Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The main target audiences were veterinarians,veterinary students, and veterinary technicians engagedin bovine practice. Programs offered during the project especially focused on veterinarians in private practice who could benefit fromadditional training in reproductive and genomic technologies to better serve their clients. Participants in educational programs came from over 30 U.S. states and several Canadian provinces, with some international attendees from countries like Ukraine, Japan, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, and Trinidad. The participants included both male and female professionals across different age groups and career stages. They represented various employment sectors, including private practice owners and employees, academicians, industry professionals, and government agencies. The project teamalso engaged with allied industry, such as cattle reproductive service companies and animal health companies. Thishelped the project team understand industry needs and where opportunities for collaboration may exist for veterinary education programs in the future. Changes/Problems:Several challenges were encountered that limited our ability to fully accomplishthe projectobjectives. The objective effectedthe most was the number of hands-on workshops offered. Initially, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in scheduling workshops. However, after restrictions were lifted, access to cattle for in-person workshops became problematic. Budget cuts at the university farmwhere the workshops were to be held, led to the dispersal of the cattle herd, significantly limiting the availability of animals for training. Although the project team sought alternative locations and cattle sources, these efforts had limited success. A second challenge involved developing thewebsite. Early in the project, a change in university policy restricted use to a specific learning management system (LMS), which was not well-suited for non-credit courses. This caused delays in progress. To resolve this, the team explored alternative LMS platforms and eventually obtained approval to use an external system. Staffing changes also posed issues. Several faculty members expected to contribute to the development of online learning modules either retired or changed roles, causing additional delays in course development. To mitigate this, funds originally allocated for in-person workshops were reallocated to hire content experts to develop the modules. While this solution allowed the project to move forward, it still led to delays in course development. Lastly, the project's scope shifted slightly during its implementation. The initial focus was on providing educational programs in reproductive and genomic technologies forbeef cattle. However, it became evident that there was a need for similar content in the dairy industry. In response, the project expanded its webinars to include topics relevant to dairy cattle. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided numerous opportunities for training and professional development in reproductive and genomic technologies for veterinarians,veterinary students and veterinary technicians. Hands-on workshops focused on key skills such as reproductive tract scoring, pelvic area measurement, pregnancy diagnosis, and fetal sexing using ultrasonography. Three workshops were held for veterinary students, withstudents gaining practical experience in reproductive management. Additionally, fourworkshops were offered for veterinarians, where participants earned continuing education (CE) credit while enhancing their skills in reproductive health management. The project also delivered a series of webinars on reproductive and genomic topics, attracting participants from across the U.S. and internationally. These webinars covered important subjects such as estrous cycle control, genetic selection, and reproductive strategies for both beef and dairy cattle. To further support professional development, a dedicated website was created, offering 34 recorded presentations, 29 of which provide CE credit. The site also includes a resource page with over 50 links to publications and videos on beef cattle reproduction and genomics, serving as an ongoing resource for continuing education. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We advertised our webinars and workshops through organizations such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants, the American Embryo Transfer Association, and state veterinary associations. This ensured that veterinarians and related professionals were informed about our educational offerings. Additionally, the website developed during the project was promoted to approximately 700 individuals who had registered for CE programs. We collaborated with the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine to host in-personworkshops. Thispartnerships helped us reach veterinary students who might not be engaged through professional associations, expanding our reach to include the next generation of veterinary professionals. While our primary focus was on veterinarians, we also communicated are efforts to allied industry partners to broaden our reach and explore potential collaboration forfuture events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1:A dedicated website (https://ncarg.mylearnworlds.com/) was created to host online learning modules. It currentlycontains34 presentations from six webinar series that were offered during the project. Twenty-nine of the modules offercontinuing education (CE) credit for veterinarians. Additionally, the site includes a resource page with over 50 links to publications and videos related to beef cattle reproduction and genomics. Two content experts developed courses to be offered online for veterinary CE. The first covers quantitative animal