2026 Program
Bridging Research and Practice for the Future of Beef Cattle Welfare
Monday,
June 1
12:30pm - Registration opens
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1:00pm - 4:30pm - Pre-Conference: Producer workshops and demonstrations
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Featuring hands-on learning, stockmanship demos, and scenarios.
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1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Handling & Transportation Demonstration - Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, PAC
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2:30 pm - 4:00 pm - Recognizing and Managing Pain in Cattle - Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi,
Kansas State University
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4:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Euthanasia Considerations & Necropsy Demonstration -
Dr. AJ Tarpoff, Kansas State University
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4:30 pm - Welcome & tradeshow opens
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Tuesday,
June 2
SYMPOSIUM
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7:00 am - Registration and breakfast
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8:00 am - 8:15 am - Welcome to University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss, IANR Vice Chancellor
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8:15 am - 9:00 am - The US Beef Industry – An Odyssey - Dr. Tom Field, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln
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9:00 am - 9:45 am - Beef Cattle Welfare Revisited: A 10-year Retrospective Look at Key
Priorities - Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein
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9:45 am - 10:00 am - Networking & Coffee Break
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10:00 am - 11:30 am - Management Decisions
Moderated by Dr. Renee Dewell, Iowa State University
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10:00 am - 10:20 am - Weaning Stress: What's All the Bawling About? - Dr. Derek Haley,
University of Guelph
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10:20 am - 10:40 am - Pain Mitigation in Beef Production: From Proven Practices to
Emerging Opportunities - Dr. Diego Moya, University
of Saskatchewan
10:40 am - 11:00 am - Timely Euthanasia Decision Making - Dr. Emiline Sundman
& Dr. Grant Dewell, Iowa State University
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11:00 am - 11:30 am - Question & Answer Session with Section Speakers
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11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch​
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1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Environmental & Physical Comfort
Moderated By Dr. Lily Edwards-Callaway, Colorado State University
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1:00 pm - 1:20 pm - Options for Mitigating Heat Stress - Dr. AJ Tarpoff, Kansas
State University
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1:20 pm - 1:40 pm - Try Before You Buy - Lacey Alexander, Cargill
1:40 pm - 2:00 pm - Lameness/Digital Dermatitis - Sarah Erickson,
TELUS Agriculture
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​2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Question & Answer Session with Section Speakers
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2:30 pm - 3:00 pm - Networking & Coffee Break
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3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Human Factors and the Future of Beef Cattle Welfare
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3:00 pm - 3:20 pm - Why People Matter: Human–Animal Relationship and Welfare Outcomes
in Beef Cattle Systems - Dr. Maria Camilla Ceballos Betancourt,
University of Calgary
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​​​3:20 pm - 3:40 pm - Perceptions on Animal Welfare Over 50 Years - Dr. Temple Grandin,
Colorado State University
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3:40 pm - 4:00 pm - Mindful Technology Implementation for Monitoring Beef Cattle Welfare
- Dr. Courtney Daigle, Texas A&M University
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​4:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Question & Answer Session with Section Speakers
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4:30 pm - 4:45 pm - Networking & Coffee Break
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4:45 pm - 6:00 pm - Student Poster Session & Networking Reception
Wednesday,
June 3
SYMPOSIUM
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8:00 am- 9:45 am - Downstream Welfare Indicators
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8:00 - 8:15 am - Welcome
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8:15 am - 8:35 am - Liver Abscesses in Beef Cattle – A Welfare Challenge - Dr. Lily
Edwards-Callaway, Colorado State University
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​8:35 am - 8:55 am - Bruising - Paxton Sullivan, Sustainable Beef
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8:55 am - 9:15 am - Contaminants/Buckshot - Dr. Julia Herman, NCBA
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9:15 am - 9:45 am - Question & Answer Session with Section Speakers
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9:45 am - 10:00 am - Networking & Coffee Break
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10:00 am - 11:30 am - Emerging & Cross-Sector Issues
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10:00 am - 10:20 am - For best results, Start on Day 1: Early Life Nutrition, Stress
and Weaning in Beef-on-Dairy Calves
- Dr. Olivia Genther-Schroeder, Purina Animal Nutrition
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10:20 am - 10:40 am - Transportation - Dr. Dan Thomson, PAC & Dr. Camilla Brossi, JBS
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10:40 am - 11:00 am - Beef-On-Dairy Expansion
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11:00 am - 11:30 am - Question & Answer Session with Section Speakers
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11:30 am - 12:00 pm- Symposium Summary - Dr. Tom Field, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln
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​12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Student awards & lunch
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1:00 pm - Optional local facility tours (TBA)
