Speakers

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 Dr. Justin Brown is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Iowa State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department.Dr. Brown earned his DVM in 2016 from the University of Georgia, and joined the ISU faculty in 2019 following his time as a post-doctoral research associate with the Swine Medicine Education Center. Dr. Brown teaches swine medicine topics in both the undergraduate and professional curriculums, serves as the lead veterinarian for the ISU swine farms, and conducts research focused on collaborative, applied projects in swine production medicine, disease ecology, and foreign animal disease preparedness and response.   

 Laura Greiner is an assistant professor at Iowa State University where she currently has a 50% teaching, 25% research and 25% extension role.Her current research focuses on gilt development and sow immunity.Prior to her arrival to Iowa State, Laura worked as the Director of Research at Carthage Innovative Swine Solutions and oversaw sow and wean to finish research for 13 years 

  Dr. William L. Hollis is a veterinarian and partner of Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. located in Carthage, Illinois, and President of Professional Swine Management, LLC. He is one of 11 veterinarians dedicated to the swine veterinary practice. Areas of focus for Dr. Hollis include project development and implementation of producer networks; on-farm employee training; marketing for all phases of production from weaned pigs and sows to grow-finisher pigs; and development of tools for gilt scheduling and production projections. 

Dr. Derald Holtkamp is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostics and Production Animal Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. 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 40 peer-reviewed publications, is a frequent speaker in the U.S. and internationally with over 230 invited presentations, and has mentored over 260 professional and graduate students.  

Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, PhD, is an Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Education in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostics and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. He focuses on field epidemiology and works towards development and evaluation of strategies to improve the health and productivity of swine populations.

 Jennifer is a Research Associate at Livestock Genetic at the University of Alberta. At Livestock Gentec, Jenny is involved in conducting innovative research projects focused on improving breeding herd management (both female and male), with a special interest in gilt management. She’s passionate about working directly with industry partners and producers to support the implementation of science into practice to improve sow lifetime productivity. She loves working with production records to create data visualizations to show insights to production questions and to provide tools to make data driven decisions to increase herd productivity

Dr. Steve Pollmann is the Owner of DSP Consulting LLC after retiring from Murphy-Brown LLC (subsidiary of Smithfield Foods) in May, 2014. He works with clients on product development and swine production improvement. Dr. Pollmann also holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Utah State University and a M.S. and PhD in Swine Nutrition from University of Nebraska. He has also served at the Senior Vice President, Support Operations, Murphy-Brown LLC (responsible for all support operations domestically and international businesses). Dr. Pollmann is also the recipient of the 2012 Master Pork Industry Leader, as well as Chairman of Animal Science Committee at the National Pork Board. 

  Dr. Jason Ross is the Lloyd L. Anderson Endowed Professor in Physiology in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Jason joined the Animal Science department at Iowa State University in August 2008 and in October 2015, Jason became the Director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center with responsibilities in research, administration, and extension. Jason’s research program focuses on using both basic and applied research approaches to help enable livestock producers and associated industries improve swine production efficiency. 

Mark Schwartz is the Director of production systems at Schwartz Farms in Sleepy Eye Minnesota. Schwartz Farms is a family pig and grain production company. Mark is also responsible for the direction of production and health maintenance from the sow farm through finishing. Mark also enjoys spending time with his wife Anita and his four daughters.

Kara received her bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 2001 and her Master’s and Ph.D. from NC State with Dr. Billy Flowers in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Kara taught in the Animal Science department at NC State for 2 years before returning to Indiana to work for Cook Inc., a human medical device company.In July of 2013, Kara happily accepted a faculty position in reproductive physiology in the Animal Science department at Purdue. She carries a majority extension appointment working across several species, predominantly swine, and teaches a reproductive management and a reproductive physiology course for undergraduates. Her recent research has focused on mitigation strategies for heat stress in boars and sows, biomarkers of fertility in seminal plasma from boars and vaginal samples from weaned gilts, and methods to improve survival in piglets.

  Steve serves as a Reproductive Physiologist for DNA Genetics focusing on quality assurance for the DNA Gene Centers and reproduction technical service for customers 

  Malcolm Turley is a Kentucky native and a graduate of the University of Kentucky. He joined PIC in 1988 and has held several roles within the company, including managing a farrow to finish farm, working in customer service, and handling boar inventory logistics. Malcolm currently works with the GTC partners and helps lead training for selection officers to ensure gilts and boars meet the PIC quality standards.