NCHA News

(We are thrilled and honored to announce that Dr. Temple Grandin will be speaking April 18, 2018. The lecture will occur at 1:00 pm in the WRMC Auditorium and there will be no admission fee charged. This event is sponsored by NCHA Charities Foundation, and we certainly hope that you all can make it. If you have not heard of Dr. Grandin, this would be an excellent opportunity to learn about her, her fascinating mind, and how she has helped shape the ranching culture.)

Dr. Temple Grandin is a champion of the agriculture and livestock industry. Having designed livestock facilities in six different countries, at least thirty percent of the handling done in North America is done through one of her designs. She developed a system which causes the animal to feel minimal anxiety while providing greater safety and efficiency for the plant. Grandin overcame double adversities of being female in a male-dominated industry and the challenges associated with being autistic. She has published on the subject of autism in order to promote awareness about the developmental disorder. Grandin is currently a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University and continues to consult with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling, and animal welfare.

She obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College and her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University before receiving her Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in 2010, and that same year she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Her TED Talk entitled, "The World Needs ALL Kinds of Minds,” explores how autism allows her to think in different ways leading to success. She has authored twelve books and several hundred articles in both scientific journals and livestock periodicals on topics from autism to animal handling, welfare, and facility design. Her life story has also been made into an HBO movie. She received a meritorious award in 2016 from the OIE World Organization for Animal Health in Paris, France for her work on developing animal welfare guidelines and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Grandin was one of ten women named to the National Women’s Hall of Fame. The mission of the Temple Grandin Equine Center at Colorado State University, named in her honor, is to provide “outreach, programming, education, and research opportunities that will benefit all individuals with any special need to know the significant healing powers of the horse.”