Speakers
Dr. Matt Ackerman
Dr. Matt Ackerman grew up on a small grain and livestock farm around Peoria, IL. He attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and graduated with a BS in Agricultural Sciences in 1992 and a DVM in 1995.
Since graduating, he has worked in private swine consulting practice. In July 2016, he opened his own practice named Pork Veterinary Solutions.
Pork Veterinary Solutions is currently a two-veterinarian practice that over sees the annual production of approximately 1.5 million pigs (about 1% of US production). The emphasis of the practice is on establishing preventative herd health programs and interpreting production and economic records for commercial swine farms.
Dr. Ackerman and his wife Missy have 3 children.
Dr. Marcelo Almeida
Marcelo Almeida is a clinical assistant professor and swine diagnostician at the ISU VDL.
Ethan Aljets
Ethan received a bachelors in biology with a minor in business from Iowa State university in Spring of 2021. He is currently a student in Dr. JQ Zhang’s lab working on a masters in veterinary microbiology at ISU CVM. Ethan has many years of experience working with cell culture in a variety of research projects.
Dr. Mike Apley
Dr. Apley is a professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a clinical pharmacologist with an emphasis on antimicrobial use in food animal species along with residues and other therapeutics. He currently serves on the AASV Committee on Pharmaceutical Issues and the AABP Committee on Pharmaceutical and Biological Issues as well as serving as an alternate delegate on the AVMA Committee on Antimicrobials.
Dr. Eric Burrough
Dr. Eric Burrough is a diagnostic pathologist and Section Leader of Pathology at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and his research focus is on enteric diseases of swine. Dr. Burrough is the president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.
Dr. Guilherme Cezar
Dr. Guilherme Arruda Cezar got his DVM and Master’s Degree in veterinary science from the Federal University of Pernambuco, and After practicing for 2 years as a technical veterinarian assistant in an autogenous vaccine company, Dr. Cezar joined Iowa State University in 2022. Currently, Dr. Cezar is the project coordinator of the Swine Disease Reporting System at Iowa State University.
Dr. Katie Coleman
Dr. Katie Coleman grew up on a diversified family farm in southern Minnesota and completed her DVM at the University of Minnesota in 2015. Following graduation, she joined Iowa Select Farms as a staff veterinarian. Today, she works with sow farms and finishing in addition to overseeing the biosecurity program at Iowa Select Farms.
Dr. Kimberly Crawford
Kimberly graduated with her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and with her masters and DVM from Iowa State University. She is currently a managing veterinarian for VRI, a contract research organization located in Ames, IA, focusing on the development of new products, technologies, vaccines, and novel pharmaceuticals in the livestock industry.
Dr. Gabi Doughan
Dr. Gabi Doughan is a second-year, post-doctoral research associate with the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC) at Iowa State University. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Central College in 2017 and her DVM from ISU in 2021. Her current position is a mix of educating veterinary students, taking coursework to obtain her Masters and PhD, and professional practice. Dr. Doughan’s research is focused on water line biology including identifying the composition of the biofilm and water line disinfection methods in swine barns.
Dr. Nicholas Gabler
Dr. Patrick Halbur
Perry Harms
Dr. Lauralyn Harper
Dr. Harper is a veterinarian with the Tyson Pork Group in Oklahoma. She is a 2019 graduate of Oklahoma State University. She currently oversees the health of approximately 80,000 sows, their GDU system (including nurseries), & their boar stud.
Ron Hayden
Ron has 30 years of livestock industry experience in a variety of disciplines. BS Michigan State and MS The Univ. of Tennessee, he served as the livestock judging team coach, and he continues to have that passion for the industry. MSU Extension Regional Livestock Specialist (swine focus), where he was awarded state and national recognition for innovative program offerings. Ron departed from MSU, accepted a position as a 4-state Swine Consultant for the Farmland Industries group, with primary responsibility in new business territory development, providing swine nutrition sales and tech service support for eastern Corn Belt feed dealers and procurement of live hogs to Farmland processing plants. After 6 years of top performance and the Farmland/Land-o-Lakes/Purina feeds mergers, Ron entered into a new role with Furst McNess Feeds in Freeport, Ill., as US New Business Development manager for the Feeds Division where he led double digit growth and profitability for several years. Prior to joining the team at Ag 1 Source in 2012, Ron was East Region sales and new business development manager for FAST Genetics USA. Ron and his wife ElAyne, have two sons and a daughter, three grandkids, and reside on a small farm in southwest Michigan raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa and club calves. The family continues its passion for the livestock industry, showing cattle, lambs, hogs and horses at county, state and national levels. All are very active as 4-H and FFA leaders and participants, high school athletic boosters, active church members and ministry volunteers for many local school, church, and community events.
Dr. Derald Holtkamp
Dr. Derald Holtkamp is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostics and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa, U.S.). He received his DVM, MS in Agricultural Economics, and B.S. in Agricultural Business with a minor in statistics, all from Iowa State University. Prior to joining Iowa State, he was a private veterinary consultant. He has also served as a technical services veterinarian for ADViSYS Inc., Vice President of Swine Applications for MetaFarms Inc., Director of Pork Development for E-Markets, Inc., and veterinarian and service manager for Smithfield Foods in Warsaw, North Carolina. Dr. Holtkamp’s research focuses on managing infectious swine diseases, biosecurity, disease risk assessment, and the economics of animal health and disease. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, is a frequent speaker in the U.S. and internationally with over 240 invited presentations, and has mentored over 260 professional and graduate students.
