Speakers

• Stephen Divers, BVetMed, DZooMed, DECZM, FRCVS

  Stephen Divers graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 1994. He obtained his Certificate and Diploma in Zoological Medicine from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and is a recognized Specialist in Zoo & Wildlife Medicine and a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He is a Diplomate of both the American and European Colleges of Zoological Medicine (Herpetology and Zoo Health Management).
  He is a past-president of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians, scientific editor of the Journal of Herpetological Medicine & Surgery and an associate editor for the Journal of Zoo & Wildlife Medicine. He has served on the ABVP subspecialties in small mammal and herpetological medicine, and was involved with the establishment of the zoological companion animal (exotic pet) examination through the ACZM, as well as the European College of Zoological Medicine, herpetology and zoo health management subspecialties.

  Dr Divers has lectured at over 80 national or international conferences across the Americas, Europe and Australasia. He has twice received the Best Speaker Award at the North American Veterinary Conference and the International Conference on Exotics, and was voted “Exotic DVM of the Year” in 2006. Stephen heads the Zoological Medicine Service and supervises the zoological residency program (currently at 4 residents) at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, USA. He has over 150 publications to his name including various editorships, book chapters, and scientific journal papers. He is co-editor of the recently published 3rd edition of Mader’s Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery.

• Joerg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM

  Dr. Jorg Mayer studied veterinary medicine in Budapest / Hungary to study veterinary medicine shortly after the “iron curtain” fell. During his studies he was fortunate to be able to work with veterinarians in South Africa and Namibia for 6 months. After receiving his veterinary degree from the University of Budapest/Hungary, he went to the USA for an internship in ‘Zoological Medicine and Surgery’ at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI. At the end of the internship he was part of a research team to study wild tree kangaroos in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea for 3 months. After this exciting experience, he went to the Royal veterinary College in London / England to study for his Masters of Science degree in wild animal health. The masters project which focused on lead toxicity in the common loon, brought him to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in the USA. There he was hired to serve as a clinical associate professor and as the head of the clinical service for exotic animals. After 10 years at Tufts University he moved to Athens, Georgia in 2010 to take the job of Associate Professor in Zoological Medicine at UGA.

  He lectures regularly at large national and international conferences on all aspects of exotic animal medicine. Dr. Mayer qualified with the first batch of specialists in Exotic Companion Mammals as a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, in addition he is also a Diplomate of the American and the European College of Zoological Medicine. He served as the president of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians from 2010-2012. Since 2012 he is also an International Fulbright Specialist in Zoological Medicine.

  Dr. Mayer published many scientific articles, book chapters some of which have been translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese. His latest book the “Veterinary Clinical advisor for birds and exotic pets” was published in early 2013 and contains over 750 pages. In 2013 he received the exotic speaker of the year award by the NAVC.