The more things change . . . the more things stay the same.   Chances are you’ve heard that saying at some point in your life.  There’s a good reason for that: it’s absolutely true.  While you may have noticed something different about the The Animal Science Monitor, our commitment to providing the most timely and pertinent information possible remains the same.  And when it comes to being more successful in your industry, there’s nothing better than face-to-face networking, which we explore in this week’s issue.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy The ASM.  Hopefully, that will never change.

—Dan and Don

> Upcoming Industry Events
> A New Look for the ASM!
    By Matt Deutsch
>Tips for the Boss: I’ll See You at the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference
   By Dan Simmons
> Managing Your Career: Tips and Suggestions for Attending Conferences
   By Don Hunter
> In Focus: the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence
   By Don Hunter

At the Animal Science Monitor, we’re advocates of continuous education and the promotion of industry events such as conferences and conventions.  The training and networking opportunities that exist at these events are extremely valuable and can pay dividends in a number of different ways.

That’s why we’re now running a regular column devoted to upcoming events in the animal science and animal nutrition industries.  And as always, we value your input.  If there’s an industry event that you believe we should promote through our newsletter, please email your information to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com.

November

Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference
Dates: Tuesday, November 13 and Wednesday, November 14
Location: Holiday Inn in Grantville, Pa
Description: There will be an excellent lineup of speakers and presenters at the conference.  Among them are faculty and staff from Penn State’s Dairy and Animal Science, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Crop and Soil Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and Rural Sociology departments.
Registration: http://www.das.psu.edu/dairynutrition/education/workshop2007/

A New Look for The ASM!
(By Matt Deutsch)

As you know, we’re big advocates of continuous improvement here at The Animal Science Monitor. If you’re not evolving and getting better, you’re falling behind. In other words, you become stagnant.

With this issue of The ASM, we’re proud to introduce a new design for the newsletter. This design is intended to enhance your experience with our publication, whether you’re reading the articles or looking for exciting new opportunities in your field. Our goal is to present the best possible product to you, our loyal readers.

And as always, if there’s any way in which you believe that we can further enhance The Animal Science Monitor, please let us know. Your feedback allows us to continually improve our newsletter.

Send any comments or suggestions to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com. Once again, thanks for reading The ASM, and we hope that you enjoy this week’s issue.

Since the inception of The Animal Science Monitor, we’ve emphasized the importance of attending conferences and conventions and of networking with other people within both your industry and your specialty.  And of course, we also put our money where our mouth is, because we attend these events, as well.

Once again, I’ll be at the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference.  This year, the conference is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13 and Wednesday, November 14 at the Holiday Inn in Grantville, Pa.  Year in and year out, this proves to be an excellent networking, educational, and training event, and I’m pleased to be able to promote it within the pages of The ASM.

The primary goal of the conference is “to provide applied dairy nutrition information and training to feed industry professionals.”  The topics presented at this year’s event will include the following:

• Feed efficiency
• Milk fat depression
• Negative energy balance
• Supply and demand in grain markets
• Carbohydrate nutrition
• Using metabolizable protein
• The energy needs of dry cows
• The comfort zones of cattle
• Essential oils
• Profiles of high-profit dairies

There will be an excellent lineup of speakers and presenters at the conference.  Among them are faculty and staff from Penn State’s Dairy and Animal Science, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Crop and Soil Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and Rural Sociology departments.

As always, you can earn Continuing Education Credits for attending.  American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) members can earn up to 12 credits for this conference, as well as an additional four credits for the Feed Management Planner session held on Tuesday, November 12.  Also, Pennsylvania veterinarians can earn up to 12 credits.

In this issue of The ASM, Don Hunter provides some tips and suggestions for attending events like this one, and I encourage you to read his article.  If you’d like more information about the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference, click here.  You’ll be able to view the agenda for the conference, as well as directions to the Holiday Inn.

There are also two points of contact for the event.  If you have questions about the conference or about registration, you can reach Coleen Jones at cjones@psu.edu.  If you’d like to be an exhibitor at the conference or sponsor a speaker, a breakfast, or a future pre-conference, you can reach Jud Heinrichs at ajheinrichs01@gmail.com.

If you plan to attend the conference and would like to speak with me, please send me an email, as well.  I can be reached at dan@consearch.com.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Tips and Suggestions for Attending Conferences
(By Don Hunter)

While my good friend and colleague, Dan Simmons, is at the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Conference, I thought this would be a good time to review some tips and suggestions for attending conferences and conventions.  Attending these types of events can go a long way toward advancing your career and helping you to achieve your goals.

As with most endeavors, planning and preparation are crucial to maximizing your experience at a conference. And this includes all aspects of the event—the venue involved, the hotel, your travel, the various activities and sessions that are available, the people you’d like to meet, etc. The more preparation you can do in advance, the more you’ll be able to enjoy the conference and the less time and energy you’ll waste because of other, less productive issues.

