Professor Emeritus Velmurugu Ravindran began his academic journey with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka.
He later completed a Master of Science in Animal Science in 1982 and a PhD in Animal Nutrition in 1985 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.
Before moving to New Zealand, Prof Ravindran served as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Camden campus from 1994 to 1998.
He then joined Massey University as Senior Poultry Scientist and Director of the Poultry Research Centre, before being promoted to Professor of Poultry Science in 2004.
Significant contributions to poultry nutrition
Widely recognized for his significant contributions to poultry nutrition, Prof Ravindran’s work enabled major advances in poultry production and helped establish New Zealand as a world leader in chicken meat production efficiency.
As New Zealand’s leading poultry nutritionist, he developed strong partnerships with the poultry industry that facilitated the rapid transfer of research into practice.
He led a range of comprehensive research programs focused on improving nutrient utilization and reducing nutrient losses to the environment.
His findings have benefited the global feed industry, enabling a wider range of feed ingredients to be used more efficiently in poultry diets.
Pioneering the development of ileal-based assays
Prof Ravindran’s research addressed numerous aspects of poultry nutrition, including feed evaluation, feed technology, early nutrition and the digestion and metabolism of amino acids and minerals.
He also pioneered the development of ileal-based assays to determine amino acid digestibility in poultry, a method that became widely adopted internationally.
Prof Ravindran is further recognized for laying the foundations of much of the current understanding of feed enzyme technology.
Throughout his career, Prof Ravindran secured millions of dollars in research funding, including almost $8 million in the decade prior to his retirement.
His success in attracting research contracts from major international feed companies helped sustain and grow the Poultry Research Centre and its research capability.
A dedicated educator and mentor
Alongside his research achievements, Prof Ravindran was a dedicated educator and mentor.
He played a significant role in developing the next generation of poultry scientists, supervising postgraduate students, contributing to undergraduate teaching and generously sharing his expertise with colleagues and collaborators around the world.
Publishing more than 500 scientific works
Over the course of his career, Prof Ravindran published more than 500 scientific works, including 280 peer-reviewed journal articles, five books and more than 30 book chapters.
He served on the editorial boards of several international journals, including the British Journal of Nutrition, Animal, Animals, Animal Production Science, Poultry Science, Animal Feed Science and Technology and the Journal of Animal Science.
His expertise was widely sought by industry, governments and international agencies.
His contributions to poultry science
Prof Ravindran’s contributions to poultry science were recognized both nationally and internationally through numerous awards.
These included becoming the first non-American recipient of the American Feed Industry Association Poultry Nutrition Research Award in 2011, receiving the McMeekan Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to animal production in New Zealand in 2015, the Massey University Individual Research Medal in 2017 and the New Zealand Poultry Industry Award in 2018 for his lifetime contribution to the industry.
Following his retirement in 2021 after a 38-year career, Prof Ravindran remained connected to Massey, continuing to advise and support staff and postgraduate students in the School of Agriculture and Environment, contribute to professional development short courses and assist with ongoing research projects.
A highly respected and valued member of the Massey community
Prof Ravindran was a highly respected and valued member of the Massey community. He is remembered not only for his remarkable scientific achievements, but also for his leadership, generosity and unwavering commitment to those he mentored.
His legacy lives on through the many students, researchers and industry professionals whose careers and work were shaped by his guidance.
Massey University’s Head of the School of Agriculture and Environment Prof Paul Kenyon said Prof Ravindran will be remembered as a world-class scientist whose research led to major improvements in the efficiency and sustainability of poultry production worldwide.
“Ravi made an outstanding contribution to the College of Sciences, Massey University and his discipline. Through his leadership, mentorship and passion for research, he left a lasting mark on Massey, on the many postgraduate students and colleagues he supported and on the international scientific community,” Prof Kenyon said.
Prof Ravindran is remembered by his wife and daughter.