Dr. Bob Smith

Dr. Bob Smith resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma, but is a native of southeastern Kansas, where he was raised on a small farm consisting of beef cattle, a small number of dairy cows and Quarter Horses. He decided early in life to go into either farming/ranching or veterinary medicine. He attended Kansas State University, receiving his BS and MS in Animal Science and a commission in the Army Air Defense Artillery. Following two years of active duty in the Army, he attended veterinary school at Kansas State. He remained in the Army Reserves for a total of 25 years.

Following graduation from veterinary school, he completed an internship in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery at Oklahoma State University. Except for a year and a half in private feedlot practice in the early 90's, he was at Oklahoma State until 2001 where he served as a field services clinician (farm and ranch calls) for 15 years, and finally held the McCasland Chair in Beef Health and Production. In that position, he was responsible for beef cattle extension, stocker cattle research, and industry service.

Currently he is in private practice with five other veterinarians at Veterinary Research and Consulting Services, working with feedlot and stocker cattle clients across the high plains. His clients have a one time capacity of 1500 to 60,000 cattle.

He has been very active in cattle and veterinary organizations, including the BQA Advisory Board, chairing the NCBA Cattle Health and Well-being Committee, President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, President of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, and is currently President of the Western Veterinary Conference.  He has given hundreds of presentations in the US, Canada and Europe, and has authored numerous book chapters and scientific articles. He currently is the editor of The Bovine Practitioner and Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice.

Dr. Smith has been recognized several time for his contributions to the livestock industry and veterinary medicine, including the AABP-Fort Dodge Bovine Practitioner of the Year Award, the Academy of Veterinary Consultant's Consultant of the Year Award, the Oklahoma Food Animal Practitioner of the Year, The 2006 Kansas State University Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the 2008 Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Beef Cattle Veterinarian of the Year Award.

Along with partners, he operates a stocker operation in Oklahoma, grazing wheat pasture and summer grass. Outside interests include his 1969 SS 396 Chevelle and 1930 Model A Ford Coupe.

Joe Stookey

Dr. Joseph M. Stookey, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Professor, University of Saskatchewan
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences

B.Sc.  Animal Science (University of Illinois, USA)
M.Sc.  Animal Nutrition (University of Illinois, USA)
Ph.D.  Applied Ethology, (University of Illinois, USA)

 
After completing an M.Sc. in ruminant nutrition, I spent the next five years managing the sheep flock (1,000 ewes) and research unit at the University of Illinois Dixon Springs Agricultural Center. In 1985 I moved onto campus and managed the Swine Research Centre at the University of Illinois and began my work on a Ph.D.. During my Ph.D. program, I spent one year in Kenya as a member of the Animal Science Department at Edgerton University, Njoro where I taught basic animal science courses. I completed my Ph.D. in 1991 in the field of applied animal behavior and accepted a position at the WCVM, where I am currently employed.
 
As an applied animal behaviorist I have aimed my research at improving the productivity and welfare in domestic food animals through the application and investigation of the behavioral processes. My research program focuses on the maternal and social behavior of cattle, the investigation of routine painful procedures, plus the factors that influence handling and temperament
in beef cattle.  In addition to my research, I teach courses to veterinary students on basic animal behavior, animal welfare, and give some lectures on ethics and pain management.

I have been married to my wife, Gayle, for 28 years and we have 4 children.

Carolyn Stull

Carolyn L. Stull, PhD
Extension Specialist
Animal Welfare Program
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis

Dr. Carolyn Stull received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University, and then continued her studies as a graduate student at the University of Illinois.  She received her Master of Science and PhD degrees while working on research projects focusing on muscle and exercise physiology in the horse.  Currently, as a Cooperative Extension Specialist, Dr. Stull directs the School of Veterinary Medicine's Animal Welfare Program focusing on the well-being of agricultural animals, primarily dairy cattle and horses.  She is the national recipient of the "Hank Award," presented for outstanding research benefiting the welfare of the horse.  She has served as the Chair of the Animal Welfare Committee of the US Animal Health Association, and has worked in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture on issues such as the Horse Protection Act and the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter.  Dr. Stull was the North American representative to the ad hoc group on Land Transportation for the OIE, the World Organization for Animal Health.  Her research projects have been focused on examining long-term transportation stress in horses, developing nutritional rehabilitation programs for starved animals, determining the glycemic index of common equine feeds, evaluating the impact of extreme weather events on the welfare of dairy cattle on commercial dairies, the care and handling of cull dairy cattle, and the characterization of unwanted horses relinquished to non-profit rescue and shelter facilities throughout the US.       

