Dr. Reynold Bergen, Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Calgary, AB - VIEW ABSTRACT

Reynold Bergen is the Science Director, Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. He coordinates research priorities and funding between beef and cattle research funders and the BCRC. To ensure producers have access to current research information, he develops research factsheets and articles that are available through the CCA, provincial beef organizations and various ag media outlets. Reynold also helps various CCA committees gather information and provides relevant facts for industry, public and government communications on specific issues.

Reynold is a University of Saskatchewan (Animal Science) graduate.

Dr. John Campbell, WCVM, Saskatoon, SK - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. John Campbell graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1985. After several years of private practice, he returned to OVC to complete a Doctor of Veterinary Science degree.   He has worked on the Ruminant Field Service Practice at WCVM for the last 20 years and is the director of the WCVM disease investigation unit. He is currently Dept. Head of the Dept. of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and his main research interests are in the epidemiology of infectious disease, and beef cattle health and management.

Dr. Chris Clark, WCVM, Saskatoon, SK - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Chris Clark was originally from the UK. He attended Cambridge Veterinary School from 1990 to 1996. He then came to Saskatoon and completed an internship in Large Animal Medicine at WCVM before returning to the UK where he worked in food animal practice in Northern England. He returned to Saskatoon in 1998 and completed a Masters, a PhD in clinical pharmacology and Residency program at WCVM. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Large Animal Medicine (WCVM) and is Board Certified in Large Animal Internal Medicine.

Chris' main interests are cattle lameness and the control and prevention of infectious disease.

Dr. Hans Coetzee, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Hans Coetzee is an associate professor in Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University. He obtained his Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1996. After graduation he worked for four years in mixed animal practice in Northern Ireland followed by 2 years in pharmaceutical research and development at Norbrook Laboratories Ltd. He received a specialist Certificate in Cattle Health and Production from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (London) in 2000 and a doctorate in Veterinary Microbiology from Iowa State University in 2005. He holds board certification in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and his professional interests include pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of analgesic drugs in food animals and therapy of bovine anaplasmosis.  In his spare time he enjoys fly fishing and hiking

Dr. David Fraser, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC - VIEW ABSTRACT

From his childhood on a farm in southern Ontario, David Fraser has maintained a fascination with animals throughout his 40-year research career.  With a degree in psychology (Toronto) and a PhD in zoology (Glasgow), Prof. Fraser did research on the welfare of farm animals (Edinburgh School of Agriculture, 1971-1975) and on the behaviour and management of moose (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1975-1981) before developing a research team on farm animal welfare and behaviour at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa (1981-1997). He joined UBC in 1997 and is currently cross-appointed between the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics.

Prof. Fraser is an enthusiastic teacher who mentors many graduate students and co-teaches undergraduate courses on ‘Animals and Society’, ‘Animals and Global Issues’, and ‘Animal Welfare and the Ethics of Animal Use’. He is in high demand as a lecturer off-campus, logging 100,000 km per year in lecture trips.

Prof. Fraser also works with many organizations to find practical ways to improve the lives of animals. He has provided advice on animal welfare for many organizations including the Burger King Corporation (Miami), the Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants (Washington), the World Organization for Animal Health (Paris), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Rome), and within Canada on the Board of Trustees of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada and the Animal Welfare Committee of the Vancouver Foundation.

He is the author of ‘Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in its Cultural Context’, published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2008.

Dr. Francisco Galindo, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, MX - VIEW ABSTRACT

Francisco Galindo is a Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He obtained a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science from the same University (UNAM, 1990) and later a PhD in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (Cambridge, UK, 1996). In 1995 he was appointed as Head of the Department of Ethology at UNAM and since then started teaching Animal Behaviour and Welfare to undergraduate veterinary students and Applied Ethology to graduate students. Dr. Galindo has supervised several MSc and PhD thesis on areas related to Applied Ethology and Welfare of Farm Animals, Companion Animals as well as Wildlife and Zoo animals. He has been Coordinator of the Animal Welfare Committee of the National Animal Health Council in Mexico, as well as Programme Coordinator for the Latin American office of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Through this work he contributed to the elaboration of Animal Welfare Legislation in Mexico and in other Latin American countries. Francisco has a strong interest in the integration of animal welfare and environmental issues, and has been doing research on the relationships between animal welfare, conservation and the provision of ecosystem services in grazing systems. He is co-editor of Etología Aplicada, published in 2004, one of the first publications of the topic in Spanish.

