ACAW Short Course

Thursday May 16

Time	Topic / Activity	Speaker
8:00 – 8:45 AM	Registration
8:50 – 9:00 AM	Welcome from the ACAW President	LaVonne Meunier
9:00 – 9:50 AM	Introduction to animal welfare and animal welfare assessment	Monique Pairis-Garcia
10:00 – 10:50 AM	The Evidence for Pain Perception in Fish	Lysa Posner
11:00 – 11:50 AM	Welfare of Dolphins in Entertainment	Jamie Nakatani
12:00 – 1:00 PM	Lunch (provided)
1:00 – 1:50 PM	Welfare Implications of Climate Change for Elephants and Other Species	Susan Mikota
2:00 – 2:30 PM	Training Committee tips for filling out the JTA	Elizabeth Nunamaker
2:30 – 3:00 PM	Break
3:00 – 3:50 PM	Welfare during slaughter: Non-stuns	Jim Reynolds
4:00 – 4:50 PM	Social changes and recent perspectives in animal agriculture	Txema Peralta
5:00 – 6:30 PM	Welcome Dinner

Friday May 17

9:00 – 9:50 AM	Welfare of sport horses	Jennifer Federico
10:00 – 10:50 AM	Welfare of animals in museums	Dan Dombrowski & Rachel Myers
11:00 – 11:50 AM	Welfare during the Iditarod	Steven Shipley
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM	Lunch
12:50 PM	Load buses for field trip to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (depart by 1pm, estimated return 5pm)	Dan Dombrowski & Rachel Myers
5:00 – 7:00 PM	BBQ Dinner

Saturday May 18

9:00 – 9:50 AM	Welfare of aquatic invertebrates: Sea stars, cephalopods, and horseshoe crabs	Elizabeth Nunamaker
10:00 – 10:50 AM	Fish diversity and its implications for fish welfare in aquaculture	Becca Franks
11:00 – 11:50 AM	Manatee welfare	Antonio Mignucci

Dan Dombrowski, MS, DVM
Chief Veterinarian, NC Museum of Natural Sciences

In 2006, Dr. Dombrowski earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from NC State University with a focus on zoo medicine and advanced courses in reptile, fish, invertebrate, avian and wildlife medicine. He also received the WAAZM Class of 2006 Proficiency in Zoological Medicine Award. His interests include wildlife conservation, education, and veterinary medicine.

Currently he is an adjunct professor at the North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine with clinical privileges and regular veterinary student laboratory and lecture teaching assignments.

Jennifer Lynn Federico, DVM
Animal Services Director, Wake County Animal Center

Dr. Federico originates from Long Island, where she earned her bachelor’s in mathematics from Long Island University.  In 2008, she graduated from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.  After three years in private practice, she found her calling in Shelter Medicine and Animal Welfare.  She has been with the Wake County Animal Center since 2011 and is the Animal Services Director. In 2021, she completed her board certification in Animal Welfare. She shares her home with four pitties, two labs, two German shepherds and one horse.

Becca Franks, PhD
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at NYU

She was previously a Killam Postdoctoral Fellow with the Animal Welfare Program at UBC, where she was awarded the Killam Research Prize. Her research and teaching lie at the intersection of environmental and animal protection, specializing in animal behavior, aquatic animal welfare, quantitative methods, and human-animal relationships.  In addition to publishing scholarly articles, commentaries, and book chapters, she co-edited a special issue for the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science and is an Associate Editor for the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Antonio Mignucci, AS VT, BS, MA, PhD
Director Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center

