Ronald J. Kendall, Ph.D., Lubbock

Dr. Ronald J. Kendall, a world-renowned professor of Environmental Toxicology and head of the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory (WTL) at Texas Tech University, is leading groundbreaking efforts to conserve one of Texas’ most iconic species—the northern bobwhite quail. With populations declining by as much as 90% across the state, Dr. Kendall’s work is vital in addressing the perilous drop in quail numbers and preserving the health of Texas’ natural grasslands.

In 2012, Dr. Kendall established the WTL with a mission to research and combat parasitic diseases affecting wild quail. His innovative approach led to the development of the QuailGuard® medicated feed and QuailSafe® delivery system, which represents the first FDA-approved, publicly available medicated feed to treat wildlife species in their natural habitat within the United States.

Since introducing QuailGuard® and QuailSafe® at demonstration ranches, quail populations have shown a remarkable recovery, with some areas seeing as much as a 500% increase in sustainable wild quail numbers. Dr. Kendall’s pioneering research is not only reviving quail populations but also ensuring the long-term health of Texas’ diverse grassland ecosystems.