AMES, Iowa — Stepping into the director role, Laura Greiner is ready to guide Iowa State University’s Iowa Pork Industry Center.
Greiner, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State, succeeds Chris Rademacher, who has spent the past year as the center’s interim director. Rademacher, clinical professor in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine and swine Extension veterinarian at Iowa State, will remain involved with the center as its associate director. Both positions took effect July 1.
“Iowa leads the nation in swine production, and I am very confident that Laura’s experience and knowledge of the industry will pay dividends for swine producers in our state and beyond,” Jay Harmon, associate dean of Extension and outreach and director of agriculture and natural resources Extension, said in a news release.
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Greiner has been a faculty member at Iowa State since 2018. She received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in animal science with an emphasis on nutrition from Iowa State. She completed her postdoctoral training in microbiology at the University of Iowa.
At Iowa State, she leads the Greiner Laboratory, which focuses on conducting research to address contemporary challenges in swine production. Within the lab, Greiner and her student researchers explore ways to improve sow longevity; better understand the vitamin and mineral needs of pigs throughout their life cycle; and strengthen the immune system of young female pigs prior to their first mating.
In addition to her research work, Greiner instructs the swine production introductory course. Greiner said she is “excited and honored” to take on this leadership role.
“With pork being the No. 1 animal protein consumed globally, and Iowa being a significant producer of pork, we need to continue to be a leader in advancing animal agriculture through modern production practices, welfare, technology and sustainability,” Greiner said.
“We hope to offer new programs and help our producers with issues such as caretaker education and feed mill management, while continuing to offer activities, including our Pork Quality Assurance training and various webinars, to keep swine producers up to date and informed.”