Antonio Mignucci, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an oceanographer and a certified aquatic veterinary technician specializing in aquatic biology, health, and conservation. He directs the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, dedicated to the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of endangered or threatened marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds. Doctor Mignucci graduated with degrees in Zoology, Veterinary Technology, and Marine Affairs, and in 1996 he received a Doctorate in Oceanography from the University of Puerto Rico, specializing in aquatic animal health. He is currently a professor of marine sciences at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, an adjunct professor at Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, Mignucci also serves as a veterinary advisor for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s European Endangered Species Program on Caribbean manatees. As a conservationist, Mignucci has applied his scientific and research experience in developing creative solutions through conservation, community outreach, and educational programs in Puerto Rico and Latin America. As a scientist, Mignucci is recognized internationally for his work on marine mammals and as an expert on endangered manatees. He has researched their biogeography, stranding, mortality, parasitology, population genetics, and health with specialists and colleagues worldwide. In doing so, he has traveled extensively in the US, Caribbean, South America, and Africa, advising zoos, aquariums, academia, and NGOs on endangered marine wildlife studies and recovery efforts. Mignucci has published extensively, authoring seven books and over 100 peer-reviewed publications with colleagues in 53 scientific journals. His conservation initiatives were featured worldwide on numerous film documentaries and television series, reaching over 20 million viewers. In 2004, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded him their Environmental Quality Award, in 2022 and 2023 he was recognized with a Humane Hero Award from Global Humane, and in 2023 as Ambassador of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. In 2024, Scuba Diving Magazine, PADI and Seiko Watch of America chose Doctor Mignucci as “Sea Hero” for their January issue. For more than 38 years, doctor Mignucci has contributed long-term and meaningfully to help solve the pressing extinction challenges facing manatees and other wildlife in the Caribbean and Latin America through academic research, training future scientists, and creating community-involved recovery efforts on behalf of these endangered species. His work, however, is ultimately guided by a profound belief that protecting species from endangerment can only be achieved through innovative and sustained programs such as the ones he helped initiate that educate and inspire local communities to become actively involved and help change people’s detrimental habits into positive conservation behaviors.

Susan K. Mikota DVM
Executive Director & Director of Veterinary Programs and Research, USA

Dr. Susan Mikota is co-founder and Executive Director of Elephant Care International. She is a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group and a Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare (ACAW). She co-edited the textbook Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants (with Murray Fowler DVM). Susan created and maintains the world’s largest elephant bibliographic database on elephant healthcare and with Donald C. Plumb, Pharm D. has published the first elephant formulary. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work with Sumatran elephants. As an instructor, she participated in the “EleVETS Training Program” (Sri Lanka, 2017), “Elephant Healthcare and Welfare workshop” in Myanmar (2018), “Pathology Training for Elephant Veterinarians” workshop in Myanmar (2019), and the “Elephant Health & Welfare INDIA workshop in India (2023).

Rachel Myers, MS
Curator, Reptiles, Amphibians, & Ambassador Animals at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Jamie Nakatani, DVM, MPVM
Resident – American College of Animal Welfare
PhD Candidate – Animal Behavior

Dr. Jamie Nakatani graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Biology and a minor in Entomology. She then pursued a career in zookeeping, working at the Santa Ana Zoo in Southern California for two years before pursuing an Associate of Science degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management at Moorpark College. She graduated from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021, completed her Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degree in 2022, and is now working on her non-academic ACAW residency under the guidance of Dr. Joanne Paul-Murphy. She is concurrently pursuing her PhD in Animal Behavior at UC Davis, studying the relationship between positive reinforcement training, health, and welfare in captive bottlenose dolphins. Dr. Nakatani hopes to utilize her background as a zookeeper, veterinarian, and a researcher to effectively collaborate with all members of animal care teams and improve the lives of animals in zoological facilities. 

Liz Nunamaker, PhD, DVM, DACLAM, DACAW
Director of Animal Welfare at Charles River Laboratories

Dr. Elizabeth Nunamaker is a member for the Global Animal Welfare and Training team at Charles River and serves as President of the North American 3Rs Collaborative, where she is focused on spreading rodent tunnel handling practices and developing a 3Rs certification program for those working in animal research. She has a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan and a DVM degree from Purdue University.

