Dr. Dan Thomson Begins New Role at Iowa State University

On March 23, 2020, Dr. Dan Thomson assumed the role of the Head of the Animal Science Department at Iowa State University. Dr. Dan has spent his years in research, in teaching and in practice focusing on food animal production, health and well-being. In his new role, Dr. Dan will be leading one of the world’s most prestigious departments focusing on all food animal production systems and a worldclass meat science laboratory.

Iowa State’s Department of Animal Science has 50 faculty members, 75 graduate students and 1,200 undergraduate students. The state of Iowa ranks first in swine and egg production nationally. Iowa is also home to top 10 production in turkey, broiler, beef, dairy and any other food animal category. At Iowa State, Dr. Dan not only serves faculty through leadership but also has the responsibility of programmatic direction and fiscal responsibility of the department. The department has 2 swine farms, a feedlot, a cow/calf operation, a commercial egg laying facility with 8,000 hens, a 450-cow dairy and broiler units. Currently, they are in the process of building a turkey finisher unit and a new $21 million feed mill for the department.

One of Dr. Dan’s favorite responsibilities of the new job is working directly with each farm manager to provide real world production systems for research, teaching and extension. All farms are being developed to allow visitors to see modern production such as watching cows being milked, seeing hens in modern layer facilities and walking through a swine operation without breaching biosecurity of the operation. “We have a responsibility to serve agriculture by not only having world-class training for our students and research for our stakeholders, but we need to provide consumers an opportunity to come see how food animals are housed, raised and cared for every day.”

The Animal Science Department is also home to a thoroughbred equine farm that stands many studs and is home to over 60 brood mares. A new stallion is due to arrive from Belmont race way to stand as stud in the program. On the 4th of July, two horses that were born and bred at the ISU horse farm won races at Prairie Meadows Racetrack in Des Moines, Iowa. “I love the horses. Man, they are fast, and our genetics program is just getting stronger and stronger. We want to get to the Kentucky Derby someday.”

Dr. Dan will still be the host of Doc Talk on RFD TV, but it will expand into other species and have a little more red and gold in the introduction of the show. Dr. Dan also continues his involvement with PAC but will be working more on research, consultation to the field veterinarians and providing service to beef and pork meat packers and retailers. “It has been a transition from being a consultant to being the manager. I have been fortunate to have worked with some of the best feedlot managers in the world. These experiences are carried with me as I serve our staff, faculty and students. We aim to build a program that provides the most practical, relevant and motivating education for students. Nothing is more important than energizing those that will lead our industry tomorrow.”

Dr. Dan welcomes all to Iowa State University located in Ames, Iowa. His new email is thomson1@iastate.edu.