Professional Development Conference: Animals, People, and Planet

Educators are invited to participate in a professional development event designed in partnership with Agscape to provide insight and resources connected to animal agriculture. Learn about the relationship between animals, people, and the environment by hearing from experts and researchers and leave with resources you can bring to your classroom.

Please note this conference is for certified teachers and teacher candidates only, there is no admission for the general public. Please contact oacliasn@uoguelph.ca with questions or concerns.

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Expert Panel

Dr. Trevor DeVries

While growing up in British Columbia, Trevor often visited his uncle’s dairy farm, sparking a lifelong interest in dairy cows. His interest in animal science continued as an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, where he had the opportunity to participate in dairy cow research. That led to an interest in nutritional management, animal welfare, and behavior, which he studied during his graduate program at UBC. In 2007, he began his academic position at the University of Guelph’s Kemptville Campus, where he worked for eight years before coming to U of G’s main campus in 2015. Trevor leads a highly productive research program and has published over 175 peer-reviewed papers focused on dairy cattle nutrition, management, behavior, and welfare. He is currently a Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behaviour and Welfare. Trevor also contributes to teaching at the university, including instructing undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of dairy cattle management, behavior, and welfare, coaching the university Dairy Challenge team, as well as mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.

Angela Wilson

Angie is a graduate studying dairy cow behaviour to improve their welfare. She is finishing her PhD in Animal Science, which focuses on designing and developing a more comfortable stall for dairy cows. Angie grew up in Woodstock, Ontario, and at an early age dreamed of working with animals. As part of her undergraduate majoring in Animal Biology at the University of Guelph, she took a fourth-year research course that investigated how long dairy cows spend doing different activities each day. This included activities such as lying down and grooming themselves. Ultimately, this course confirmed her interest in pursuing an M.Sc., which later expanded into a PhD Her future career aspiration is to become an animal scientist. On weekends Angie enjoys working on a local sheep and beef farm.

Dr. Marcia Chaisson

Earning both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Biology at the University of New Brunswick, Marcia then completed a PhD degree at the University of Guelph where she trained in genetics and breeding of Arctic charr. She worked in the private sector at the Center for Aquaculture Technologies and in the public sector at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) before returning to the University of Guelph to manage the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre. She now collaborates with researchers, government, and industry members to plan and execute research projects of relevance to the aquaculture industry, in addition to teaching and volunteering as a board member with both the Ontario Aquaculture Association and the Aquaculture Association of Canada.

Dr. David Seymour

Growing up in downtown Toronto, Dave attended the University of Guelph for his undergraduate degree in Animal Biology with aspirations of attending the Ontario Veterinary College. However, he quickly became more interested in research, particularly in the field of dairy cattle nutrition, which spurred him to pursue his Master’s degree at UofG, investigating how energy restriction affects milk synthesis on the cellular level. He then went on to complete his PhD focused on feed efficiency and methane emissions in dairy cattle. After graduating at the end of 2019, Dave began working as a research scientist for Trouw Nutrition, one of the largest animal feed companies in the world, where his research focuses on the applications of prebiotic compounds in ruminants to improve animal health and performance.

Virtual Farm Tours hosted by Agscape

Cedar Crest Trout Farms

Sister-brother duo Arlen and RJ Taylor are the owners of Cedar Crest Trout Farms, a second-generation family business that has five trout hatcheries and a processing plant near Hanover, Ontario. Arlen and RJ will take you on a virtual tour of the daily happenings at a fish farm, from eggs and incubation, to feeding time, and even behind the scenes of the country’s largest trout breeding program. They will also talk about what goes into fish care and the importance of fish welfare.

Lizton Acres Organic Dairy Farm

Led by AgScape's Program Assistant, Ontario Certified Teacher, and 3rd generation farmer, Cassi Brunsveld.  Cassi currently operates a 160+ organic dairy cattle farm with her husband in the Cambridge region.