The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in livestock farming is transforming human-animal-computer interactions (HACI), raising profound ethical, legal, and scientific questions. This talk explores how digital minds and artificial agents mediate relationships between humans and animals, focusing on interspecies communication, animal agency, and ethical AI models in precision agriculture. The key theme is natural language processing (NLP) and AI-driven behavioral analysis, which are revolutionizing our ability to decode animal vocalizations and non-verbal cues. By analyzing chicken vocalizations, cow vocal expressions, and social signaling in livestock, AI offers new insights into animal emotions, needs, and welfare states. However, as AI systems gain decision-making roles in agriculture, animal considerations in AI models must be carefully examined—ensuring that data-driven systems do not reduce animals to mere data points but rather recognize their cognitive complexity and intrinsic value.
This talk will also discuss the legal and ethical implications of AI in animal agriculture, touching on animal law, surveillance ethics, and the governance of automated decision-making in farm settings. How do we ensure fair and just AI systems that account for animal sentience and well-being? What regulatory frameworks are needed to balance technological advancement with animal rights, transparency, and accountability? By examining case studies in precision livestock farming, digital twins, and AI-based animal welfare monitoring, this session invites a critical discussion on the future of human-animal-computer symbiosis—where AI is not just a tool for efficiency but a bridge for ethical and meaningful interspecies communication in modern agriculture.
Suresh Neethirajan is an Associate Professor and University Research Chair at Dalhousie University, Canada, cross-appointed between the Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Computer Science. He leads the MooAnalytica research group, focusing on AI-driven precision livestock farming, digital agriculture, and interspecies communication. His research integrates AI, computer vision, biosensors, and natural language processing to enhance animal welfare, sustainability, and farm productivity. Suresh is passionate about interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, bringing together expertise from computer science, animal behavior, ethics, and engineering to tackle complex challenges in modern agriculture. His work spans AI ethics, animal-centered computing, and human-animal-computer interactions, bridging fundamental science with real-world applications. His research collaborations extend across academia and industry, driving innovation in animal health monitoring, precision farming, and data-driven decision-making. With a strong commitment to student engagement, he encourages the next generation of scientists and engineers to explore the intersection of AI, ethics, and animal welfare—a field where cutting-edge technology meets real-world impact.
Dr. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Esteban Fernandez-Juricic is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue. His research interests are focused on animal behavior, visual physiology and ecology, conservation ecology, and statistics. He has published close to 200 papers and a book. He regularly teaches two courses on experimental design and statistics and a course on animal behavior.
Interdisciplinarity has a lot of potential, but it is sometimes difficult to implement particularly when the disciplines involved have unique cultures and cross talk is rather limited. I will describe some opportunities for the research integration between animal sciences and quantitative ecology based on my own experience (and consequently implicit biases). I will discuss some examples that led to funded collaborations between the Departments of Animal Sciences and Biological Sciences, as well as how to embrace the era of research transparency and computational reproducibility through a better understanding of both classic statistical analyses and newly developed quantitative tools (i.e., artificial intelligence).
Dr. Darrin Karcher Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Laying hen housing has been evolving. There is a disconnect between consumer perceptions, production practices, animal welfare and complicated by the addition of food safety. The seminar will begin to explore these to pics and what this means for consideration of moving animal protein production into the future.
Dr. Karcher is an Associate Professor and Extension Poultry Specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University. He received his B.S. degree from The Ohio State University, M.S. from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ph.D from Purdue University. He is directly engaged with stakeholders across the poultry economies and uses his applied research program as a platform to deliver research-based Extension programs. His program’s focus is on poultry well-being coupled with food safety and quality as impacted by management practices, physiology and nutrition.
Shared in support of CAWS members in the Department of Animal Sciences
Dr. Greg Fraley and Dr. Darrin Karcher, both CAWS members, will be presenting at the University of Arkansas 2024 Center for Food Animal Wellbeing Symposium on October 9, 2024. This years symposium is titled "Dynamic Insights into Decoding the Bird Brain. For information about the program and registration visit https://foodanimalwellbeing.uada.edu/events/cfaw-symposium-2024/.
Shared in support of CAWS members in the Department of Animal Sciences
Dr. Shawna Weimer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Dr. Weimer, an assistant professor and director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, focuses on improving animal welfare through research on animal behavior and human interactions. Her work aims to enhance animal environments in agriculture.
This seminar, "Assessing broiler welfare through genetic and environmental lenses", will examine how genetics and environmental factors impact broiler chicken welfare. Dr. Weimer will cover sustainable practices, selective breeding for traits like growth rate and water efficiency, and welfare indicators such as behavior and health, as well as the influence of air circulation and lighting on production.