Dr. Jason Kelly
Dr. Kelly was raised on a farm in Indiana, helping to raise pigs and row crops. He graduated from Purdue University with his DVM in 2003 and has worked at Suidae ever since. Today, he continues to enjoy helping people raise pigs as their veterinarian. His main interests are health consulting and production trouble-shooting. He currently resides with his family in Algona, IA.
Dr. Daniel Linhares
Dr. Rodger Main
Rodger Main is a Professor and Director of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL). Recently, Rodger has also been providing leadership to a highly collaborative effort that is developing a US Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) being modeled after the basic tenets of the longstanding National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).
Dr. Marta Mainenti
Dr. Mainenti is a veterinary anatomic pathologist and clinical assistant professor at the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Prior to joining ISU, she worked at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and at the State Diagnostic Laboratory in Italy.
Dr. Amy Maschhoff
Amy earned her DVM from the University of Illinois in 2015 and has been employed by The Maschhoffs since that time. She has worked as a herd veterinarian, associate director for technical operations and now serves as director of health and animal care. Amy recently completed her participation in the EVP program through the University of Illinois. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her husband, two boys, two pitbulls, working out at her Crossfit gym and reading.
Dr. Alyona Michael
Dr. Michael is a 2014 ISU DVM graduate and went on to complete a residency and PhD in veterinary Anatomic Pathology at Iowa State University. Having previously worked as a veterinary medical officer in the pathobiology section of the National Veterinary Service Laboratories, she now serves as a clinical assistant professor and diagnostic pathologist at the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Dr. Deb Murray
Dr. Dustin Oedekoven
Dr. Dustin “Dusty” Oedekoven joined National Pork Board as the organization’s new Chief Veterinarian in February 2022. Dr. Oedekoven leads a team of veterinarians and swine production experts in Pork Checkoff-funded work to deliver on the No. 1 concern for pork producers – foreign animal disease (FAD) preparedness and protecting the U.S. herd from African swine fever. Dr. Oedekoven most recently served as State Veterinarian and Executive Secretary for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, where he provided strategic leadership and direction for the state’s animal health agency – a seven-member, governor-appointed board of livestock producers with responsibility for all animal health programs and disease control efforts in the state. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University and Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University.
Dr. Meredith Peterson
Dr. Meredith Petersen is a post-doctoral research associate with the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC) at Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her DVM from Iowa State in 2021, and masters of public health from the University of Iowa in 2021. In her current role, she does research, teaching, and clinical practice focused on swine medicine. Her primary research area is focused on telehealth capabilities.
Dr. Tom Petznick
I received my DVM from Kansas State University in 1995. The vast majority of my career has been in the livestock medicine role, with the main focus on the swine industry. I have a private practice with one associate and clients primarily in Nebraska and Kansas. I am currently enrolled as a Master’s student in the VDPAM at ISU.
Dr. Chris Rademacher
Dr. Chris Rademacher is a Clinical Professor and ISU Swine Extension Veterinarian in the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) department at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rademacher is also Interim Director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University. Dr. Rademacher received his Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998. Following graduation, he joined New Fashion Pork as Director of Health Services. In 2009 he joined Smithfield Food as the Director of Production Improvement. In December, 2014 he accepted the position of Swine Extension Veterinarian at Iowa State University.
Dr. Scott Radke
Dr. Mike Rahe
Dr. Michael Rahe is an assistant professor, veterinary pathologist, and immunologist at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on respiratory disease in production animals and the immune response to viral infection in pigs.
Dr. Gaurav Rawal
Gaurav have obtained a DVM-equivalent degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and a Master’s degree from Iowa State University in veterinary preventive medicine. Gaurav is currently working with Dr. Jianqiang Zhang to pursue a Ph.D. degree in virology. His research interest is on diagnosing and researching swine viruses, particularly PRRSV.
Rebecca Robins
Jose Rojas
Experienced industry professional that spent 22 years in the swine industry and last 6 years in Turkey Industry. Proud ISU alumni obtained a MS degree in 1993.
Dr. Loni Schumacher
Loni is a board-certified veterinary pathologist with a passion for gut pathology and pigs. She completed her PhD in veterinary microbiology last year and is a faculty member of the ISU Vet Path department. She is an active cyclist and is very excited to participate in the upcoming RAGBRAI’s 50th anniversary ride across Iowa.
Dr. Joel Sparks
Joel Sparks is a swine veterinarian with AMVC, a progressive agribusiness comprised of diverse entities all committed to improving livestock production and animal wellbeing. AMVC is headquartered in Audubon, IA and provides management and veterinary services across several states. Joining AMVC in 2015, Joel is responsible for AMVC farms in Indiana and Illinois. Joel and his wife Ashley live in West Lafayette, Indiana with their four children.
Stephanie Wisdom
Dr. Paul Yeske
Dr. Jianqiang Zhang
Dr. Jianqiang (JQ) Zhang obtained his medical degree from Beijing Medical University in China and his PhD degree from University of Kentucky in the USA. He is currently a professor and virologist at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He is focused on diagnostics, pathogenesis and vaccine development of viruses of veterinary significance.