Ermias Kebreab is the Associate Dean and a Professor of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. He holds the Sesnon Endowed Chair in Sustainable Agriculture. Dr. Kebreab’s research areas include animal nutrition, mathematical modeling of biological systems, and the environmental impact of livestock.

A globally recognized expert, Dr. Kebreab contributed to the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) update focusing on enteric methane emissions. Furthermore, he has co-chaired the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s committees on feed additives and methane. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed articles and received several awards, including Excellence in Ruminant Nutrition and International Agriculture from the American Society of Animal Science, and the 2022 Chancellor’s Innovator of the Year award. Additionally, he served on two committees of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on methane and nutrition of dairy cattle. A sought-after speaker, he delivered a TED talk listed as a “must-watch climate talk of 2022” by TED.com. His research was in the top 10 of all research conducted in the entire University of California system in 2021.

He was included in the 30 of the top global leaders working toward climate solutions in 2023 by Business Insider. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Asmara, Eritrea, and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Reading, U.K.

Dr. Neil Ferguson has been with Trouw Nutrition for over 20 years and currently serves as the Manager of the Modeling Science Team within Trouw Nutrition Innovation. Prior to joining Trouw Nutrition, he was an Associate Professor at the University of Natal, South Africa. His primary research areas included quantitative swine nutrition, with a focus on modeling growth and feed intake in growing pigs, as well as wildlife biology encompassing lion ecology, cheetah conservation, and crocodile behavioral research. Currently, Neil leads a team of animal modelers and data scientists dedicated to developing innovative digital nutritional solutions for commercial applications.

Outside of work, you’ll find him engaged in activities such as playing squash, hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, or exploring the wildlife of Southern Africa.

Carlyn Peterson is a Dairy Technical Manager based in California, covering the Western region of the US for Selko (formerly Micronutrients). Carlyn specializes in sustainable dairy systems and their interaction with dairy nutrition. Before joining Selko in 2022, Carlyn provided technical support for the Smartline category at Adisseo for two years. From 2013 to 2020, she collaborated with Dr. Frank Mitloehner at the University of California, Davis, to complete a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Animal Biology with a focus on Sustainability and Ruminant Nutrition. Carlyn is passionate about enhancing sustainability in the dairy sector. The title of her dissertation is “Effects of Feed and Waste Additives on Dairy Cattle’s Impact on Greenhouse Gases and Air Quality.” Her research concentrated on reducing the environmental impacts of dairy production without compromising efficiency.

Carlyn also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, with an emphasis on Livestock and Dairy, from UC Davis. Originally from San Diego County, she initiated her agricultural journey by participating in the Future Farmers of America.

Terry Engle is a Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University. He earned his BS and MS degrees in Animal Science from Colorado State University in 1993 and 1996, respectively. In 1999, Terry completed his PhD at North Carolina State University. His teaching responsibilities encompass Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism and Animal Metabolism. Terry’s research interests focus on trace mineral metabolism in ruminants, emphasizing the role of trace minerals and other nutrients in immune response, disease resistance, and lipid metabolism. Further research interests include the molecular aspects of mineral absorption in ruminants. Alongside numerous publications and presentations, Dr. Engle authored the chapter on microminerals in the latest NRC Beef Cattle publication.

Dr. Gavin Boerboom is originally from the Netherlands and obtained his master’s degree in human food sciences from the University of Maastricht. He joined Trouw Nutrition R&D in 2016 after completing his master’s, focusing on developing new feed additives to improve performance and digestion. In 2018, he combined this role with a Ph.D. position at Wageningen University, concentrating on trace mineral nutrition in monogastric animals, which he completed in 2021.

After completing his Ph.D., he joined the Selko USA organization in January 2022, supporting the mineral business in the North American market. He relocated with his wife to Guelph, Canada, working from the Trouw Nutrition Canada office. In this role, he supported the sales force in discussions with major integrators in the US and Canada. In July 2022, he joined the global Selko team as a Global Program Manager for Trace Minerals, expanding his responsibility for technical support beyond North America and focusing on the monogastric business in the EU and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Aaron is a Senior Economist with GlobalData’s agriculture division (formerly LMC International).  His work covers a range of commodity markets including cereals, tree crops, and oilseeds, as well as downstream sectors such as feed markets and specialty protein applications. He has worked on consulting projects for a broad variety of industry groups and government organizations, with a strong regional focus on North America.  He has been published in the European Review of Agricultural Economics and holds two degrees from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Chengbo Yang is a Professor in Livestock Nutrition and Nutritional Biochemistry in the Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba. Dr. Yang obtained his Ph.D. in monogastric animal nutrition at the University of Guelph in 2011. He joined the University of Manitoba in 2016 after several years of working in the industry. He is conducting research in the area of gut health and nutrient utilization relevant to nonruminants. He has acquired about 14.0 million dollars in research funding as PI and co-PI from NSERC, Canada Foundation for Innovation, USDA, Swine Cluster, and other agencies. He currently serves as an editorial board member for two journals including the Canadian Journal of Animal Science. He has provided training to over 55 HQPs including high school students, undergraduate, and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, and research associates, and published 106 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Yang received the 2018 Canadian Society of Animal Science Young Scientist Award, the 2018 Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Awards for Natural Sciences, the 2019 Merit Award in Research, Scholarly Work, and Creative Activities at the University of Manitoba, and the 2023 Canadian Society of Animal Science Award for Technical Innovation in Enhancing Production of Safe Affordable Food.

