About the Guest
Dr. Kara Stewart received her bachelor’s degree from Purdue in 2001 and her Master’s and Ph.D. from NC State with Dr. Billy Flowers in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Kara taught in the Animal Science department at NC State for 2 years before returning to Indiana to work for Cook Inc., a human medical device company. In July of 2013, Kara happily accepted a faculty position in reproductive physiology in the Animal Science department at Purdue. She carries a majority extension appointment working across several species, predominantly swine, and teaches a reproductive management and a reproductive physiology course for undergraduates. Her recent research has focused on colostrum management and mitigation strategies for heat stress in boars and sows. Additionally, she is investigating biomarkers of fertility in seminal plasma from boars and vaginal samples from weaned gilts.
What can you learn from this episode of Popular Pig?
- How Dr. Kara Stewart became involved with the swine industry.
- Dr. Stewart’s role in the Livability Project.
- The importance of colostrum intake and what prior research has taught us.
- The best management practices to effectively get piglets the colostrum they need.
- Ways to identify that colostrum management is being done well.
- The effects of colostrum intake on the sow and her ability to raise subsequent litters.
- Dr. Kara Stewart’s “golden nugget”