breeding in beef cattle, explaining how phenotype data, genetic evaluation, and prediction can improve economically significant traits. The second, more advanced course, focuses on molecular genetics, demonstrating how DNA knowledge enhances genetic prediction accuracy and helps identify new traits, particularly for beef production. A reproductive course was also developed, covering topics such as reproductive tract formation, estrous cycle manipulation, and bull fertility. These courses will be added to the website aftervoice recordings are completed. Goal 2:In-person practicums were designed to provide veterinarians and veterinary students with hands-on training in reproductive and genomic technologies. The workshops primarily focused on heifer pre-breeding evaluation and the use of ultrasonography for pregnancy diagnosis and fetal sexing. Three heifer development workshops were held for veterinary students. Studentsattended lectures on reproductive and genetic principles, followed by practical training in reproductive tract scoring (RTS), pelvic area measurement, and estrous synchronization programs in beef heifers. A total of 36 students participated, gaining essential hands-on skills. Four hands-on workshops were offered for veterinarians. Two were held in Missouri, with the first focusing on heifer pre-breeding evaluation. In this workshop, participants conducted RTS using manual palpation and ultrasound, collected pelvic area measurements, and learned how the data is used to makemanagement decisions. The second Missouri workshop focused on pregnancy diagnosis and fetal sexing using ultrasonography. Two additional workshops were held in Florida to support the University of Florida Extension"Know Your Heifer Program." These workshops focused on heifer development, with veterinarians conducting RTS using manual palpation and ultrasound.A total of 29 inividuals participated in the fourworkshops. Goal 3: A series of webinars on reproductive and genomic topics was offered over several years, attracting national and international participants. The first series, "Establishing Consistency in Beef Heifer Development Programs," launched in 2021, included eight weekly one-hour sessions. Average attendance was 43 per session, with participants from 23 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. In the following year, two more webinar series were introduced. The first, "Strategies for Control of Estrous Cycles in Beef Heifers and Cows," consisted of five sessions and focusedon estrous cycle physiology, synchronization programs, and troubleshooting. Average attendance was 65 per session, with participants from the U.S., Canada, and Ukraine. The second series, "Strategies for Control of Estrous Cycles in Dairy Heifers and Cows," drew participants from 26 U.S. states, five Canadian provinces, and Japan, with an average attendance of 64 across five sessions. Two more series were offered in 2023. "Factors Contributing to Reproduction Success on Dairy Operations" featured six sessions with an average attendance of 47. Participants werefrom the U.S., Canada, Fiji, Japan, Mexico, and Trinidad. This series covered key factors in dairy reproduction, including genetic selection, reproductive strategies, and fertility improvement techniques. The second series, "Focus on the Male," addressed male fertility and reproductive management in beef bulls. Five sessions were offered, with an average attendance of 71, drawing participants from 30 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, and Australia. In 2024, a final webinar series focused on reproduction success during the dairy transition period. Topics included managing the transition cow diet, hypocalcemia prevention, and postpartum uterine health, all critical to reproductive outcomes. The average attendance for the five sessions was 64, with participants from the U.S. and Canada. Across all series, a total of 1953 CE hours were awarded, and 402 individuals attended one or more sessions. Of the 118 survey responses received during the webinar series, 82.2% indicated that the content was high-quality and relevant to their practice, while 83.9% indicatedthat the knowledge gained would enhance their professional practice.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during the reporting period consisted of veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians. Most veterinarians that attended programs were engaged in private practice and the remainder were from industry, academia, government or had retired. Changes/Problems:Goal 1: A significant challenge related to this goal has been thedevelopment of online learning modules. Faculty that were originallyidentified to contribute content either left the university, retired, or changed their academic appointment. Funds from the grant will be used to compensate content experts for developing modules which should address this challenge. Goal 2: Several factors have made it difficult to hold in-person workshops/practicums. First, access to cattle and training facilities has been limited so the number of workshops and participants per workshop have been reduced. In addition, there has been a reduction in university faculty available to provide training. Even though we intend to hold workshops during the next period, the number of workshops and participants per workshop will be less than was originally proposed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The website, workshops and webinar series have provided veterinarians and veterinary students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of current reproductive and genomic technologies available for use in the beef and dairy industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Availability of the website was announced during webinars series and workshops and there are currently 62 registered users. Availability of workshops offered in Missouri were advertised to Missouri veterinarians through the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association and Missouri Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division. The Florida workshops were advertised through University of Florida. Availability of webinars were advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants, Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, and Missouri Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division. Activity on this grant has also been discussed with animal health companies and other service providers that have a vested interest in cattle reproduction and genomics. