Dr. Temple Grandin, a leading advocate for the autistic community, will share her thoughts and experiences in the presentation “Connecting Animal Science and Autism” on Wednesday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m. in SUNY Oneonta’s Alumni Field House. Grandin will share her perspective on why all kinds of minds are needed to help solve the world’s problems.
Watch the live stream
"Connection Animal Science and Autism”
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
This event is free and open to the community. Tickets are not needed. Guests may reserve online. Damascene Book Cellar is selling a selection of Temple Grandin's books. Grandin will be available to sign books immediately following her presentation in the Field House.
Grandin’s appearance has been made possible by a partnership between SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Cobleskill and Hartwick College. As part of the partnership, Grandin will engage with students on the Delhi, Cobleskill and Hartwick campuses. At SUNY Delhi, she will tour the college’s veterinary science facilities while taking part in group discussions with students and faculty from the veterinary science technology and veterinary technology programs and offer a lecture to the campus community.
About Temple Grandin
Grandin overcame her autistic challenges to become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry. As a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a business consultant for the industry, she is a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals.
Grandin was born in Boston, Massachusetts. At age 2, she had no speech and all the signs of severe autism. Many hours of speech therapy and intensive teaching enabled Temple to learn speech. As a teenager, life was hard with constant teasing. Mentoring by her high school science teacher and her aunt on her ranch in Arizona motivated Grandin to study and pursue a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer.
Dr. Temple Grandin obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College in 1970. In 1974, she was employed as Livestock Editor for the Arizona Farmer Ranchman and also worked for Corral Industries on equipment design. In 1975 she earned her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University for her work on the behavior of cattle in different squeeze chutes. Grandin was awarded her Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Illinois in 1989.
Following her Ph.D. research on the effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior of pigs, she has published several hundred industry publications, book chapters and technical papers on animal handling, plus 73 refereed journal articles and 12 books.
Grandin continues her research while teaching courses on livestock handling and facility design. Her book, “Animals in Translation” was a New York Times bestseller, and her book “Livestock Handling and Transport” now has a fourth edition, which was published in 2014. Other popular books authored by Grandin are “Thinking in Pictures,” “Emergence Labeled Autistic,” “Animals Make Us Human,” “Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach,” “The Way I See It,” and “The Autistic Brain.” She also has a popular TED Talk.
Articles and interviews featuring Grandin have appeared in The New York Times, People, Time and on National Public Radio, “20/20,” “The View” and the BBC. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential people. HBO has made a movie about her life starring Claire Danes. The movie received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. In 2016, Temple was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Grandin is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America. She lectures to parents and teachers throughout the U.S. on her experiences with autism. Dr. Grandin resides in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Information
For more information, contact Jenny Bagby, SUNY Oneonta accessibility resources coordinator, at (607) 436-2137.