Dr. Nunamaker is double boarded by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and the American College of Animal Welfare. Over the last 10 years, she has focused on the welfare of laboratory animal species and has numerous publications on this topic.

Jose M Peralta DVM, PhD , DACAW, DECAWBM
Professor of Animal Welfare College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences

Jose M. Peralta DVM PhD is a Professor of Animal Welfare at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. He is a Diplomate of the American and the European Colleges of Animal Welfare and has received awards from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Veterinary Association for his contributions to the education and advancement in the scientific field of animal welfare. He is interested in all aspects of animal welfare and has worked on projects in different species. He is presently a member of the Animal Welfare Committee of the California Veterinary Medical Association, of the Exam Committee of the European College of Animal Welfare, and of the Board of Directors of the American College of Animal Welfare. In 2024, he was appointed President-Elect of the American College of Animal Welfare.

Lysa Pam Posner, DVM,DACVAA
Asst Dean – Veterinary Med, NC State College of Veterinary Medicine

Lysa Pam Posner is a Professor of Veterinary Anesthesiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at NC State University.  She completed a B.S. degree in biochemistry from Purdue University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Cornell University.  Following graduation from veterinary school, she practiced as a general practice veterinarian for 8 years before returning to Cornell University to complete a Residency in Veterinary Anesthesiology.  She currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Development at the CVM, and continues to teach in the DVM curriculum and do research on anesthesia and analgesia.

James Reynolds, DVM, MPVM, DACAW
Professor, Large Animal Medicine Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA

Dr. Reynolds graduated from UC Davis in 1982. He was in private dairy and beef practice in California for 14 years, with one year in mixed practice, and then completed a Residency program in Public Health with the California Department of Health Services. He was the Chief of Clinical Services for Production Medicine at University of California, Davis for 12 years. He is currently a Professor of Large Animal Medicine/Welfare at Western University, College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, CA. Dr. Reynolds has served as chair of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Animal Welfare Committees. He is currently a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Committee. He was a founding board member of the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO). Dr. Reynolds is a member of the scientific committee for Validus and conducts welfare assessments and audits for Validus. Dr. Reynolds received the AVMA Animal Welfare Award for 2007.

Steven T. Shipley, DVM, DACLAM
Associate Director of Veterinary Services in the Division of Comparative Medicine at UNC – Chapel Hill

After vet school Dr. Shipley spent a couple of years in small animal private practice followed by almost 5 years in a multi-specialty ER practice.  In 2003 he accepted a LAM position at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, obtaining ACLAM diplomate status in 2010.  In 2015 he relocated to his current position as the Associate Director of Veterinary Services in the Division of Comparative Medicine at UNC – Chapel Hill where his clinical practice is primarily all things USDA covered with an emphasis on surgical model development and support.  Because one can never be too busy Dr. Shipley has also volunteered as a Trail Veterinarian for 6 Iditarod races from 2015-2022 where he provides veterinary care and health/welfare assessments to the amazing canine superathletes participating in this long distance sled dog mushing event.  Outside of work Dr. Shipley enjoys knifemaking, metalwork, hunting and fishing.

• ACAW Diplomate $275
• non-ACAW Diplomate $325
• DVM Student $50
• Registered ACAW Trainees or Residents $165
• Registration includes 12.5 hours RACE approved CE for in-person attendees and 12.5 RACE approved CE hours for live stream attendees (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will not be available via live stream), electronic notes, lunches & breaks, Thursday Welcome Dinner and Friday evening BBQ. Additionally, attendees will be able to view a recording of the sessions (excluding North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences), but CE credit is not available for recorded sessions.

NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. 1060 William Moore Drive. Raleigh, NC 27607 Map and Directions

A room block is available for attendees at Ramada by Wyndham Raleigh
1520 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 +1-919-832-4100

Rate is $89 + tax

Ramada by Wyndham Raleigh Rooms & Rates

The group code is: 2024ACAW and the cut off date for this rate is 4/27