Mike is a Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph. Mike is interested in how people think about food with recent work focusing on labeling, alternative proteins, novel food products, animal welfare and antibiotic use.  Mike’s research also considers the structure and performance of food value chains, including farm practices, as they evolve in response to changing consumer preferences and other factors. Mike speaks frequently to a variety of groups about issues relating to food and food production.  He has written for the Globe and Mail and other publications and is often quoted on radio and in the media.   As a frequent blogger with a strong presence on broadcast, print and social media, Mike committed to sharing research and perspective in a manner that helps to inform public policy and private strategy.  Mike has also introduced his FoodFocus Podcast to discuss issues of interest in the food space.

Maurice Doyon is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Consumer Science at Laval University and an active member of various Research Group in Canada. He is the holder of the Economic Egg Industry Chair and has won numerous prizes and recognition in Canada and the U.S. throughout his career. He has been in numerous leadership positions at his university and national associations. His applied work has led him over the years to be on numerous industry committees in agricultural productions and forestry, as well as on task forces at the demand of ministers of agriculture at the federal and provincial levels. Professor Doyon research interests are agricultural policy analysis, market design and structure and the valuation of goods and services.

Catherine Seidle is a Master of Science student at the University of Saskatchewan in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science. She grew up on a mixed grain and cattle farm east of Saskatoon near Colonsay, Saskatchewan. Catherine attended the University of Saskatchewan and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the College of Agriculture and Bioresources in 2017. Upon completion she worked in private industry before taking on her role as a Regional Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture based out of Moose Jaw, SK. Currently, she is on a leave from her position to complete her Masters in Ruminant Nutrition under the supervision of Dr. Greg Penner, with a focus on utilizing barley grain for feedlot cattle.

Emily Burton is a Professor of Sustainable Food Production at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), where she leads the Poultry Research Unit and co-leads the University’s Sustainable Futures Strategic Research Theme. Emily was president of the World’s Poultry Science Association (WPSA) UK Branch until 2022 and represents the UK in the WPSA European Working Groups on Nutrition (WG2) and Education and Information (WG11). Emily is also Trustee for the British Journal of Poultry Science, and the Gordon Memorial Trust. Alongside publications in her field, Emily publishes multidisciplinary research with colleagues at NTU and externally spanning both biosciences and humanities. Alongside her research, Emily’s passion is for helping students to develop into scientists capable of making a tangible contribution to the advancement of animal science and global food security.

Emily’s research mainly focuses on sustainable agriculture and food security, with particular interest in understanding interactions between feed materials and gastrointestinal environment. Emily leads a group of researchers who collaborate globally on projects exploring viability of novel feed materials in differing economic and environmental settings. Our aims are to develop technical solutions that precisely fit local needs to improve food security; and to use nutrition as a tool improve bird health and sustainability of poultry production.

Jaap van Milgen is a senior scientist at INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. He carried out an extensive research program on energy and protein nutrition and metabolism in growing animals, using both experimental and modeling methods. He co-authored InraPorc, which integrates current knowledge of nutrition of growing pigs and sows in a model and software tool, making it available to professionals in the animal nutrition sector.

He coordinated the European Horizon 2020 Feed-a-Gene project from 2015 to 2020, which aimed to adapt the feed, the animal, and the feeding techniques to improve the efficiency and sustainability of monogastric livestock production systems. He currently coordinates the Horizon 2020 PIGWEB project, which is an infrastructure project for experimental research for sustainable pig production. In 2021, he was awarded the prestigious Leroy Fellowship award of the EAAP (the European Federation of Animal Science) for his outstanding scientific contribution to animal production over a sustained period.

