Swine Research & Education Experience

2023 Documents

The Swine Research and Education Experience (SREE) seeks to expand undergraduate and veterinary student participation in research and education projects relevant to the swine industry. The inspiration for the SREE program is to attract students to swine related research or educational careers who might not otherwise consider those aspirations. The projects are encouraged to involve students at the early stages in their college experience.

Students from all applicable discipline areas are eligible for consideration. Through the development and completion of a mentored research or education project, students will gain swine science and industry exposure, obtain personal experiences in swine research and education, and develop problem-solving skills. University faculty or staff will collaborate and mentor the student in the identification, development, and completion of the project.

University faculty or staff must identify the topic for the project and identify the roles and responsibilities an undergraduate student will be responsible for in conducting the project. Proposal submission timelines are arranged to initiate the relationship between a mentor and a student early in the student’s program and to complete the research within an academic year for funded projects.

Timeline:

1. Spring of the Academic Year (2023) – Mentor and student relationship building and project discussion.
2. Spring and Summer (June 30, 2023) – Full proposal completed and submitted.
3. Summer (August 15, 2023) – Notification of proposal review outcome and funding status by the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.
4. Fall of Academic Year (September 1, 2023) – Funding transfer, project initiation, and student participation in education and research experiences begin.
5. End of Academic Year (May 31, 2024) or earlier – Project completed, student participation completed, final project report due.

SREE Funded Projects

2023

“Adapting Secure Pork Supply (SPS) biosecurity plans for the show pig industry to best prepare for foreign animal diseases”

• Student: Jack Korényi-Both
• Principle Instructor: Andréia Arruda
• Institution: Ohio State University
• Final Report

“Educating English- and Spanish-speaking swine farm workers on how to collect, handle and package diagnostic samples”

• Student: Juan F. Hernández Cuevas
• Principle Instructor: Andreia Goncalves Arruda
• Institution: Ohio State University
• Final Report

2021

“Testing a computer vision system for automatically detecting piglet interbirth interval”

• Student: Olivia Kittle
• Principle Instructor: Suzanne Leonard
• Institution: North Carolina State University
• Final Report

“Validation of linear body measurements to predict weight in finishing pigs”

• Student: Branigan Steichen
• Principle Instructor: Crystal Levesque
• Institution: South Dakota State University

“Microbiome composition of single sire versus pooled extended semen and the relationship with sperm quality parameters”

• Student: Brooke McAnally
• Principle Instructor: Rebecca Poole
• Institution: Texas A&M University

“Development of an immersive educational experience for veterinary students using virtual reality”

• Student: Taylor Reim
• Principle Instructor: Pearle Zhitnitskiy
• Institution: University of Minnesota

2020

“Nutritional enrichment to improve nursery pig behavior during weaning”

• Student: Grace Mercer
• Principle Instructor: Anna Johnson
• Institution: Iowa State University
• Final Report

“Development and testing of an Internet-of-Things based system for remote monitoring of thermal environments in swine barns”

• Students: Hunter Koolstra and Audree Berreth
• Principle Instructor: Xufei Yang
• Institution: South Dakota State University
• Final Report

“Design alternative for effective manure removal and storage for a research farm”

• Student: Anna Warmka
• Principle Instructor: Erin Cortus
• Institution: University of Minnesota
• Final Report

“Impact of feeding multiple meals prefarrow on stillborn rate”

• Principle Instructor: Mark Knauer
• Institution: North Carolina State University

“Identifying practical approaches to manage castration pain on commercial swine farms”

• Principle Instructor: Monique Pairis-Garcia
• Institution: North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine

“Understanding the relationship between litter size and functional teat number at farrowing on litter size at weaning”

• Principle Instructor: Jeff Wiegert
• Institution: Texas A&M University

2019

“Evaluation of changes in heat production of lactating sows with use of sow cooling pads”

• Principle Instructor: Allan Schinckel
• Institution: Purdue University

“Effect of light on farrowing performance and behavior in sows”

• Student: Shelby McLoda
• Principle Instructor: Drew Lugar
• Institution: Illinois State University
• Final Report

“Effect of corn particle size on gestating sow fecal microbiome and volatile fatty acid production”

• Student: Rachel Kort
• Principle Instructor: Chad Paulk
• Institution: Kansas State University
• Final Report

“Training undergraduates in swine research through the evaluation of diet acidifiers in nursery pig diets”

• Students: Megan Anguiano, Jenna Bromm, Zach Buessing, Ivan Bueso-Interiano, Erin Cocjin, Lauren Duncan, Kaylee Farmer, Alyssa Farran, Anna Hixon, Kate Nelson, Gabriela Olivier, Jordyn Orrison, Shyanne Osterhaus, Scotney Reichenberger, Linnea Rimmer, Destiny Serrano-Quiroz, Colton Stucky, Sydney Tastad, Ryan Tipton, and Nadia Zange
• Principle Instructor: Cassandra Jones
• Institution: Kansas State University
• Final Report

