Inductees

---

Dr. Tina M. Widowski is Professor of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph. She moved to Canada in 1990 and was appointed her faculty position in the Ontario Agricultural College in 1998.  As an animal welfare scientist, she committed her academic career to investigating how housing and management practices affect the behaviour, health and welfare of farm animals, with an emphasis on pigs and poultry. In 2011, she was appointed Egg Farmers of Canada Research Chair in Poultry Welfare, then focusing her research on laying hens and pullets. Her goal has been to understand and match animals’ behavioural biology with the ways they are housed and managed to meet their needs and the needs of their care givers. Tina’s research is highly practical and is often used to directly inform animal welfare guidelines around the world.

From 2007 to 2020, Tina was Director of the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW) at Guelph. During her tenure, Tina expanded the graduate program in applied animal behaviour and welfare, and CCSAW became the largest group of animal welfare scientists and students in North America focusing on farm, laboratory, and companion animals.

Tina has played a significant role in shaping animal care policy for farm animals in Canada. She served on the National Farm Animal Care Council Scientific Committees for pigs, for meat poultry and for laying hens, and on the Code development committee for laying hens. She was on the steering committee that developed the framework for Animal Care Assessment Programs, which is the process that assures for Canadians that our national Codes of Practice for farm animals are being followed. Outside of Canada, her work has been cited in policy development by governments and NGOs in 11 other countries.

Tina has taught thousands of undergrads, supervised over 80 MSc, PhD and post-doctoral trainees and has served on over 75 advisory committees for other graduate students. A large number of these students has gone on to achieve leadership positions in national animal agricultural organizations and companies.  In 2005, she received the Distinguished Professor Award from University of Guelph faculty and in 2018 the OAC Alumni Foundation McRostie Award for advising and mentoring graduate students.

Tina has completed hundreds of scientific articles, interviews, podcasts, and presentations in her field of expertise. In 2021, she was on the Influential Women in Agriculture list of Annex Business Media.