Dr. Dan Columbus is a Research Scientist in Nutrition at Prairie Swine Centre and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. His research focuses on the impact of health on nutrient utilization and requirements, early-life nutrition and development, and factors affected nutrient utilization. He has served as Western Director for the Canadian Society of Animal Science and as an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Animal Science and Amino Acids.  He also co-hosts of the Swine it Canada Podcast Show.  Dr. Columbus is involved in both undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentorship and has provided training to more than 30 HQP including undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants.  He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications, 100 conference abstracts and papers, and 30 industry publications and has given more than 30 presentations and interviews.  He was the 2019 recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Young Scientist Award and the 2021 Sask Pork Award of Distinction for Excellence in Production Research.

Alfons is Senior scientist at Wageningen Livestock Research in Wageningen, The Netherlands. After obtaining a MSc degree in animal production from the Wageningen University in 1987, he obtained his PhD at the same university in 1993 on a thesis entitled “Tannins in feedstuffs for simple-stomached animals”. He was employed from 1993 till 2003 by TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research in Wageningen) as scientist animal nutrition. Since 2003 he is working at Wageningen Livestock Research as senior scientist animal nutrition (pigs and poultry). His main areas of expertise are digestive physiology, amino acid requirements and metabolism, and nutrition and health in pigs and poultry.

Roseline Omakiche Ogory completed a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture with a GPA of 4.52/5, from Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan under the supervision of Dr. Deborah Adewole. Her research focuses on the use of ahiflower products as alternative feed ingredients for laying hens to enrich farm eggs’ polyunsaturated fatty acid profile.

Jack Britt was a member of a dairy farm family in Kentucky, beginning with 40 cows in 1953. He earned B.S. degrees in Agriculture and Biology at Western Kentucky University and a Ph.D. degree in Physiology and Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. His professional career focused on reproduction and nutrition in livestock, with teaching, research and administrative positions at Michigan State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee. He has been a speaker at conferences in 22 countries, and in most US states and Canadian provinces. His research led to the Britt Hypothesis, which focused on energy balance around the time of calving and its impact on subsequent fertility. 

Kim Ominski is a professor and head of the Department of Animal Science and the Director of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment at the University of Manitoba.  Since joining the University, Kim has established a multidisciplinary research program focused on the productivity and sustainability of beef cattle production systems in Western Canada.  She has been recognized for teaching excellence by both degree and diploma students in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation.

Dr. Hall is a research scientist working in dairy cattle nutrition for the USDA-Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, WI. Dr. Hall’s research focuses on the nonfiber carbohydrates in dairy cattle diets: their analysis for diet formulation, as well as their digestion and use by dairy cattle and rumen microbes. And she’s been working on liquid passage from the rumen. She does her work with an eye to practical application of the research. She served on the NASEM committee that revised the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle and lives in Wisconsin with her husband and a varied pack of rescued dogs.

Dr. Stephanie Terry is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Alberta. She obtained a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences, and a PhD in Veterinary Sciences at the University of Sydney, Australia. She started her role as a Beef Cattle Systems Scientist in 2021, where her research focuses on strategies to improve the environmental impact of ruminant systems through nutrition and management. Some of her projects include dietary supplementation of feed additives to decrease enteric methane production, potential for dietary mitigation of enteric methane during winter feeding of Canadian beef cows, inclusion of surplus foods in beef cattle diets, and improving the environmental impact of dairy production through dairy-beef.

Sarah grew up on a dairy farm located just northwest of Ottawa, Ontario. Being very involved within the agriculture industry since a young age, attending the University of Guelph for their agriculture program was her first choice. She received her BSc. in Animal Science from the University of Guelph in May 2022 and began her Master’s work in the fall of 2022. She is currently working under the guidance of Dr. Marcio Duarte in the Animal Bioscience Department at the University of Guelph. Her work focuses on vitamin A supplementation during late gestation and its effect on intramuscular fat deposition in beef offspring. She plans on working within the industry once her Master’s is completed.

Melissa Dumont has been the Executive Director of the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) since October 2016. In this role, Melissa oversees all activities of the Association and continues to lead some technical files including those related to antimicrobial use and resistance and veterinary health products.

Prior to being Executive Director of the Association, Melissa held the position of Director of Technical Services for over 6 years. She was responsible for the management of the FeedAssure^® program and lead the association’s technical and scientific activities dealing with government policy and the regulation of feed industry activities and practices.

Before joining ANAC, Melissa worked at the Canadian Farm Business Management Council where she interacted with many agricultural stakeholders from various value chain segments both nationally and internationally. Previously, Melissa worked for a major feed manufacturer and has also worked in the grains and oilseed industry.

Melissa is a graduate of McGill University with a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.