UEP is fortunate to have outstanding members on its Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Janice Swanson and Dr. Ruth Newberry are two long-standing members who helped develop the initial UEP Certified Guidelines.

Dr. Janice Swanson

Dr. Swanson was one of the nine distinguished original members of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) formed in 1999. She continues to provide invaluable guidance and leadership for UEP Certified and currently serves as the committee chair.

Colleagues have long recognized Dr. Swanson’s leadership and research skills. Dr. Swanson has research experience across species with publications across journals and several books. Her broad experience includes serving as the chair of two leading Animal Science departments, Kansas State University and Michigan State University, where currently she teaches and conducts research and outreach.

Dr. Swanson also serves as chair of the scientific committee that conducts the annual review and revision of the Michigan Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices for the Care of Farm Animals for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. As the Director for Animal Welfare at Michigan State, Dr. Swanson focuses on social responsibility in the food chain and its relationship to animal welfare, bringing a well-balanced perspective to the SAC.

Dr. Swanson enjoys hiking, cycling and boating in northern Michigan in her spare time.

Dr. Ruth Newberry

Dr. Newberry was also one of the nine original members of the Scientific Advisory Committee. She continues to provide invaluable guidance and leadership for UEP Certified.

Dr. Newberry is a world-renowned expert on animal and laying hen welfare. She is a professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, where she continues her focus on applied ethology and animal welfare. Previously, she conducted research at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Canada and Washington State University.

Dr. Newberry’s latest poultry projects focus on environmental enrichment, play behavior, methods of rearing adaptable, stress-resilient hens, and biomarkers for positive welfare. She is the past president of the International Society for Applied Ethology and serves on additional scientific advisory committees for animal welfare issues.

Dr. Newberry enjoys hiking, cycling and other outdoor pursuits. She loves living in the Norwegian countryside, surrounded by farms, forests and nature. While it has been challenging to move to a new country and learn a new language, it has opened new opportunities and provided useful insights into different ways of doing things, including egg production.