Contact: Joy Nabors

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine has appointed Dr. Natalie Manginsay as director of the Poultry Research and Diagnostic Laboratory.

For almost nine years, Manginsay has served as an associate clinical professor of avian medicine for the PRDL, which is located in Pearl and one of four laboratories in the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory System.

The PRDL plays an essential role in supporting the poultry industry in the state through disease detection and surveillance, as well as contributing to global research. The industry also relies upon the expertise of PRDL veterinarians for advice and guidance. 

In her new position, Manginsay will lead the lab to fulfill its service, teaching and research missions. She will continue to participate in the lab’s diagnostic and field service, teaching and applied research work, while also spending up to 50% of her time on administrative endeavors such as managing relationships with poultry industry stakeholders.

“Dr. Manginsay has shown leadership in the lab and that she can lead the poultry section, so we feel like this is just a natural step forward for her,” said CVM Head of Pathobiology and Population Medicine Dr. Bill Epperson.

“My vision for the PRDL is that it will become a center for excellence in poultry service, teaching and research,” said Manginsay. To achieve this, I plan to establish a ‘Poultry Excellence Team,’ which will be a partnership between PRDL and the poultry industry to foster collaboration and promote excellence in each aspect of our mission. Field service is an aspect of our service to the poultry industry that I would like to expand.”

Teaching is an important part of the PRDL’s mission. Veterinary students, residents and graduate students receive advanced training in the classroom, laboratory and the field to prepare for careers in poultry medicine and pathology. MSU’s veterinary college offers a Master of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences poultry program, housed in the PRDL and one of only eight in the country approved by the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

“When Dr. Danny Magee retired from the PRDL after many years of service, the college determined that it was important to identify a new director for the laboratory to provide leadership and maintain relationships with stakeholders,” said CVM Dean Dr. Nicholas Frank. “After conducting an internal search, we are pleased to appoint Dr. Manginsay to this position. She brings her experience, energy and enthusiasm to this important leadership role.”

Manginsay received her veterinary degree from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and was employed as a state veterinarian at a provincial veterinary laboratory there. She received her master’s in avian medicine and her Ph.D. in veterinary and biomedical sciences from the University of Georgia. She is a member of the American Association of Avian Pathologists and diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

MSU College of Veterinary Medicine provides two full years of clinical experience with students receiving training in all species and completing more than 50 surgeries prior to graduation. The college is nationally recognized for its shelter medicine and aquaculture programs, as well as research in antimicrobial resistance. It is the only college of veterinary medicine to lead a USAID innovation lab and offers both B.S. in veterinary medical technology and joint DVM-Ph.D. programs. For more information, visit http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/.