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: During the next reporting period there will be a significant effort to develop interactive on-line learning modules. Little progress has been made on this goal so far. To do this, funds originally budgeted for in-person workshops (Goal 2) will be used to compensate content experts for developing the modules. Once completed, we will notify our target audiencethat modules are available. Goal 2: We will continue to explore opportunities to offer hands-on workshops for veterinarians and veterinary studentsduring the next period. Goal 3: The current goal is to offer one webinar series during the next period but will consider offeringa second series if funds remain.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: During the last reporting period a website was launched that provides veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians opportunities for online learning in the areas of bovine reproduction and genetics. During this period, we continued to populate the website with content. It currently hosts 30 recorded presentations from webinars that have been offered throughout the project and each presentation has been approved for veterinary continuing education credit. In addition, the website contains a resource page which provide links to additional educational material related to bovine reproduction and genetics. The website can be accessed at: https://ncarg.mylearnworlds.com/ Goal 2: Five in-person workshops were offered during the reporting period. The first was offered on October 29, 2022, in Columbia, MO. This workshop focused on heifer pre-breeding evaluation and five individuals were in attendance. Theworkshop began with a brief discussion of the concepts of reproductive tract scoring (RTS) and measuring pelvic area. Participants were then given the opportunity to RTS (using manual palpation and/or ultrasound) and measure the pelvic area with a Rice pelvimeter of a minimum of 15 heifers. Faculty members from University of Missouri Extension and the College of Veterinary Medicine served as the instructors. At the conclusion of the event, participantswere given a dataset from a group of heifers previously tract scored and pelvic measured and were asked to make recommendations based on the information provided. Three hours of continuing education were awarded to each participant. The second and third in-person workshops were held in Florida in cooperation with the University of Florida (UF). One workshop was held in Ocala, FL on February 3, 2023, with six individuals in attendance and the other workshop was held in Fort Pierce, FL on February 6th, with five individuals in attendance. The workshops began with a discussion of the principles of heifer development, estrous synchronization, and reproductive tract scoring. Participants were then given the opportunity to RTS a minimum of 15 heifers using manual palpation and/or ultrasound. At the conclusion of the event, participants were given a dataset from a group of heifers previously tract scored and were asked to make recommendations based on the information provided. Faculty members from the University of Missouri Extension, University of Florida and a private consultant served as the instructors. The fourth workshop was held in Columbia, MO on February 18, 2023, with six individuals attending. This workshop focused on fetal sexing. Prior to the event, a module was developed on the website previously mentioned and included material and presentations participants needed to review beforehand. The workshop began with a brief discussion of the concepts of pregnacy examination and fetal sexing using ultrasonograpy. Participants were then given the opportunity to exama minimum of 15 heifers. Faculty members from University of Missouri Extension and the College of Veterinary Medicine served as the instructors. Three hours of continuing education was awarded to each participant. The fifth workshop was held in Columbia, MO on April 7, 2023, with 16 veterinary students in attendance attending. Six hours were devoted to classroom instruction and included the following topics: heifer selection decisions, heifer pre-breeding evaluation and breeding strategies and heifer nutrition. Four hours were devoted to hand-on training and participants had the opportunity to reproductive tract score, measure pelvic area and initiate an estrous synchronization program in 25 beef heifers. Goal 3: Two webinar series were offered during the reporting period. The first was titled "Factors contributing to reproduction success on dairy operations" and occurred September 1 through October 13, 2022. The series consisted of six, 1-hour presentations delivered over a 7-week period at 7:00 pm CDT and it was approved for 6 hours of continuing education by the Registry of Continuing Education (RACE). The following are the topics covered during the series: Economic aspects of dairy cow replacement; Evaluating strategies of using sexed semen and beef semen on dairy heifers and cows; Selecting beef sires for use on dairy cattle; Evaluating reproduction and the value it creates; New opportunities for genetic and genomic selection for improved fertility in dairy cattle; Male fertility and contribution through artificial insemination. Availability of the series was advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants, Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, and Missouri Department of Agriculture. The following is a summary of information collected from the registrants: 137 registered 82 individuals attended at least one session during the series with an average attendance of 47 per session. 