Dr. Temple Grandin, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Temple Grandin obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College, earned her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University, and was awarded her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. She is currently a Professor at Colorado State University.

She has done extensive work on the design of handling facilities. Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. Other professional activities include developing animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulting with McDonalds, Wendy’s International, Burger King, and other companies on animal welfare.

Dr. Grandin has published several hundred industry publications, book chapters and technical papers on animal handling plus 45 refereed journal articles in addition to seven books. Her book, Animals in Translation was a New York Times best seller and her book Livestock Handling an Transport, now has a third edition which was published in 2007. Other popular books authored by Dr. Grandin are Thinking in Pictures, Emergence Labeled Autistic, Animals Make us Human, Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach, and The Way I See It.

Dr. Grandin has received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Livestock Conservation Institute, was named a Distinguished Alumni at Franklin Pierce College and received an honorary doctorate from McGill University, University of Illinois, and Duke University. She has also won the Richard L. Knowlton Award from Meat Marketing and Technology Magazine and the Industry Advancement Award from the American Meat Institute and the Beef Top 40 industry leaders and the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. HBO has recently premiered a movie about Temple’s early life and career with the livestock industry. The movie received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. In 2011, Temple was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Dr. Grandin is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism. Articles and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, People, Time, National Public Radio, 20/20, The View, and the BBC. She was also honored in Time Magazines 2010 “The 100 Most Influential People in the World.” You can learn more about Dr. Grandin and her work by visiting www.grandin.com.

Dr. Derek Haley, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, ON - VIEW ABSTRACT

Derek Haley is an Assistant Professor in the Ontario Veterinary College. He is the Steering Committee Chair of Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph. Derek’s areas of expertise are farm animal behaviour, and farm animal welfare. In addition to directing his research program in these areas, he also teaches these subjects to students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and graduate degree programs.

After receiving his Master of Science degree from the University of Guelph, he completed his PhD at the University of Saskatchewan. He spent 4 years working as the Provincial Livestock Welfare Specialist for Alberta Agriculture and 2 years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta, prior to his present position in Guelph, where he has been since August, 2009.

Dr. Haley’s research has focused on the behaviour and welfare of both beef and dairy cattle. Some of the areas he has investigated include livestock transportation and the stress of weaning.

Dr. Wes Jamison, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Wes Jamison is an Associate Professor of Communication at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he teaches Public Relations, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Communication Theory. Likewise, he is completing another PhD at the University of Florida where he teaches classes in communications research, practice, and theory. His academic research involves theories of public relations as they relate to activist communications and urban-rural conflict, and the delegitimization of animal use in western culture.Dr. Wes Jamison is an Associate Professor of Communication at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he teaches Public Relations, Persuasion, Political Communication, and Communication Theory. Likewise, he is completing another PhD at the University of Florida where he teaches classes in communications research, practice, and theory. His academic research involves theories of public relations as they relate to activist communications and urban-rural conflict, and the delegitimization of animal use in western culture.

Prior to moving to Florida, Wes served for over a decade as Professor of Political and Social Science at universities in the US and Europe. He has also served on the board of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and as Director of the Agricultural Stewardship Center.

Wes received his first PhD from Oregon State University where his dissertation examined agricultural opponents and opposition to agriculture, specifically focusing on the animal rights movement and its threat to animal agriculture. As part of his consulting business he currently conducts research in the US and Europe on agricultural politics (especially related to the animal/human interaction), as well as urban-rural issues. He also consults with companies in Europe, India and the US on agricultural issues, and has also published extensively on agricultural politics. His area of consulting expertise involves urban-rural agricultural conflicts, animal welfare, animal rights, and agricultural politics.

He is a native Floridian, has 4 children and enjoys sailing and all outdoor activities.

Dr. Kee Jim, Feedlot Health Management Services, Okotoks, AB - VIEW ABSTRACT

 In 1983, Dr. Jim received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He is a founding partner of Feedlot Health Management Services Ltd. (FHMS) in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, a consulting company providing comprehensive herd health programs, veterinary and production consulting services, field veterinary services, and computerized individual animal data recording systems to feedlots throughout western Canada and the United States. FHMS provides production consulting services to beef feedlots with a combined annual throughput of greater than one million animals. Other ventures of Dr. Jim include: G.K Jim Farms and affiliated companies Cattlinc Inc, Silverado Cattle Inc., Taweel Cattle Company Ltd., Korova Feeders Ltd.

