Alastair A. Macdonald has been a lecturer then senior lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies from 1984 until retiral in 2011, and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh since then. Awarded a PhD by Edinburgh University (1975) and Doctor in de Diergeneeskunde by Utrecht University (1983) he was appointed as Visiting Professor in Fuzhou University, China from 2008-2011. From 2011-2015 he served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Edinburgh, then Scottish Consortium for Rural Research. Investigating the biology of the wild Indonesian pig, babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis) has been an academic cornerstone for the last 35 years, and similarly, researching the history of veterinary education in Edinburgh, has been a focus for the last 20 years. Colin M. Warwick has been associated with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for 64 years (47 on the Technical Staff and 17 as an Honorary Fellow) so he is himself part of Dick Vet history. In 2005 Her Majesty the Queen presented him with an MBE for services to the Veterinary School, University of Edinburgh. Having an interest in local history he served on the council of the Old Edinburgh Club for ten years. During the last 20 years he worked collaboratively researching and writing over 30 papers on veterinary history.
"""A 20-year project has resulted in a most informative and enjoyable publication. The authors are to be praised for clearly describing over 200 years of history, eloquently documenting the conception, growth and prosperity of the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School. Highly recommended to all with an interest in the veterinary profession.?"" -Paul Watkins, Consultant Veterinary Surgeon"