36% of participants identified as female, 60% as male and 4% choose not to answer. Twenty-eight states were represented as well as five Canadian provinces. In addition, 1 veterinarian was from Fiji, 2 from Japan, 1 from Mexico, and 1 from Trinidad. 78% of participants indicated they were a veterinarian, 2% veterinary technician, 4% veterinary student, and the rest classified themselves as other. Of those that indicated they were a veterinarian: 29% had received their DVM degree within the last 10 years, 44% indicated their employment type private practice - owner, 22% private practice - employee, 3% as industry, and 8% as academia. In addition, 57% indicated their focus was food animal exclusive, 13% as food animal predominant and 19% as mixed practice. Impact: Twenty-four evaluations were received over the course of the series. 54% strongly agreed and 38% somewhat agreed with the following statement, "The content enhanced my professional knowledge and will enhance my practice". The second webinar series titled "Focus on the male" was offered June 1 through June 29, 2023. The series consisted of five, 1-hour presentations delivered each week at 7:00 pm CDT and it was approved for 5 hours of continuing education by the Registry of Continuing Education (RACE). The following are the topics covered during the series: Managing nutrition to optimize reproductive development in beef bulls; Bull breeding soundness exam; Bull fertility as measured by in-vitro assays; Predetermining the sex of commercial beef calves with sex-sorted semen; Sire fertility evaluation: Omics & emerging technologies. Availability of the series was advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, and Missouri Veterinary Medical Association and Missouri Department of Agriculture. The following is a summary of information collected from the registrants: 164 registered 137 individuals attended at least one session during the series with an average attendance of 71 per session. 45% of participants identified as female, 54% as male and 1% choose not to answer. Thirty states were represented and three Canadian provinces. In addition, 2 veterinarians were from Australia. 90% of participants indicated they were a veterinarian, 2% veterinary technician, 2% veterinary student, and the rest classified themselves as other. Of those that indicated they were a veterinarian: 18% had received their DVM degree within the last 10 years, 47% indicated their employment type private practice - owner, 15% private practice - employee, 2% as industry, and 14% as academia. In addition, 39% indicated their focus was food animal exclusive, 23% as food animal predominant and 20% as mixed practice. Impact: Twenty-six evaluations were received over the course of the series. 35% strongly agreed and 46% somewhat agreed with the following statement, "The content enhanced my professional knowledge and will enhance my practice".
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during the reporting period consisted of veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians. The majority of veterinarians that attended programs were engaged in private practice and the remainder were from industry, academia, government or had retired. Changes/Problems:Goal 1: Critical to accomplishing this goal is a learning management system (LMS) that is flexible and can be customized to meet the needs of a wide variety of users and situations. The LMS currently approved for use by the university does not fulfill those requirements therefore, much of the time devoted to this goal has been identifying a suitable outside system and obtaining approval for use. As a result, progress on this goal has been delayed. However, we recently received approval to use an outside system and significant progress should occur over the next year. Another challenge related to this goal is related to development of full courses for the website. Faculty that had been identified to contribute content have either retired or their academic appointment has changed. This has delayed progress, but alternatives are currently being considered. Goal 2: Several factors have made it difficult to hold in-person workshops/practicums. First, access to cattle for hands-on-training has been limited so the number of workshops and participants per workshop have been reduced. In addition, retirement of university faculty or change in appointment has limited the number of qualified trainers. We are currently exploring alternatives that will give us the opportunity to expand workshop offerings in the future. Goal 3: The original intent was to offer webinars that focused exclusively on reproductive and genomic technologies in beef cattle. However, we have also discovered there is a need for this information in the dairy industry so webinars targeting this segment have been offered as well. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Webinars, website, and workshops have provided veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians the opportunity to increase their knowledge of current reproductive and genomic technologies available for use in the beef and dairy industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Webinar series were advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants, and American Embryo Transfer Association. Individuals that registered for webinars were notified that a website is available so they can view recorded presentations from all webinars offered during the project period. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: We will continue to add content to the website - both single topic continuing education modules and full courses. Once completed, we will notify a broader audience that the website is available by advertising through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants and American Embryo Transfer Association. Goal 2: A hands-on workshop that focuses on heifer development and use of ultrasound will be offered for veterinarians in the fall of 2022. A second hands-on workshop that focuses on the same topics will be offered for veterinary students in the spring of 2023. Goal 3: Two webinar series will be offered. The first begins on September 1, 2022, and focuses on factors that contribute to reproductive success in dairy operations. A second series is also being planned and it will focus on beef bull fertility. All presentations will be approved for veterinary continuing education credit and the recordings will be posted on the website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: A website has been developed that offers online learning opportunities for veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians. Recorded presentations from webinars offered during the project are currently available and each is approved for 1 hour of veterinary continuing education. Webinar registrants have been notified the site is available and asked to provide suggestions for additional content and ways to improve user experience. Goal 2: An in-person workshop on beef heifer development was offered at the University of Missouri March 23 and 24, 2022. Sixteen veterinary students participated in the event. Six hours were devoted to classroom instruction and included the following topics: expected progeny difference and genomic prediction basics, heifer selection decisions, heifer pre-breeding evaluation and breeding strategies, nutrition, and breeding programs. Four hours were devoted to hands-on training and participants had the opportunity to reproductive tract score, measure pelvic area and initiate an estrous synchronization program in 25 beef heifers. Goal 3: Two webinar series were offered during the reporting period. The first was titled "Strategies for control of estrous cycles in beef heifers and cows" and occurred September 2 through September 30, 2022. The series consisted of five, 1-hour presentations delivered each week at 7:00 pm CST and was approved for 5 hours of continuing education by the Registry of Continuing Education (RACE). The following are the topics covered during the series: Physiology and endocrinology of the bovine estrous cycle and products approved for use in estrous cycle control; Estrus synchronization programs for replacement beef heifers; Estrus synchronization programs for postpartum beef cows; Estrus synchronization programs for recipient females prior to embryo transfer; Assessing synchronization programs: Goals and troubleshooting results. The series was advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants and American Embryo Transfer Association. The following is a summary of information collected from the registrants: 179 registered 103 individuals attended at least one session during the series with an average attendance of 65 per session. 33% of participants identified as female, 61% as male and 6% chose not to answer. Twenty-five states were represented as well as two Canadian provinces and two attendees were from Ukraine. 76% of participants indicated they were a veterinarian, 2% veterinary technician, 11% veterinary student, and the rest classified themselves as other. Of those that indicated they were a veterinarian: 24% had received their DVM degree within the last 10 years, 42% indicated their employment type private practice - owner, 26% private practice - employee, 8% as industry, and 8% as academia. In addition, 44% indicated their focus was food animal exclusive, 27% as food animal predominant and 16% as mixed practice. The second webinar series titled "Strategies for control of estrous cycles in dairy heifers and cows" was offered June 9 through July 7, 2022. The series consisted of five, 1-hour presentations delivered each week at 7:00 pm CST and was approved for 5 hours of continuing education by the Registry of Continuing Education (RACE). The following are the topics covered during the series: Physiology and endocrinology of the bovine estrous cycle and products approved for use in estrous cycle control; Estrus synchronization programs for replacement dairy heifers; Estrus synchronization programs for dairy cows; Use of activity monitors for reproductive programs; Assessing synchronization programs: troubleshooting results. The series was advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Academy of Veterinary Consultants and Academy of Dairy Veterinary Consultants. The following is a summary of information collected from the registrants: 143 registered 93 individuals attended at least one session during the series with an average attendance of 65 per session. 41% of participants identified as female, 55% as male and 4% chose not to answer. Twenty-six states were represented as well as five Canadian provinces and one attendee was from Japan. 91% of participants indicated they were a veterinarian, 4% veterinary students, and the rest classified themselves as other. Of those that indicated they were a veterinarian: 32% had received their DVM degree within the last 10 years, 44% indicated their employment type private practice - owner, 22% private practice - employee, 2% as industry and 14% as academia. In addition, 65% indicated their focus was food animal exclusive, 13% as food animal predominant and 13% as mixed practice. Impact: Seventeen evaluations were received over the course of the series. 76% strongly agreed and 18% somewhat agreed with the following statement, "The content enhanced my professional knowledge and will change my practice".