Dr. Jim received the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), Bovine Practitioner of the Year Award, the Beef Award for Excellence in Veterinary Preventative Medicine, the Schering-Plough Animal Health Veterinary Award from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) Consultant of the Year Award and the Canadian Animal Health Institute Leadership Award.

In addition, he has served on the board of directors of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Livestock Identification Services Ltd, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Canada Beef Export Federation. Recently, he has served as Board Chair of the Canada Beef Export Federation and Vice Chairman of the Alberta Cattle Feeder’s Association. Currently, he serves on the board of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.

Dr. Terry Mader, University of Nebraska, Concord, NB - VIEW ABSTRACT

Terry Mader is a Beef Cattle Extension Specialist and Professor of Animal Science from the University of Nebraska, Haskell Ag. Laboratory, Concord, Nebraska. Dr. Mader earned his B.S. from Kansas State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Oklahoma State University.  Dr Mader’s primary areas of interest include climate variability and environmental effects on cattle and is involved in numerous national and international collaborative projects on the topics. He is past-Chair of the FASS Beef Cattle sub-committee on Guide for Agricultural Animals and a current member of the Professional Animal Auditors Certification Organization (PAACO) and ARPAS governing councils.  Terry is a previous recipient of the ASAS Animal Management Award and is currently an honorary professor of Animal Production at the University of Queensland in Australia. He is actively involved in developing models and management strategies which can be used to minimize environmental stress in livestock. Models include development of stress indices, based on multiple weather parameters, and economic assessments of strategies utilized to mitigate effects of mud and/or cold and heat stress.   Dr. Mader is author or co-author of over 300 scientific publications

Mike Martin, Director of Communications, Cargill - VIEW ABSTRACT

Martin, director of communications, joined Cargill in March 2010. Prior to Cargill, he was vice president of communications with Constellation Brands for more than 4-1/2 years. Constellation was the world's largest wine producer, headquartered in the Rochester, N.Y., area. From 1997 to 2004, he was director of corporate communications at Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., the North American beverage division of London-based Cadbury Schweppes plc.

Martin began his communications career with The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company in Los Angeles. He spent 20 years in the railroad transportation industry at Los Angeles and San Bernardino, Calif., Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas, attaining the position of regional director of media and community relations with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation at its Fort Worth headquarters. Currently, Martin supports Cargill's $15 billion U.S. animal protein business and is based in Wichita, Kansas. He is responsible for strategic and tactical media relations, reputation management, executive leadership team support and counsel, message development, crisis communications and internal communications.

Martin has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge; a Master's degree in business administration from Pepperdine University; and completed an executive business, economics and management program at the University of Southern California (USC).

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis, CA - VIEW ABSTRACT

Frank Mitloehner is an expert for agricultural air quality, animal-environmental interactions, and environmental engineering. Dr. Mitloehner is an Associate Professor and Air Quality Specialist in Cooperative Extension. Since he joined the faculty in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California- Davis in 2002, Dr. Mitloehner has generated and published data that are rapidly changing how livestock facilities in California and throughout the US are regulated. Dr. Mitloehner has been PI of more than $6 million for a broad range of studies and has authored 55 publications in refereed journals. He serves as Director of the UC Davis Agricultural Air Quality Center.

In 2004 he chaired the Federation of Animal Science Societies publication of the Beef Training Module, a peer-reviewed national worker training curriculum used across research and teaching university in the United States. Dr. Mitloehner was the 2006 recipient of the UC Davis Academic Federation Excellence in Research Award and the EPA Region IX Environmental Award and the 2009 recipient of the University of California Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Research. Dr.Mitloehner received his MS degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Engineering from the University of Leipzig, Germany, in 1996 and his PhD degree in Animal Science from Texas Technical University in 2000. His undergraduate and graduate instructional areas include livestock production, environmental physiology, comparative anatomy and physiology, and grant writing.

Dr. Greg Penner, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK - VIEW ABSTRACT

Greg Penner was raised on a dairy Farm north of Saskatoon and has extensive practical experience with beef cattle, dairy cattle, and sheep. He completed his Bachelor's (2004) and Master's (2006) degrees at the University of Saskatchewan, and his PhD (2009) at the University of Alberta.

In 2009 Greg was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan. The majority of his past research has focused on ruminal acidosis and he is the co-inventor of 2 novel systems that continuously measure ruminal pH. His current research program focuses on beef cattle nutrition with emphasis on forage utilization and the impact of feeding management on gut function including absorptive and barrier functions.

