Dr. Julia Ponder named
Avian Practitioner of the Year
Eighteen exceptional avian veterinarians from all around the world were nominated for the T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year Award. The independent Selection Committee narrowed this list to five finalists and the 2025 Avian Practitioner of the Year, Dr. Julia Ponder, was announced during the Plenary Session of the 46th Annual Conference of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
Julia Ponder, DVM, MPH served as Executive Director of The Raptor Center from 2007-2021 and Associate Dean for External Partnerships and Engagement at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine from 2021 until she retired in 2024.
Past award recipients
Visit Lafeber.com to see a list of previous Award recipients.
The “Caring Hands” statuette is a bronze mold of Dr. Lafeber’s hands holding his most beloved avian patient, the budgerigar.
Did you know…?
The T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year is nominated and selected by their peers. The Awardee is not, and has never been, selected by Lafeber Company. The 2025 independent Award Selection Committee, consisting of Association of Avian Veterinarians members, was led by Dr. Yvonne R.A. van Zeeland.