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audience reached during the reporting period included veterinarians, veterinarian technicians and veterinary students. Contacts were also made with cattle reproductive service companies and the American Embryo Transfer Association (AETA) to better understand their needs. Changes/Problems:Goal 1: Changes in university policy now make it a requirement that extension faculty use a specific learning management system software for delivering non-credit content online. However, this software has significant limitations and cost which has hindered progress on goal 1. Recently, we discovered an alternative delivery method used by other continuing education units on campus and anticipate that we can make significant progress during the next reporting period. Goal 2: The pandemic made it difficult to hold workshops/practicums and it is unknown how the resurgence in cases will impact future plans. In addition, budget pressure at the university farm where workshops were to be held, led to dispersal of the cattle herd and much of the property has been converted to row crop production. We are currently exploring alternative locations and sources of cattle for the workshops. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The webinar series provided veterinarians, veterinarian technicians and veterinary students with an introduction to the principles of heifer development and genetic selection. By the end of the series participants were able to: describe how to identify high potential return on investment females; discuss the factors necessary to ensure heifers grow at a rate to achieve puberty before breeding; explain the benefits of expected progeny difference (EPD) in the beef herd; identify elements of a successful low-cost heifer development system; summarize how data points collected at pre-breeding exams and ultrasound pregnancy checks can allow for additional revenue streams for veterinarians and increase profitability for producers; discuss strategies for incorporating genomic testing into the beef herd; discuss the incorporation of beef heifer reproductive management programs in veterinary practice The in-person workshop gave participants an opportunity to advance their knowledge in heifer development programs and genetic selection principles. In addition, they received hands-on training from university faculty in reproductive tract scoring, measuring pelvic area and use of ultrasound for reproductive tract evaluation in beef cattle. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: Recordings of presentations from webinars will be edited and made available online for continuing education credit. We have also had discussions with content experts about additional modules and development will begin in the fall of 2021. Goal 2: We are currently exploring opportunities and options for offering in-person practicums in the fall of 2021. Goal 3: A five-week webinar series on estrous cycle control of beef cattle has been organized and will offered in September of 2021. An additional webinar series on economics of cow-calf production is being considered for January of 2022.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Recordings of presentations from the webinar series on heifer development were edited and will be available online for continuing education credit in the fall of 2021. We have also had discussions with content experts about additional modules and development will begin in the fall of 2021. During the last reporting period a proposal for a graduate certificate program titled "Reproductive and Genomic Technologies for Livestock", was submitted to the university Academic Affairs Office for review. The certificate was created to support the unmet need for advanced training in reproduction and genetics for graduate students, veterinary students and veterinary graduates. During this reporting period, the proposal continued to advance through the approval process and has entered the final phase. We anticipate the certificate program will be open for enrollment the fall semester of 2022. Goal 2: An in-person workshop on heifer development and beef cattle genomics was offered at the University of Missouri March 23 - 24, 2021. Three, third year veterinary students and a recent veterinary graduate participated in the event. Six hours were devoted to classroom instruction and included the following topics: EPD and genomic prediction basics, selection decisions, Show-Me-Select™ program overview and heifer pre-breeding evaluation and breeding strategies., nutrition, genetic selection and breeding programs. Two hours were devoted to hands-on training and participants had the opportunity to reproductive tract score (RTS), measure pelvic area and initiate an estrous synchronization program in 25 beef heifers. The veterinarian received 8 hours of continuing education for attending. Goal 3: A webinar series titled "Establishing consistency in beef heifer development programs" was offered July 1 through August 19. The series consisted of eight, 1-hour presentations delivered each week at 7:00 pm CST and was approved for 8 hours of continuing education by the Registry of Continuing Education (RACE). The following are the titles of the presentations: Selection of Profitable Commercial Beef Heifers; Intensive vs extensive heifer development systems - part 1 Intensive; EPD basics and sire selection; Intensive vs extensive heifer development systems - part 2 Extensive; Pre-breeding evaluation of beef replacement heifers; heifer phenotyping as a service for genetic evaluation; Does genomic prediction work? Result from NCARG field demonstration; Incorporating reproductive management of beef heifers into veterinary practice. The series was advertised through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the Academy of Veterinary Consultants. The following is a summary of demographic information collected from the registrants: 83 individuals participated in at least one session during the series with an average attendance of 43 per session. 