Who We Are
We facilitate the well-being of animals using sound science and ethics to investigate and promote the best animal care and management practices.
Director: Candace Croney, Ph.D. Faculty Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers
Steering Committee
- Candace Croney, Director and Professor of Animal Behavior and Well-being
- Marissa Erasmus, Associate Professor of Animal Sciences
- Darrin Karcher, Associate Professor of Animal Sciences
- Nicole Widmar, Professor, Associate Head, and Graduate Chair of Agricultural Economics
Kolapo Ajuwon, Ph.D.
Professor of Animal Sciences
Research Interests: food animal well-being; factors and nutrition that affect insulin resistant phenotypes in adipose tissue.
Colleen Brady, Ph.D
Professor, Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication
Research Interests: Human behaviors that impact animal welfare (specifically equine) and how we can design interventions to alter human behavior to enhance animal welfare.
Luiz F. Brito, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences
Research Intersts: Quantitative Genetics and Genomics.
Candace Croney, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Animal Welfare Science
Professor of Animal Behavior and Well-being
Associate Vice Provost for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Research Interests: cognition; companion and agricultural animal welfare; enrichment; animal bioethics; public perceptions of animal agriculture.
Nancy Edwards, Ph.D., ANP, NP
Professor of Nursing
Director, AGNP Program
Research Interests: adult nursing; gerontology; development of non-pharmacologic care protocols for neuroprogressive disease patients.
Kari J. Ekenstedt, DVM, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Basic Medical Sciences
Research Interests: Companion Animal Genetics
Marisa Erasmus, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
Research Interests: Animal Well-Being
Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Research Interests: animal behavior, visual ecology, visual physiology, conservation ecology
Greg Fraley
Associate Professor of Animal Sciences
Research Interests: Poultry neuroendocrinology and welfare
Darrin Karcher, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Animal Sciences, Poultry Extension Specialist
Research Interests: the impact of moving poultry to new housing systems in the table egg industry factoring in the management challenges, food safety implications and hen well-being.
Brad Kim, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences
Research Interests: muscle biology, biochemistry and meat processing to improve quality and functional properties of muscle-based foods.
Niwako Ogata, B.V.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior
Research Interests: pursuing mental health and well-being in companion animals; translational research between the human psychiatric field and veterinary behavior.
Allan Schinckel, Ph.D., M.S.
Professor of Animal Sciences
Research Interests: breeding, genetics, and growth of swine.
Robert M. Stwalley III, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Research Intersts: Thermodynamics, energy analysis, and heat transfer associated with animal culture
Hsin-Yi Weng, B.V.M., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical/Analytical Epidemiology
Research Interests: epidemiologic methods and their applications to human-animal interaction studies and animal welfare sciences
Nicole Olynk Widmar, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Head, and Graduate Chair of Agricultural Economics
Research Interests: farm business management; on-farm decisions making; integrating consumer demand for livestock housing and handling practices into production decisions
Alan Beck, Sc.D.
Professor Emeritus of Animal Ecology
Research Interests: Human-animal bond; urban animal ecology; animal companionship; the effects of animal use for therapy.
Janice Kritchevsky, V.M.D., M.S.
Professor Emeritus, Large Animal Medicine
Research Interests: equine endocrinology and equine geriatric medicine; the welfare implications of chronic laminitis and other lameness in horses
Meagan Abraham, DVM
Graduate Student
Advisor: Darrin Karcher
Research interests: Poultry management and welfare
Shanis Barnard
Research Program Manager
Advisor: Candace Croney
Research interests: Dog behavior, cognition and welfare of human-animal relationship
Nayan Bhowmik, DVM
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Advisor: Kari Ekenstedt
Research interests: Companion animal genetics, livestock genetics
Jeanna Blake
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Kari Ekenstedt
Research interests: Companion animal genetics
Yiru Dong
M.S. Student
Advisor: Marisa Erasumus
Research interests: Animal behavior and well-being
Brittney Emmert
Graduate Student
Advisor: Darrin Karcher
Research interests: Poultry management and welfare
Torey Fischer
Graduate Student
Advisor: Darrin Karcher
Research interests: Poultry management and welfare
Yuechi Fu
Graduate Student
Advisor: Heng-wei Cheng
Research interests: Animal behavior and well-being
Jiaying Hu
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Heng-wei Cheng
Research interests: Animal behavior and well-being
Tobi Ogunribido
Graduate Student
Advisor: Kolapo Ajuwon
Esther Oluwagbenga
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Greg Fraley
Research interests: Strategies for managing heat stress in poultry production
Kayla Pasteur
Graduate Student
Advisor: Candace Croney
Research interests: Dog behavior and welfare
Huan Qu
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Kolapo Ajuwon
Research interests: Adipose biology
Jenna Schober
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Greg Fraley
Research interests: Environmental enrichment and its effects on animal behavior and well-being.
Derico Setyabrata
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Brad Kim
Research interests: Meat science
Sunhye Shin
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Kolapo Ajuwon
Research interests: Adipose biology
Victoria Tetel
M.S. Student
Advisor: Greg Fraley
Research interests:
Taylor Thompson
Graduate Student
Advisor: Nicole Widmar
Research interests: Consumer/producer relations in modern agriculture
Weichao Wang
Ph.D. Student
Advisor: Heng-wei Cheng
Research interests: Animal behavior and well-being
Hui Wen
Graduate Student
Advisor: Luiz F. Brito
Research interests: Livestock genetics and breeding: Animal welfare
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