Author, Livestock Expert Temple Grandin Set to Speak at Texas Tech
Temple Grandin, a woman with high-functioning autism who became a professor at Colorado State University and a pioneering designer of humane livestock facilities, will be a featured speaker at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 30) at Texas Tech University's Allen Theatre.
Part of the university's Burkhart Family Endowed Lecture Series, the program will also feature Grandin's mother, Eustacia Cutler, who is a bestselling author and lecturer in the autism field. During the two-hour program, Grandin will describe the obstacles she's faced and offers ideas on how others dealing with autism can meet these challenges and improve the quality of their lives. Cutler will share her experiences of raising a child with autism.
Over the years Grandin has done extensive work on the design of handling facilities. Indeed, half the cattle in the United States 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 McDonalds, Wendy's International, Burger King, and other companies on animal welfare.
Born in Boston, Grandin received her bachelor's degree from Franklin Pierce College and master's degree in animal science at Arizona State University. Her doctorate in animal science is from the University of Illinois. She is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America.
The Fort Collins, Colo., resident currently is a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State, where she continues her research while teaching courses on livestock handling and facility design. Her book, "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior" was a New York Times best seller and her book "Humane Livestock Handling: Understanding livestock behavior and building facilities for healthier animals," was popular, as well.
"'The rule is simple," Grandin writes. "Don't stimulate rage, fear and panic if you can help it, and do stimulate seeking and also play." Other popular books authored by her are "Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism; The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism;" and "Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals."
Her accomplishments as a speaker, author and advocate earned her a place among TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2010, and her life story was the subject of the HBO biopic, "Temple Grandin," winner of seven Emmy awards and a Golden Globe.
Written by Norman Martin
CONTACT: Michael Galyean, Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or michael.galyean@ttu.edu
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