40% of participants identified as female, 58% as male and 2% choose not to answer. Twenty-three states were represented as well as two Canadian provinces. 88% of participants indicated they were a veterinarian, 2% a veterinary technician, and the rest classified themselves as other. Of those that indicated they were a veterinarian: 32% had received their DVM degree within the last 10 years. 32% indicated their employment type private practice - owner, 23% private practice - employee, 10% as industry and 8% as academia. 45% indicated their focus was food animal exclusive, 27% as food animal predominant and 15% as mixed practice. Impact: 43 evaluations were received over the course of the series. 37% strongly agreed and 47% somewhat agreed with the following statement, "The content enhanced my professional knowledge and will change my practice".
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Veterinary students - fifteen veterinary students at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine participated in online lectures in beef cattle reproduction and genetics/genomics. Food animal veterinarians - needs assesment survey was distributed through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in order to better understand the skill sets veterinarians determined to be important to their practice and how they view the preparedness of veterinary students to deliver these skills upon graduation. Allied industry - conversations were held with cattle reproductive service companies to determine their needs for education and training in relation to application of reproductive and genomic technologies. Changes/Problems:Initially we planned to create online continuing education content for veterinarians and veterinary technicians and then focus on development of a graduate certificate program for veterinary and animal science students. However, we did not anticipate some of the barriers associated with delivering non-credit programming through the University of Missouri and chose to focus on the graduate certificate program first. Due to this change, we did not have expenditures for website services or marketing for the first reporting period. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on approach and expenditures. Specifically, we were not able to hold in-person practicums so there were no expenditures associated with materials/supplies or equipment/facility fee. In addition, the consultant/instructional designer had to refocus efforts temporarily so there were no expenditures associated with consultation services or travel. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided veterinary students with an opportunity to increase their knowledge of beef cattle reproductive and genomic technologies. Fifteen veterinary students participated in a 2.5 hour reproduction and 3 hour genetics/genomics webinar in March 2020. A day long practicum was also planned to provide hands-on experience with these techonologies but was cancelled due to COVID-19. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Faculty will begin development of content for online courses and in-person practicums in the fall of 2020 to meet the needs of the graduate certificate program. The certificate program should be open for enrollment by the spring semester of 2021. The online courses will also become available to veterinarians and veterinary technicians for continuing education credits. The offering of in-person practicums to non-students will be contingent upon university, state and/or local restrictions associated with COVID-19. Efforts to market the graduate certificate and online continuing education opportunities will take place once the content is available.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A graduate certificate program titledReproductive and Genomic Technologies for Livestock, was created to support the unmet need for advanced training in reproduction and genetics for veterinary students and veterinary graduates. Currently there are no graduate certificate programs of this kind in existence. The certificate can stand alone or may be earned as part of an approved veterinary training program. For example: a student enrolled in an accredited College of Veterinary Medicine at a partnering university could earn a graduate certificate as part of their elective curriculum. Participants must complete 12 hours of courses from the selections listed below: Required: Physiological Principles and Fundamentals of Bovine Reproduction (2 credits - online) Applications of Reproductive Technologies (2 credits - online) Applied Livestock Genetics (2 credits - online) Introduction to Genomics (1 credit - online) Marketing & Advocating Reproductive and Genomic Services (1 credit - online) Select Four: Estrus Synch & AI Practicum (1 credit) Prebreeding Evaluation of Heifers & Bulls Practicum(1 credit) Pregnancy Diagnosis Practicum(1 credit) In-Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Practicum(1 credit) Advanced Genomic Applications (1 credit) Online courses and in-person practicums developed for the certificate program will also be offered as continuing education opportunities for veterinarians and veterinary technicians which aligns with goal 1 and 2 of this project. As of July 31, 2020 a certificate program proposal has been completed and submitted to University of Missouri Academic Affairs office for review and approval. In addition, online meetings were held with 12 faculty members having expertise in reproduction, genomics, and economics. These individuals have committed to developing content for the program.
Publications
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