Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Extension Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University
Beginning February 13, 2006, Dr. Naomi Botheras began in the position of Animal Welfare Program Specialist, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University. Her primary responsibilities will be in the development of professional programs for producer and youth education in the area of animal welfare, specifically related to dairy, swine, and poultry production. She will particularly be involved in the development and introduction of computer-based training packages for US food animal producers that target employee behavior. The training aims to improve animal welfare and productivity, and also job satisfaction and labor retention. These packages have been developed at the Australian Animal Welfare Science Centre, where Naomi has been based for the past 5 years.
Naomi is originally from the state of Victoria, in Australia, and received a bachelor of science degree in zoology from The University of Melbourne in 2001 and has just completed a PhD degree in dairy cow behavior and welfare also from The University of Melbourne. She grew up on a beef and sheep farm about 2 hours from Melbourne and is actively involved in the management of the farm - well as much as she can be from the other side of the world! She has conducted research on swine and dairy cow behavior and welfare, and brings with her extensive experience and knowledge of animal behavior and welfare. Naomi is keen to get out and observe and learn about food animal production methods in the US, as most animals in Australia are managed outdoors all year round. She is also eager to work with farmers to introduce animal welfare as a positive concept, both for farm profitability and animal well-being.
You can contact Naomi at: 222 Animal Sciences Building, 2029 Fyffe Court, Columbus, OH 43210, botheras.1@osu.edu, (614) 292-3776, FAX (614) 292-1515.