PROGRAM ALUMNI
Perhaps the greatest legacy of the UBC Animal Welfare Program is the many graduates who have gone on to influential positions where they promote the welfare of animals in business, education, government and the animal protection movement.
Lorna Baird (MSc 2004) is now in Calgary as Executive Director of Alberta Farm Animal Care, a livestock industry organization with the mandate to provide a coordinated approach to advance and promote responsible animal care.
Fernando Borderas (PhD 2009), who completed a PhD on the care and health of calves, now teaches at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in his native Mexico City.
Nancy Clarke (MSc 2009) began her MSc studies while employed as the Manager of Animal Control Services for the City of Vancouver. Her thesis research involved a survey of animal control services across Canada to identify options and successes in preventing dog bites. She is now doing further research in the Animal Welfare Program.
Lindsay Collings (MSc 2011) completed her Master's on dairy cattle feeding behaviour, and is now working in the United States for Novus International. She is helping run the COWS on-farm cow comfort project on dairy farms across the US.
Andreia De Paula Vieira (PhD 2011) completed her PhD on the effects of early social environment on dairy calf behaviour. Andreia is now back in her native Brazil where she is working on the project AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) funded by the EU centered in Scotland. She is also a post-doctoral researcher at Universidade Federal do Parana and an assistant professor at Universidade Positivo.
Trevor DeVries (PhD 2006) is Assistant Professor in Animal Sciences at the University of Guelph. He teaches at the Kemptville campus, which is centered in the traditional dairy farming area of eastern Ontario.
Anna Drake (MSc 2007) conducted her thesis research at the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia on ways to improve the welfare and management or orphaned Mallard ducklings. She went on to a PhD in bird conservation at Simon Fraser University.
Sara Dubois (MSc 2003), who did her research on wildlife rehabilitation, became the manager of the BC SPCA’s ‘Wild ARC’ wildlife rehabilitation facility and is now the SPCA’s provincial manager of wildlife services.
Nicole Fenwick (MSc 2005), drawing on her work experience in the pharmaceutical industry, did research on reducing the use of animals in drug development. She now works with the Canadian Council on Animal Care where her role is to promote Replacement, Reduction and Refinement for animals used in science.
Frances Flower (PhD 2006) joined the organic grocery chain Whole Foods Market in Austin, Texas. She is helping launch a new animal welfare standards program for farmers and ranchers.
Christy Goldhawk (MSc 2009) is now pursuing her PhD in the humane transport of cattle at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. She is also working as a Research Affiliate at an Agriculture and AgriFood Canada research station.
Nadine Gourkow (MSc 2001) was hired by the BC SPCA after completing her thesis on the welfare of cats in an animal shelter. Her research led to the innovative ‘Hide Perch and Go Box’ that reduces stress in thousands of cats awaiting adoption.
Amanda Grout (MSc 2003) is an Extension Agent with Colorado State University in Golden, Colorado, where she works to develop leadership skills in young people and introduce urban children to food production systems.
Julie Huzzey (MSc 2007) completed her MSc research on the study of behaviors that predict illness in cows. She is now at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY pursuing a PhD. Her present research explores the relationships between behavior, physiology, management and health in dairy cattle.
Kiyomi Ito (MSc 2009) completed her Master's in dairy cow comfort. She now works with Novus International as the COWS Project Manager to implement an on-farm cow comfort assessment program in the dairy industry across North America.
Joanna Makowska (MSc 2008) did her research on humane methods of euthanasia for laboratory rodents, and is now completing her PhD looking at the emotions experienced by rats under standard laboratory conditions.
Amelia MacRae (MSc 2009) did her thesis at the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre of the Vancouver Aquarium. Her research showed how to greatly improve the feeding and survival of orphaned harbour seal pups. She then continued working at the Centre.
Leanne McConnachie (MSc 2007) works in the Vancouver Humane Society where, with her strong business background, she has persuaded many companies and institutions to buy humanely raised animal products.
Sophie Neveux (MSc 2004) completed MSc research on lameness problems in dairy cattle, and currently works in the Breed Improvement department of Holstein Canada, located in Brantford, Ontario.
Lee Niel (PhD 2006), whose doctoral research focused on laboratory rodents, has been appointed to the newly created Chair in Companion Animal Welfare at the Ontario Veterinary College, funded by a gift from philanthropist Mrs. Mona Campbell.
Jane Orihel ((MSc 2006) surveyed animal shelters across Canada to identify promising methods for rehabilitating dogs judged to be too aggressive to other dogs for successful re-homing. She then demonstrated the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program that combined several of the ideas. Jane went on to become an educator in Slovakia.
Lindsey Reich (MSc 2010) studied the effects of various moisture levels on dairy cows’ lying behaviour during different seasons. She then assisted Agriculture Agri-Food Canada with identifying relevant literature in preparation for an on farm welfare assessment project.
Cathy Schuppli (PhD 2004) did her doctoral research on the workings of institutional Animal Care Committees when they review and approve research projects involving animals. She went on to post-doctoral work in the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics and the Animal Welfare Program, and is now completing veterinary training at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
Mitja Sedlbauer (MSc 2005) returned to Ljubljana, Slovenia, as Senior Advisor on animal welfare to the country’s Veterinary Administration. He also chaired the influential Working Group on Animal Welfare of the European Union.
Aniseh Talebi (MSc 2011), a veterinarian who trained in Tehran, completed her thesis research on how the welfare of dairy cattle is affected by the common management practice of moving cattle into new social groups. She intends to return to Iran after spending some time in the United States.
Cassandra Tucker (PhD 2002) worked for several years as senior scientist in agricultural research in New Zealand, and then returned to her native California as Assistant Professor, teaching animal welfare and animal behaviour at the University of California, Davis.
Geoff Urton (MSc 2005) joined the BC SPCA farm animal department and is the humane movement’s much respected national representative on farm animal welfare issues, promoting humane farming and transport standards.
Lori Vickers (MSc 2011) completed her Master's research looking at how feeding different diets before calving impacts the health of dairy cows after calving. She now works at the Dairy Centre as a student coordinator and manager for the Animal Welfare Program.
Kristen Walker (PhD 2010), who did her doctoral research on the welfare of Steller sea lions, followed that with a post-doctoral fellowship at the Univ. of Calgary School of Veterinary Medicine. Kristen is now a wildlife biologist based in Vancouver.
Gosia Zdanowicz (MSc 2002) did her research on the transmission of mastitis in dairy cattle. She is currently working in a research position at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz, British Columbia.
Gosia Zobel (MSc 2007) did her research on the welfare of beef cattle in cooperation with the Federal Government research facility in Lethbridge, Alberta. She is now a PhD student in the Animal Welfare Program.
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