Greg has authored or co-authored 25 peer-reviewed papers, and 13 invited papers published in conference proceedings. 

Dr. Jeffrey Rushen, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC - VIEW ABSTRACT

Jeffrey Rushen is a researcher in dairy cattle welfare at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre, in Agassiz, British Columbia, and an adjunct professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia and at the University of Laval in Quebec. He received his B Sc degree in psychology and zoology, and his Ph D degree in animal behavior from the University of Queensland in Australia. Since then he has worked on many aspects of animal welfare in poultry, sheep, swine and beef and dairy cattle, with positions in Australia, Germany, Sweden and Canada. He has on-going collaborative research in Japan, Denmark, and Finland.

His current interests are in lameness in dairy cows and milk-feeding, sickness and welfare assessment of calves. He was a member of the European Food Safety Authority working group reviewing dairy cow welfare and is currently the research representative on The National Farm Animal Care Council of Canada. He co-chaired the NFACC scientists’ committee reviewing priority areas of dairy cattle welfare, and was on the committee developing the new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle for Canada. He has written over 100 scientific articles on farm animal welfare and has authored or co-authored several books and book chapters on this topic, including The Welfare of Cattle, published by Springer in 2009.

Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB - VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein grew up on a farm in southern Alberta that has been active in the feedlot business for over 40 years. She obtained here PhD at the University of Saskatchewan in Applied Animal Ethology in 1996. She worked as a research scientist for Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development in Lethbridge, AB for 4 years (1999-2002) before taking a research scientist position with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2003.

Her research interests include pain/stress assessment and mitigation strategies associated with routine management procedures such as transport, castration, dehorning, lameness etc. She has also focused her research in the area of feeding behaviour of beef cattle as it relates to morbidity including acidosis and respiratory disease. Her research is applied and provides leading edge information for the scientific community as well as training and consultation to feedlot managers, agribusiness and the feedlot industry.

She is a technical advisor for the Canadian beef export federation, Alberta Cattle Feeders, BC SPCA, and the North American Food Animal Well-Being Commission (Beef) on issues related to Beef Welfare. She is currently a co-chair of the scientific committee that is revising the beef code of practice for Canada. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary and UNESP University (Sao Paulo State) in Brazil. She provides expert advice to both provincial and federal producer groups on issues related to beef welfare. She served as Vice President, President Elect, President and Past President of the Canadian Society of Animal Science between 2007-2011 and was an associate editor for the Canadian Journal of Animal Science from 2005-2010. Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein is the author of over 90 scientific and industry publications.

Travis Toews, Melbern Holdings Ltd., Grande Prairie, AB

Travis Toews served for two years as President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) completing his term in March of this year. Travis has been a director of CCA since 2005 and currently serves as Past President and a member of the Executive committee. In February of this year, in recognition of his contribution to Canadian agriculture, Travis received the Queen Elizabeth ll Diamond Jubilee Award presented by the Prime Minister and the Governor General.

Living near Grande Prairie, Alberta, Travis and his wife, Kim, own and operate Melbern Holdings Ltd- a ranching and back grounding operation. Along with other business interests, he is a member of the Society of Management Accountants.

Travis is passionate about ensuring the industry’s competitiveness at all levels, and has devoted considerable time to international trade. His industry contributions include significant work for the Canada Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) and his provincial association, the Alberta Beef Producers.

Dr. Terry Whiting, Manitoba Agriculture Food & Rural Initiatives, Winnipeg, MB - VIEW ABSTRACT

 Terry Whiting graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1984. He spent 20 of the last 25 years working for Governments in Food safety and Animal health, 8 years with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and 12 years with Manitoba Agriculture at the Veterinary Laboratory and Chief Veterinary Office. In the other 5 years he completed a MSc in Equine exercise physiology at the University of Guelph and was in mixed primarily food animal practice in Ontario. Dr. Whiting has published in peer reviewed journals, mostly the Canadian Vet Journal on humane transportation of animals, food safety, and emergency preparedness.

Terry and his family live in St. Boniface, Manitoba. Terry has been an active volunteer with the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association, serving on the board 1998-2003 and was President in 2002.

Terry was on the development committee for the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council horse code of practice (1998), the Transport code of practice (2001) and the Swine Segregated Early Weaning amendment (2003). Currently he is the Past Chair of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Committee, and the 2011 recipient of the Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal (Merck Animal Health) Animal Welfare Award and is the provincial representative on the National Farm Animal Care initiative.