Canine Welfare Science Forum 2024 focuses on canine welfare science topics of relevance to dog breeders, shelters, kennel managers and caretakers, scientists, regulators, students, pet industry personnel, and interested others. This year we have a two-day forum to provide opportunities for learning, collaboration, and engagement.
Special thanks to Life of Riley at Spring Point for providing the funding for this event.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Dr. Leanne Nieforth is an Assistant Professor of Human-Animal Interaction at the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Human-Animal Interaction at Purdue University and her M.S. (Communication) and her B.S. (Animal Science) at North Carolina State University. Her research explores human-animal interactions from a multi-modal biopsychosocial approach. She is passionate about understanding how we can partner with animals to create effective interventions for the benefit of both the individuals, families, and animals involved.
Friday, January 19, 2024
Dr. Murillo is an Assistant Professor of Entomology at the University of California Riverside. She earned her BS in Entomology from Purdue University, MS in Entomology from NC State University, and PhD in Entomology from UC Riverside. Research in her lab aims to better understand how mites, lice, and flies affect behavior, welfare, and production of poultry and other livestock. This includes developing control methods for mitigating economic damage and improving animal well-being.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Dr. Jay S. Johnson is the Research Leader of the USDA-ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit specializing in stress and nutritional physiology. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri, his PhD from Iowa State University, and completed his postdoctoral training at Purdue University. The overall goal of Dr. Johnson’s research program is to identify and mitigate the effects of production-relevant stressors on livestock. Dr. Johnson’s research program uses an integrative physiology approach encompassing aspects of stress physiology, nutritional physiology, and applied ethology to develop and/or improve upon livestock husbandry practices that enhance animal health and welfare while maintaining or increasing economic return for producers. Specific areas of research include improving heat stress resilience in swine to reduce the negative effects of pre- and postnatal heat stress and mitigating the effects of early life stressors on gastrointestinal function in pigs to improve health, performance, and welfare metrics.
Shared in support of Dr. Darrin Karcher, CAWS Steering Committee Member
The Shell Egg Academy (SEA), created by CAWS member Darrin Karcher, has continued to evolve to meet industry and consumer needs. SEA is a learning experience and education opportunity for the egg production and processing industries. Through a combination of interactive classroom experiences taught by expert speakers, and hands-on learning, participants are provided the latest information on egg quality and egg safety.
SEA will offer two events in 2022:
Full schedule, registration and sponsorship opportunities are open on the SEA’s website, www.shelleggacademy.org. Program questions about the academy may be directed to Darrin Karcher at dkarcher@purdue.edu.
Shared in support of USDA-ARS Livestock Behavior Unit. Dr. Lindsey Hulbert Thursday, August 4, 2022
Dr. Lindsey Eve Hulbert’s areas of expertise include applied ethology, neuroinflammation, and precision animal technologies. Dr. Hulbert’s PhD was earned at Texas Tech University in conjunction with the Livestock Issues Research Unit at USDA-ARS. The PhD program focused on cattle stress and inflammation. Her B.S. and M.S. degrees were also earned at Texas Tech, which encompassed 6 years of research in of swine behavior, immunology, and a murine model of stress and allergic pulmonary inflammation. Dr. Hulbert’s post-doctoral training was at University of California, Davis, which included research evaluating dairy calf space allowance, beef cattle respiratory disease, and poultry/avian nutrition and immunology. In December 2012, Dr. Hulbert started her tenure-track position at Kansas State University and currently is an Associate Professor of Applied Ethology and Immunology. Over the past 9.5 years, Dr. Hulbert’s technology research grew, which includes: 1) wearable physiology and activity tracking and signal devices; 2) automated data collection of environmental enrichment device use; 3) automated visual tracking that identifies preclinically sick animals, and; 4) an invention of a cognition testing device that scales learning style and social hierarchy in adult pigs. Dr. Hulbert’s research improves the accessibility of precise and accurate toolsets for behavioral biomarkers and advances the animal caretaker’s ability to make well-informed decisions and provide individual-level care to their animals.
