Temple Grandin to Speak on ‘Autism and Animal Behavior’ at U of A Animal Science Center

Photo Submitted

Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, will speak on "Autism and Animal Behavior" July 27 at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center at the University of Arkansas.

The presentation by Grandin, who is well known nationally for her work in animal behavior and autism, will be from 7-8 p.m., followed by a question and answer session and book signing. Admission is free and seating is first come, first choice. The Whitaker Center is 1.5 miles north of the main campus on Arkansas Highway 112 (Garland Avenue).

The 2010 HBO film, Temple Grandin, which provides insight into her perseverance and determination while struggling with autism, was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Made for Television Movie.

Grandin's presentation, sponsored by Tyson Foods Inc. and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, will follow a day of consultation with Tyson Foods personnel, according to Kellye Pfalzgraf, DVM, director of animal well-being programs at Tyson Foods

Books available for purchase and signing will include Grandin's New York Times best seller, Animals in Translation, published in 2007 and now in a third edition. Also available will be Animals Make us Human, The Way I See It, Thinking in Pictures, and Humane Livestock Handling. Books will be provided by the University of Arkansas Bookstore.

Grandin's official biography says half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. Other professional activities include developing animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulting with animal agriculture companies on animal welfare.

A native of Boston, Grandin earned a Bachelor of Arts from Franklin Pierce College in 1970. She was an editor for the Arizona Farmer Ranchman and earned an Master of Science in animal science from Arizona State University in 1974 and a doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois in 1989.

Grandin lectures throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism. She was listed by Time Magazine as one of "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2010. She continues to conduct research and teach courses on livestock handling and facility design at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.