Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Animal Welfare Program is the many graduates who have gone on to influential positions where they promote the welfare of animals in business, education, government and the animal protection movement.
Some stellar examples:
Lorna Baird (MSc 2004) is now in Calgary as Executive Director of Alberta Farm Animal Care, a livestock industry organization with the mandate to provide a coordinated approach to advance and promote responsible animal care.
Fernando Borderas (PhD 2009), who completed a PhD on the care and health of calves, now teaches at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in his native Mexico City.
Sara Dubois (MSc 2003), who did her research on wildlife rehabilitation, became the manager of the BC SPCA’s ‘Wild ARC’ wildlife rehabilitation facility and is now the SPCA’s provincial manager of wildlife services.
Nicole Fenwick (MSc 2005), drawing on her work experience in the pharmaceutical industry, did research on reducing the use of animals in drug development. She now works with the Canadian Council on Animal Care where her role is to promote Replacement, Reduction and Refinement for animals used in science.
Lee Niel (PhD 2006), whose doctoral research focused on laboratory rodents, has been appointed to the newly created Chair in Companion Animal Welfare at the Ontario Veterinary College, funded by a gift from philanthropist Mrs. Mona Campbell.
Mitja Sedlbauer (MSc 2005) returned to Ljubljana, Slovenia, as Senior Advisor on animal welfare to the country’s Veterinary Administration. He also chaired the influential Working Group on Animal Welfare of the European Union.
Kristen Walker (PhD 2010), who did her doctoral research on the welfare of Steller Sea Lions, has a post-doctoral appointment at the Alberta Veterinary College where she will continue her work on pain management and the welfare of wild animals.