Shared in support of CAWS members Dr. Darrin Karcher, Dr. Marisa Erasmas, Dr. Greg Fraley, and Dr. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic
View article: https://ag.purdue.edu/stories/through-the-hens-eyes-1-million-grant-to-improve-cage-free-housing-for-egg-laying/
Shared in support of Dr. Marisa Erasmas, CAWS Member 
External Webinar: Bugs, Biome and Breeding: Improving Laying Hen Welfare Date: May 17, 2022 View PDF Sponsor: The Poultry Extension Collaborative Contact: PECpoultry@gmail.com URL: https://www.poultry-welfare-extension.com/
Shared in support of Dr. Candace Croney, CAWS Director
Canine Welfare Science Forum 2022 focuses on canine welfare science topics of relevance to dog breeders, shelters, kennel managers and caretakers, scientists, regulators, students, pet industry personnel, and interested others. This year we have a new two-day forum to provide even more opportunities for learning, collaboration, and engagement.
Special thanks to Life of Riley at Spring Point for providing the funding for this event.
Shared in support of Dr. Candace Croney, CAWS Director
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine has achieved a milestone in animal welfare by approving its first 100 Canine Care Certified (CCC) dog breeders. Purdue’s CCC program, which sets rigorous science-based and expert-reviewed requirements for breeders, is positioned to become the gold standard for canine welfare assurance.
As demand grows for dogs and puppies, consumers may inadvertently seek a new pet from an irresponsible source without seeing the dog, meeting the breeder, or knowing what questions to ask or how to evaluate the answers. The CCC program offers an evidence-based solution for both breeders and pet owners.
“This program does the ethical and scientific homework for the customer,” said Candace Croney, professor and director of the Center for Animal Welfare Science in the colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at Purdue. “It allows people to make an informed choice about a breeder’s commitment to animal welfare when they are trying to bring a healthy, happy dog into their home, and it helps identify and support good breeders, rather than puppy mills that disregard animal welfare entirely.
“What we’ve created here — along with a third-party auditing scheme, which is widely recognized as best practice in animal assurance — is precedent-setting for the U.S. and global pet industries and pet families, and should be a huge point of pride for Purdue and the state of Indiana,” Croney said.CCC standards for adult dogs and puppies exceed current regulations and ensure that breeders are attending to their dogs’ physical, genetic and behavioral health. The standards fall into five pillars of care for nutrition, veterinary care, housing, handling and exercise.
She created the initial standards of care in 2013 based on existing and ongoing research. Croney further developed them in collaboration with leaders in academic and practicing animal science and veterinary medicine who have expertise in diverse canine welfare sciences.
The program evolved in response to requests from Amish dog breeders in Indiana who wanted to improve their operations, which have been publicly criticized. Members of this underserved population make up the majority of certified breeders to date. They have been open to doing things differently once provided tools and knowledge, Croney said.
Breeders who voluntarily become certified set themselves apart as high-quality breeding operations that provide industry-leading care. Lonnie Wagler, the first CCC breeder, has already seen positive results from the program.
“Once we were following the standards, we saw pups and parents that were much more social and now have no trouble moving right into loving homes,” Wagler said.
“I gauge the success of the program on our puppy families’ response, and it is very positive for raising the bar for everyone involved,” said CCC breeder John Troyer in agreement. “This is truly going to be game-changing.”
These and other CCC breeders reflect commitment to transforming their industry with the support and leadership of the Purdue Center for Animal Welfare Science.
“Purdue’s history of leadership on animal welfare is well known and long standing,” Croney said. “Because we are a land-grant university and have well-established animal welfare science expertise, we can conduct and translate the science to the end users through outreach. Even better, the research outcomes and feasibility of the program are backed up directly by the participating breeders. It is the Extension model perfectly in play.”
Matten Schwartz, CCC’s 100th breeder, hopes others will follow suit. “This is something that all breeders should do,” Schwartz said. “I look forward to meeting the 1,000th breeder.”
https://ag.purdue.edu/news/2022/03/purdue-canine-care-certification.html
Dr. Luiz F. Brito, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics Department of Animal Sciences Purdue University Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Dr. Luiz Brito earned a B.Sc. in Animal Science and a M.Sc. in Genetics and Animal Breeding from the Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil. His passion for livestock genetic improvement led him into further education by obtaining a PhD degree in Quantitative Genetics and Genomics in the Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL) at the University of Guelph, under the supervision of Dr. Flavio Schenkel. During his PhD, Luiz worked on genetic and genomic studies in dairy goats and meat sheep and part of his research was developed at the Invermay Agricultural Centre (AgResearch) in New Zealand. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in 2016, Luiz did a 2-year post-doc at the University of Guelph under the mentorship of Dr. Filippo Miglior and Dr. Flavio Schenkel. In August 2018, he joined the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University (Indiana, USA) as an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics. Luiz also holds an Adjunct Faculty position at CGIL since September 2018. At Purdue University, Dr. Brito’s research program is mainly focusing on: 1) the integration of multiple data sources (large-scale and high-throughput phenotypes and omics-derived datasets) to reveal the genetic basis underlying the phenotypic variability in livestock behavior, welfare, and overall resilience; and, 2) the development of selection methods and approaches to enable efficient incorporation of these traits into livestock breeding programs, while maintaining enough populational genetic diversity.