Prioritizing and the importance of networking

The first step is to conduct a small self-inventory of your motivations for attending. What’s the number-one thing you hope to achieve or gain? Do you wish to expand your professional network of contacts and acquaintances? Is there some specific knowledge you’re hoping to pick up while you’re there? Or is it something else? Write down that top reason on a notepad. Chances are you’re planning to attend for a number of different reasons, so after you’ve listed your number-one reason, write down these others, as well. Then rearrange them in order of importance, from greatest to least.

Next you should plan which specific sessions you want to attend. Consult the conference agenda and select those that interest you. However, also pick back-up sessions in case some of your primary choices are full or are cancelled for one reason or another. In addition to the agenda, a list of those people attending the conference might be made available to you. If so, take advantage of it. This list may also include the areas in which the attendees specialize. Circle those people you wish to speak with, should the opportunity arise. This includes those who are making presentations at the event.

You can take this idea one step further. If there are one or two people attending the conference who you would like to meet, contact them in advance and invite them to lunch, dinner, or a cup of coffee at a particular time. This one-on-one interaction will allow you to learn from them, network with them, and share or exchange ideas with them. This might be out of your comfort zone, but you’d be surprised at how receptive people are to it. Not only will the person you’ve contacted be flattered, but it will also serve to boost your confidence before you’ve even arrived on site.

Networking is one of the most valuable benefits associated with conferences and conventions. It’s an excellent way to expand the possibilities that exist within your chosen field of work and to become more familiar with the movers and shakers in the industry. Look at your list again, and make certain that networking is somewhere near the top.

It’s all in the details

When it comes to conferences and conventions, there are numerous details that must be planned. Your attention to these details will help to free up your time once you arrive at the event. Below is a list of the most pressing ones you should consider.

• Travel—Make your flight plans early and be as thorough as possible. You don’t want any last-second surprises. And book your hotel room as soon as you can, especially if the event is being held on a weekend.
• The hotel—Research the facility, including maps and floor plans, in order to familiarize yourself with it beforehand. This will help to ensure that you arrive at your sessions promptly. That way, you won’t run the risk of the sessions filling up before you get there.
• Business cards—These are imperative. The last thing you want to do is run out at some point. Bring so many cards that you’re sure you’ll still have some at the end of the conference.
• Comfortable shoes—You’ll be walking, walking, and then after that, you’ll do some more walking.
• The venue—More than likely, the conference will be held in a city that offers an array of attractive entertainment options. These options provide excellent opportunities for you to further network with individuals during “down time” (i.e., during hours when the conference is not being conducted.) More information might be provided in your conference packet, if one is supplied.

Gaining an edge

If you don’t attend the Penn State Conference, I hope that you’ve already attended one this year, or are planning to attend one in the near future.  I recommend attending at least one per year, in the interests of networking, training, and building a better path for career advancement.  In today’s fast-paced market, you need to gain an edge wherever you can, and conferences can provide you with that edge.

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com.  And if you’re currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume.  I’d be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them.  Any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.

Started in 2005 as a public/private partnership, the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence (USPCE) carries out its endeavors through a Mission Statement, a Statement of Purpose, and a Vision Statement.

The USPCE’s Mission Statement is to add value to the pork industry by facilitating research and learning for U.S. pork producers through national collaboration.  The organization carries out this mission through three programs that center upon research, teaching, and extension.

• The Research Center of Excellence revolves around the coordination of research on focused issues.  This past March, an Air Quality Research meeting was held in conjunction with the National Pork Board.  This meeting brought together the leading researchers in the field to discuss issues and possible courses of action.  A Water Quality meeting is scheduled for February of 2008.

• The Teaching Center of Excellence supports Regional Swine Schools that provide intensive swine production education.  The USPCE received a $460,000 challenge education grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the development of the Swine Schools.  This project is used to develop the curriculum in the swine science courses.

• The Extension Center of Excellence focuses on the Pork Information Gateway (PIG), a virtual center of information development, warehousing, and delivery involving the entire pork extension network nationwide.  The PIG is an online resource tool that includes a Library of Questions and Answers, Factsheets (modeled after the Pork Industry Handbook), and References (talks, swine day reports, etc.)  This tool is free to the entire U.S. pork industry, and all that’s needed to access the PIG database is a user name and password.  Visit www.porkgateway.org to get started.

The USPCE’s Statement of Purpose is a three-pronged initiative.  The organization strives to meet its research, teaching, and extension goals through leadership in the following areas:

• Creating efficiencies through coordination
• Identifying, attracting, and directing funds to high priorities, accomplishing more effective problem-solving
• Communicating solutions to target audiences throughout the U.S. pork industry

The Vision Statement of the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence is to advance the following:

• U.S. pork production as the world-class standard
• A new paradigm for how research is conducted and information is delivered
• Society’s understanding and valuing of U.S. pork producers’ contributions to the economy, environment, community, and also to consumer health and well being
• A thriving U.S. pork production industry.

In addition to everything described above, there are two other projects on which the USPCE is currently working.  Those two are the National Swine Nutrition Guide and the Sow Productive Lifetime Management Guide.

Since the organization was founded, 24 land grant universities and 16 state pork associations have provided funding for the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.  (To view a full list of partners, visit www.usporkcenter.com and click on “Partners.”)