GONZALES – The new Sam and Sally Glass Poultry Diagnostic facility in Gonzales was dedicated recently in a ribbon-cutting ceremony moderated by Gonzales County Judge David Bird and attended by Dr. Sam Glass and his wife Sally, officials from Texas A&M AgriLife agencies, poultry industry representatives and community members.
The 2,950-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility expands the poultry testing space and capacity of the pre-existing Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, which has operated in Gonzales since 1992. It also houses administrative offices and biological safety level-2 laboratories. The facility is located at 1162 Sarah Dewitt Drive, about a half-mile from the previous lab.
The lab was named for Glass, a Gonzales native and 1960 graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University, and his wife. Glass was director of the Texas A&M Poultry Disease Laboratory until his retirement in 1997 and served the state’s poultry industry for more than three decades.
“Dr. Glass achieved the goal of bringing state-of-the-art diagnostic medicine to the Texas poultry industry through his dedicated service and numerous scientific achievements,” said Dr. Tammy Beckham, TVDML director based in College Station, who spoke at the facility’s dedication ceremony.
Beckham said the poultry industry, which at any one time has an estimated 16 million birds on the ground in the greater Gonzales area, is a vital part of the community and economy in the region.
“The importance of diagnostics to this industry and region of Texas cannot be overstated,” she said.
Beckham noted that due to the aging of the previous lab facility on Water Street, it was necessary to find a location for newer, more technologically advanced facility, and the Glass family stepped forward to donate the prime parcel of land where the new lab was built.
“We’re glad we could give back to the industry and to the people who have given us so much,” said Glass. “Sally and I are tickled to have this facility named after us and to have had the opportunity to provide the land for this new facility that will continue to serve the Texas poultry industry.”
“With the type and variety of bird diseases in the world today, early detection of and response to disease is key,” said Dr. Martin Ficken, interim director of the facility.
Ficken said the new lab and its latest technology will allow expansion of the lab’s molecular diagnostic capabilities, which will allow for more rapid and accurate testing.
“Molecular-based testing requires an extremely controlled environment to avoid contamination,” Ficken said. “This new lab provides us with the equipment and surroundings we need to ensure accurate and effective poultry diagnostics.”
Both Beckham and Ficken stated that Glass was a pioneer in advancing poultry diagnostics, and Beckham said the new lab would be dedicated to “bringing the most timely and best possible diagnostic service to the poultry industry.”
Dr. Larry Boleman, associate vice chancellor for outreach and strategic initiatives at Texas A&M AgriLife, said the facility would play an important role in supporting the poultry industry and meeting the needs of that industry.
James Grimm, executive vice-president for the Texas Poultry Federation, also attended the dedication.
“With the presence of avian influenza and other avian diseases, it’s important to ensure that no diseased poultry gets into the food system, and that people can be assured the poultry they are eating is safe,” Grimm said. “The more updated the technology and the more efficient the processes, the greater the degree of confidence that test results will be accurate.”
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