"CREDENTIALS" - Irene K. de Villiers.

People sometimes ask me for my "credentials". I'm never quite sure what to answer, as 14 yrs of university cover a lot of material, and I've been learning outside of that arena from my life's activities. With as varied a background as I have, I do not list these after everything I write, or claim to be "a such-and-such" expert. But it is fair to put an appropriate qualification after related work, which I try to do.

It's also hard to describe informal education of the kind which results from applied research, though applied research is something in which I have formal training, as is information research and writing. Personally, I consider my specialist area to be the gathering, analysis, and writing of accurate information on felines and on homeopathy. So if I was to characterize what my life studies go towards I'd say it makes me a "Feline Information Specialist and Veterinary Homeopath". Here are some areas of formal training in more or less chronological order:

University of South Africa:
- Final, University of South Africa (pianoforte).
- Gold award (1st) Piano Eistedfod Nationals, several yrs.
- Music - Harmony Prize (1st) for South Africa.

Rhodes University:
- B.Sc. majoring in Zoology with Genetics; also in Microbiology and Mathematics.
- Minors in Botany, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics.
- All courses stress and examine Applied Research.
- One course Organic Chemistry incomplete for degree, completed later at CU in USA.

University of Cape Town:
- Business Administration, Accounting, Business Law, Physics.

Creighton University 6th yr. Medical School:
- Organic Chemistry to complete degree from Rhodes.

Creighton University Graduate School:
- Combined M.Sc/PhD (50% completed).
- Molecular Genetics, Immunopharmacology, Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Cell Physiology.

Portland Community College:
- Newly devised experimental degree program for Applied Information Science with special emphasis on use of technology. (B.Sc. prerequisite; 4-year course, graduated 1984. GPA=4.0)
Note: Interesting Course which I obviously enjoyed, the subject being right in the area I use. Only 50 of the 500 students signed up, graduated, and the degree course was no longer offered.
-Wrote a book "Programming Efficiently by Design" It was in lieu of thesis, and became the textbook at PCC request, for their computer design prerequisite course at PCC for all Information Technology and Business students.

Developed Successful Techniques:
Using this training and other experience, I devised Information Planning Techniques for organizations to use in strategic planning using information, which were successfully implemented in Shell Oil, British Petroleum, Old Mutual Insurance, and multiple smaller businesses.

Various Other Formal Courses:
- Veterinary Homeopathy
- Management
- Time management
- Negotiation skills
-Various specific computer-related courses
- Writing
- Presentations
- Publishing
- Business Time Management.
- Antique Clock Repair (board cert. Oregon)
- Real Estate License
- Wildlife Conservation Certification (Kruger National Park "Boskamp")

Publishing:
My second book was written in 1994: "Cat Genetics - What will the Kittens Look Like?"
My cat magazine PawPrint, was first published in Jan 1996 in South Africa, distributed Nationally to 10,000 people by the end of its first year, and by subscription to 23 countries.
Check my web pages for other interesting articles on Feline Information.

VETERINARY HOMEOPATHY:
I am a full time Veterinary Homeopath and offer information couseling by email on Veterinary Homeopathy. I hold the Advanced Veterinary Homeopathy degree from British Institute of Homeopathy (BIH), and the "Diploma of The Institute of Homeopathy" from BIH (D.I.Hom aka D.Vet.Hom.)
In addition I am on the advisory board of BIH/USA, and I am a tutor and course writer for BIH/USA in advanced veterinary homeopathy.

Cat Breeding - or what I like to think of as "proof of the pudding":
I delivered my first litter of kittens at age 7 - they were Manx and it got me interested in genetics.
So I have studied genetics, especially cat genetics independently as well as formally where possible.
I've bred or delivered litters and assisted other breeders for many breeds for about 30 yrs, while also doing information research on specific breeds.
My current breed since 1990, is the Norwegian Forest Cat. I breed according to the genetic theories elsewhere on my home pages, to show in practice that the system I have devised does work.
Results include show success through the breeding practices I have implemented, using the techniques devised and written about in my first book, coupled with those outlined briefly on my genetics web page. Results are encouraging, with higher titles for the cats each generation, and at last reaching the topcat judgeoffs (20 neuter and 20 entire chosen on points, then judges from scratch by 12 judges), for the country where I introduced the breed, specifically:
Top NFC neuter in the country (South Africa) 1999, is my breeding, from a stud of my breeding.
Top entire NFC in the country 1999, is from parents both of my breeding.
The top NFC neuter also happens to be 2nd place of all breeds 1999, and the entire is 9th of all breeds 1999.
The cattery name is FURRY BOOTS.

Furry Boots Norwegian Forest Cats
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots
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My email addy is furryboots@catlover.com if you wish to write to me. (Please note that it is often impossible to reply to aol email addresses so I suggest if you use aol that you contact me from any other email address, (perhaps a free yahoo email.)