Join Drs. Nicole Olynk Widmar (CAWS Steering Committee member), Candace Croney (CAWS director), and Carson Reeling for the first ever Consumer Corner micro-course, held in collaboration with the Center for Animal Welfare Science! During this short, live, online session, you’ll draw insights from Consumer Corner letters and articles to take a historic look at livestock industry changes and garner insights that help us process today’s pressing issues during the micro-course. Then, you’ll take a look forward and ponder carbon markets and dive into the multitude of political, regulatory and social issues intertwined there and discuss what it means for your decision making. This micro-course will be held virtually April 6, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. ET. For more information, visit the website ( https://agribusiness.purdue.edu/consumer_corner) or contact Aissa Good at aissa@purdue.edu or (765) 299-3486 to register. The cost to register is $495/person.
The Center for Animal Welfare Science at Purdue University mourns the passing of Bernard “Bernie” Rollin, a pioneer in animal welfare and ‘father of veterinary medical ethics,’ on November 19, at age 78. Dr. Rollin was a distinguished professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University prior to his retirement. He was internationally known for his over 30 years of work in animal welfare. He was a major architect of the 1982 federal laws that enforce the humane treatment of animals in research. He published more than 20 books. Especially influential were his books Farm Animal Welfare (1995), Animal Rights and Human Morality (1981, 1993 & 2006), and Science and Ethics (2006). In addition to Dr. Rollin’s contribution to the discipline of Animal Welfare Science, he was a mentor and friend to several of us. Throughout the years, he frequently shared his wisdom, support, and guidance with our students. He will be greatly missed for his leadership, charismatic presence, and characteristic sense of humor.
CAWS faculty members Candace Croney, Nicole Widmar, Jayson Lusk, Jiquin Ni, Marisa Erasmus, and Darrin Karcher received a two-year research and extension project grant from Purdue University’s AgSeed program. Funding for AgSeed was established through Crossroads funding from the Indiana Legislature to foster the state’s leadership in plant and animal agriculture and rural growth. Below is the project overview for this collaborative effort with faculty from the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, and Animal Sciences.
Insufficient incorporation of science and diverse, inclusive perspectives on animal welfare and its role in sustainable agricultural food systems raise risks of unintended negative consequences for many who are impacted by decision-making. For instance, California’s passage of the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act, which imposes new standards for livestock and poultry housing, has created an unfunded mandate for US livestock and poultry producers. There are significant ripple effects for other states, including Indiana, which must also comply with the law. It is unlikely that voters and legislators fully understand the scientific and socio-ethical implication of such decision-making or the tradeoffs between different aspects of animal welfare, environmental, economic, and human health and well-being that are entailed. As similar dynamics occur throughout the US, it is increasingly critical for animal welfare scientists to help bridge science-policy and stakeholder knowledge gaps to enrich decision-making, reduce risks to members of the public and to the food supply chain, and support sustainable agriculture. To meet these needs the team will develop and widely disseminate a series of white paper analyses of contentious agricultural animal welfare issues, along with infographics, webinars and a symposium targeted to meet the demands of diverse audiences. Online media analyses will help gauge public knowledge and perceptions of key issues and inform the products developed. These new resources will facilitate decision-making, dialogue, and consensus-building by diverse members of the public and legislators, and aid in informing different media outlets.
2021 CAWS Virtual Symposium - College of Veterinary Medicine - Purdue University
Worldwide, the production and industrialization of poultry meat and eggs are increasing to meet the continually growing global demand for food. Concurrently, there is increased focus on agricultural sustainability and increasing public interest in animal welfare. Public interest has, in part, lead to changes in poultry housing and management, which impact agricultural sustainability and animal welfare. The resulting changes in housing and management lead to both poultry welfare challenges and opportunities. Some of these challenges, such as heat stress and disease are not new, but are becoming increasingly problematic as world production and climate change, while other challenges related to evolving housing systems, such as parasites and abnormal behavior, present new management challenges. Recent advances in technology and animal welfare science show great promise for monitoring and identifying poultry welfare challenges. In this presentation, the main welfare issues of poultry will be discussed as well as examples of how current research is addressing these issues using various technological approaches. Implications for the future of poultry welfare will also be discussed.
Dr. Angela Green-Miller, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