“Effect of adding coconut oil to sow diets during late gestation on piglet survival”

• Student: Brian Yeich
• Principle Instructor: Mark Knauer
• Institution: North Carolina State University
• Final Report

“Late suckling supplemental iron dose to improve post wean performance in pigs”

• Student: Madison Kovarna
• Principle Instructor: Crystal Levesque
• Institution: South Dakota State University
• Final Report

2018

“Development and Testing of Second Generation Biofilters for Odor Mitigation from Swine Facilities”

• Student:
• Principle Instructor: Robert Thaler
• Institution: South Dakota State University

“Considering creep feed pellet size as means to improve post-wean pig performance”

• Student:
• Principle Instructor: Crystal Levesque
• Institution: South Dakota State University

“Effect of microencapsulated blends of cricket powder on performance, carcass traits, pork quality, and sensory characteristics”

• Student:
• Principle Instructor: Wannee Tangkham
• Institution: McNeese State University

“Investigating distance to slaughterhouses and weather parameters in the occurrence of PRRS outbreaks”

• Student:
• Principle Instructor: Andreia Arruda
• Institution: The Ohio State University

2017

“Piglet Training and Self-Medication”

• Principal Instructor: Monique Pairis-Garcia
• Student: Meghan Smith
• Institution: The Ohio State University

“Interaction with the pork industry on the initial use of a program to evaluate the accuracy in which pigs are sorted for market”

• Principal Instructor: Allan Schinckel
• Student: Joanna Claudy
• Institution: Purdue University

“Effect of oat products on nursery pig growth performance”

• Principal Instructor: Joel DeRouchey
• Student: Jenna Chance
• Institution: Kansas State University

“Effect of conditioning temperature and pellet diameter on nursery pig growth performance”

• Principal Instructor: Cassandra Jones
• Student: Olivia Harrison
• Kansas State University

“Low-cost solar heater for swine nursery barns”

• Principal Instructor: Mark Knauer
• Student: Brian Yeich
• Institution: North Carolina State University

“Developing in vivo markers of gut permeability for use in pregnant sows”

• Principal Instructor: Crystal Levesque
• Student: Kathryn Haeska
• Institution: South Dakota State University

2016

“Influence of essential oil supplementation in lactation diets on fecal consistency and reproductive performance in gilts”

• Principal Instructor: Crystal Levesque
• Student: Krista Fuoss
• Institution: South Dakota State University

“Role of moisture addition on pellet quality in finishing pig feed”

• Principal Instructor: Cassandra Jones
• Student: Haley Wecker
• Institution: Kansas State University

“Evaluation of alternative fabrication methods to increase gross value of pork carcasses”

• Principal Instructor: Dustin Boler
• Student: Erin Bryan
• Institution: University of Illinois

“Effect of weaning age and lactose levels on health status and growth performance of weaned pigs: an undergraduate experience”

• Principal Instructor: Derris Burnett
• Student: Olivia Carrigan
• Institution: Mississippi State University

“Effects of supplemental betaine to commercial semen extenders on boar sperm quality”

• Principal Instructor: Kara Stewart
• Student: Wyatt Krom
• Institution: Purdue University

“The immunological response of weaned piglets with the supplementation of beta-glucans”

• Principal Instructor: Bob Thaler
• Student: Hayden Kerkaert
• Institution: South Dakota State University

2015

“Troubleshooting poor litter size in a 25,000 sow production system”

• Principal Instructor: Mark Knauer
• Student: Sarah Bloomer
• Institution: North Carolina State University

“Feeding liquid whey to growing swine”

• Principal Instructor: Dale Rozeboom
• Student: Joseph Lutz
• Institution: Michigan State University

“Farm-level biosecurity planning for swine farms to mitigate SECD transmission”

• Principal Instructor: Amy Millmier Schmidt
• Student: Ashley Schmit
• Institution: University of Nebraska – Lincoln

“Effect of double stocking and timing of split-outs on nursery pig growth performance and subsequent carcass characteristics: an undergraduate experience”

• Principal Instructor: Derris Burnett
• Student: Rachel Lemire
• Institution: Mississippi State University

“Nutrient concentration and digestibility of novel microalgae products fed to swine”

• Principal Instructor: Pedro Urriola
• Student: Brandon Hanson
• Institution: University of Minnesota

“Evaluation of methods to evaluate sorting accuracy and its impact on sort loss and variation in carcass weight pigs”

• Principal Instructor: Allan Schinckel
• Student: Yichen Que
• Institution: Purdue University