Dr. Janice Swanson

Dr. Janice Swanson received her PhD in Applied Animal Ethology from the University of Maryland and her masters and baccalaureate degrees in animal science from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Swanson’s professional employment includes five years with the United States Department of Agriculture as a Technical Information Specialist in the Animal Welfare Information Center. In April of 1992, Dr. Swanson joined the faculty in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University. During her years at Kansas State, Dr. Swanson taught courses in domestic animal behavior and welfare, advanced techniques in animal behavior, and contemporary issues. Dr. Swanson was a member of the graduate faculty and the director of the department’s international program until appointed to the position as interim department head in August 2004. In July 2007 Dr. Swanson assumed the responsibility of the Director of Animal Welfare at Michigan State University. As Director, Dr. Swanson coordinates outreach, teaching and research in the area of farm animal behavior and welfare with a focus on social responsibility in the food system. She holds faculty appointments in the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences within the College of Veterinary Medicine.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dr. Swanson provides scientific service on numerous national animal welfare advisory committees and councils including the Food Marketing Institute and the National Council of Chain Restaurants, McDonald’s, the United Egg Producers, the National Pork Producers Council, Burger King, Darden Restaurants, Bob Evans and Humane Farm Animal Care. In addition she currently serves on the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) Committee on Animal Care, Co-Chairs the FASS Guide Revision Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Animal Science.  She is currently the Senior Vice President of the International Society for Applied Ethology, and a diplomate in the College of Applied Animal Behavioral Sciences of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.

Dr. Dan U. Thomson

Dr. Dan U. Thomson is a third generation bovine veterinarian and was raised in Clearfield, IA. Dr. Thomson completed a MS in Ruminant Nutrition from South Dakota State University and a PhD in Ruminant Nutrition from Texas Tech University.  Dr. Thomson received his BS in Animal Science and DVM from Iowa State University.
Dr. Thomson was an associate veterinarian with Veterinary Research and Consulting Services in Greeley, CO. He then served as the Director of Animal Health and Well-being for Cactus Feeders in Amarillo, TX. Dr. Thomson was the veterinary consultant for their 10 commercial feedlots and directed their animal health research at the Cactus research facility.  Dr. Thomson still practices feedlot medicine in Nebraska and Texas.

Currently, Dr. Thomson is The Jones Professor of Production Medicine and Epidemiology and Director of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.  He serves has the OIE Chair of Beef Cattle Production and Welfare.  Dr. Thomson teaches stocker and feedyard production medicine as well as nutrition.  Dr. Thomson has published 37 peer-reviewed papers, 3 book chapters, 87 abstracts at professional meetings and delivered over 250 invited talks internationally on his research and field experience on the interactions between production management, environment and nutrition on the health and well-being of beef cattle. 

Glynn Tonsor

Dr. Glynn Tonsor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University . He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University and his Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from Missouri State University (then named Southwest Missouri State University).  Currently Glynn focuses his efforts on applied research and extension activities.  Tonsor’s broader interests cover an array of issues throughout the supply chain in food industries with particular focus on the cattle/beef and swine/pork industries. A main issue at the heart of Tonsor’s current program is animal wellbeing and welfare.  Over the past two years he has researched an array of issues including assessing drivers of resident voting support on animal welfare oriented ballot initiatives, evaluating if production bans are needed to meet economic desires of U.S. consumers, and examining the impact of media attention to animal well-being issues on beef, pork, and poultry demand.  Accordingly, Tonsor’s presentation will highlight key findings of this applied research and draw implications for the beef industry in particular and meat industries in general.

Jennifer Woods

Biography coming soon.