1972. In 1984 she was elected as secretary of WPSA and served in this position until 1996. She worked very hard over these years for the Association and it was not easy in those days as the automatisation level was low and the financial position of WPSA was poor, resulting in her personal sponsorship of the international organisation over many years. For this the WPSA has great respect for her work and contribution to the association.

In the beginning of her scientific career, Rose-Marie Wegner worked in poultry nutrition. Later she focused on rural work on poultry management systems. As a member of the working group IX, Poultry Welfare and Management, of the European Federation of WPSA she was in close cooperation with colleagues of other countries. In 1985 she organised the International Symposium on Poultry Welfare in Celle. She was actively involved in the development of non-cage systems for laying hens, including get-away cages and aviaries. Under her leadership the Institute of small animals in Celle became an important centre for the development of management systems. At that time the welfare of laying hens was a highly political issue in Germany and Europe, and as director of the research station, Rose-Marie Wegner was exposed to criticism from welfare oriented NGOs as well as of public media and egg industry. By virtue of her friendly but resolute approach, she was able to act as mediator between welfare organisations, farmer organisations and governmental authorities.

As a scientist and secretary of WPSA she was in continuous contact and shared ideas and information with many poultry institutes worldwide. On the basis of her scientific work and her merits as secretary of the WPSA she was accepted in the International Poultry Hall of Fame at the World`s Poultry Congress in Montreal 2000. To acknowledge the meritorious service as secretary of the Association she received also the Macdougall Award in Glasgow in 1994. Furthermore she was awarded the Order of merits of the Federal Government of Germany.

After her retirement she became an Honourable Member of the German Branch and continued participating in the activities and meetings of WPSA.

Rose-Marie Wegner passed away 13 April 2018 at 94 years of age.

Dr Leo S. Jensen passed away on May 23rd at his home in Athens, Georgia, USA. He was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1925. He obtained a B.Sc. at Washington State University in 1949 and a PhD degree in animal nutrition at Cornell University in 1954. His education was interrupted by Army service in World War II and was the recipient of the Purple Heart and French Legion of Honor medals.

He served on the Animal Science faculty at Washington State University for 20 years where he rose to full professor and Chairman of the Graduate Program in Animal and Human nutrition. In 1973 he joined the Poultry Science faculty at the University of Georgia and he retired a D. W. Brooks Distinguished Professor of Poultry Science in 1991. During his career he received several national awards for his research including the Merck Award in 1979. He was also awarded the University of Georgia Creative Research Medal. He served as president of the Poultry Science Association and of the USA branch of the World’s Poultry Science Association.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Sylvia Brown Jensen and four children, Peter Jensen (Katrina), Eric Jensen (Rebecca), Kristen Moehring (Jim), and Carol Brightwell (Joe), as well as 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Dr Pearse Lyons died on 8th March 2018 aged 73 in Lexington Kentucky due to an acute lung condition that developed during his recovery from heart surgery. Dr Lyons was a friend and mentor to many scientists and business people across the world, myself included. He had a great sense of humour, and considered that work should involve friends and fun, as well as achievement.

Dr Lyons had a degree from University College Dublin (Biochemistry), an MSc in brewing and fermentation from the British School of Malting and Brewing (now part of University of Birmingham, UK) and a PhD in biochemistry from University of Birmingham, UK, obtained in 1971. He was given an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2004. In the 1970s he worked in the brewing industry and emigrated to the USA in 1976, where he started the Alltech company in 1980 with a US$10,000 loan, working from his garage. He was one of the original pioneers in specialist animal feed ingredients, involved in the early days of enzymes and pre-biotics. His business took off in the mid-1980s, and some of the original staff from these times are still with the company, which retains a family feel to it, even with expansion to its current levels.

On a personal note, I have worked with Dr Lyons for many years, and, like so many others, have great tales regarding those times. The Alltech Lecture Tour was an annual event, where participants lived in close proximity on the company jet for many days on end, surviving the punishing schedule (2-3 countries per day) on biscuits and Kentucky Ale, all with good humour and a great sense of camaraderie. He never ceased in his efforts to try to drag me out for a morning run, somewhat unsuccessfully I might add. More importantly, he taught me to push the boundaries of my scientific abilities and not be afraid to do something new.

Dr Lyons always encouraged and promoted animal science, sponsoring many PhDs, encouraging young scientists in their work and conducting large amounts of commercial research in all species. Dr Lyons instigated various philanthropic ventures and published a large volume of scientific papers and books, and was a strong advocate of communication in science, especially relating to practical and commercial applications.

Our thoughts must go to his family, his lovely wife Deirdre, daughter Aoife, son Mark and daughter-in-law Holly, as well as to the rest of the ‘family’ both working in and with Alltech around the world. As Mark said of his father, “He saw farther into the horizon than anyone in the industry, and we, as his team, are committed to delivering on the future he envisioned. He planted seeds that will produce a bountiful harvest for the world in the years to come.”

The family is encouraging donations in his memory to the Alltech ACE Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organisation that funds a variety of philanthropic endeavours around the world from disaster relief to primary schools in Haiti. Donations may be made at alltech.com/pearselyons.

A lovely man and a leader of innovation in animal science, who will be sadly missed by all.

Dr Lucy Waldron

March 2018