Join with students and mentors to learn about the many projects carried out in research laboratories, clinical trials, and field studies at Penn Vet. Veterinary, combined degree (VMD/PhD), and graduate students will present their work in oral presentations along with a competitive poster session.
Thomas D. Parsons, VMD, PhD, DACAW
Marie A. Moore Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics
Professor of Swine Production Medicine
Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Perelman School of Medicine
Director, Center for Stewardship Agriculture and Food Security
Director, Swine Teaching and Research Center
Department of Clinical Studies—New Bolton Center
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Thomas D. Parsons, VMD, PhD, DACAW, is the Marie A. Moore Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics and a professor of swine production medicine in the Department of Clinical Studies—New Bolton Center (NBC); professor of otorhinolaryngology at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM); and director of both the Center for Stewardship Agriculture and Food Security and the Swine Teaching and Research Center at NBC. Dr. Parsons is a graduate of Amherst College. He received his VMD and PhD (neuroscience) from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). While at Penn, Dr. Parsons studied in the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program and then was supported by the von Humboldt Society to train at the Max Planck Institute for Biomedical Research in Heidelberg, Germany. He joined Penn’s faculty in 1995 as an assistant professor of swine medicine, was promoted to associate professor of swine production medicine in 2005, and to professor in 2019. Dr. Parsons is a charter member of the American College of Animal Welfare and serves as the faculty coordinator for the master’s program in animal welfare and behavior, as well as head of mammalian field investigations for NBC’s Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory Systems (PADLS) lab. His research focuses on the advancement of sustainable models of agriculture through the study of animal behavior, health, welfare, and applications of technology. Dr. Parsons is recognized globally by scholars and industry leaders for re-envisioning swine housing and feeding systems to improve welfare.