Pairis-Garcia Achieves Board Certification in Animal Welfare

August 1, 2018 — 

Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia recently achieved board certification in the American College of Animal Welfare (ACAW). Dr. Pairis-Garcia was one of the first recipients of the ACAW Scholarship Program funded by the AASV Foundation. The scholarship was established to encourage swine veterinarians to undertake the challenge of board certification in animal welfare.

Dr. Pairis-Garcia received her DVM degree from Iowa State University in 2011, followed by a PhD in animal physiology in 2014, also earned at Iowa State. Since then, she has been employed as an assistant professor in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences, with a 65% extension/35% teaching appointment focused primarily on animal welfare and behavior in livestock industries. Despite not having a research appointment, she values applied research as an effective means of extension to improve swine welfare, and has directed her research efforts toward timely and humane euthanasia, on-farm welfare assessments and audits, and alternative management practices to improve animal welfare on-farm.

Dr. Pairis-Garcia is a member of AASV's Pig Welfare Committee. She holds PAACO certification in swine, poultry, and slaughter facilities, and works extensively in training auditors. She looks forward to supporting science-based improvement in swine welfare, and ensuring that swine veterinarians have a voice in future decision-making related to animal welfare expectations and legislation.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pairis-Garcia on her accomplishment. For more information about the ACAW Scholarship program, or to apply, see www.aasv.org/foundation/ACAW_Scholarship.php.