Temple Grandin visits Oklahoma State University
By Mandy Gross
FAPC Communications Services Manager
(STILLWATER, Okla. – Sept. 27, 2010) Emmy award winning animal scientist and autistic expert Temple Grandin recently visited the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
Grandin gave a presentation on Sept. 15 to a crowd estimated at 3,000 in OSU’s historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.
“The seminar was a great success,” said Robert E. Whitson, vice president, dean and director for OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. “This highly anticipated event exceeded our expectations, and we were fortunate to have Dr. Grandin spend time on our campus.”
Widely recognized as the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world, Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a designer of livestock handling facilities.
During the seminar, she presented information about animal welfare and behavior, cattle handling and how her autism helps her understand animal behavior.
“Autism helped motivate me,” Grandin said. “They [kids] would roll their eyes at me, but as long as people would let me work with their cattle, I was happy.”
Grandin discussed how one of her first work projects was figuring out why cattle did not want to go through certain chutes.
“You’ve got to get down in the chutes and figure out the animal’s point of view to find distractions,” she said. “Nobody at that point in time thought about what the cattle were seeing.”
Grandin categorized herself as a visual thinker and said visual thinking has been a huge asset in her designs of livestock facilities.
Grandin went on to discuss the opportunities for students with autism. She said the world needs different kinds of minds to work together, and educators need to help students who have unique minds to be successful.
“Mentors are essential,” Grandin said. “My science teacher motivated me to study. I worry there are not enough science teachers. Give these minds an opportunity. Hire and mentor them.”
Sponsored by the division’s department of animal science, the seminar also included a special announcement.
Ron Kensinger, head of the department of animal science, discussed a new endowed professorship to be housed in animal science in honor of Grandin named the Temple Grandin Endowed Professorship in Animal Behavior and Well-Being.
In addition, Heather Buckmaster, Oklahoma Beef Council executive director, presented a $250,000 gift to kick-off the new endowed professorship.
The $250,000 gift will be matched by the generosity of T. Boone Pickens’ 2008 chair and professorship match as part of the $1 billion Branding Success campaign. The state legislature previously committed to matching Pickens’ portion, resulting in a total impact of $750,000.
“I am really honored by the professorship being named after me,” Grandin said. “I’m into making positive, constructive change. I’m into real change.”
Grandin expressed interest in being involved in the process of fostering applied research for this professorship.
“I want to help OSU find the right professor who will focus on the practical and academic world,” she said. “I started to think about people who would be really good for the job.”
In addition to the seminar, Grandin participated in a variety of events during her visit to OSU. She was a guest speaker during an animal science class, had lunch with VIP guests, visited with animal science students during breakfast, toured the OSU Child Development Laboratory and the Rise School of Stillwater, and visited OSU Willard Sparks Beef Research Center.
“It was a great pleasure to have a distinguished guest, such as Dr. Grandin, interact with our students, faculty and staff members and spend time on our campus,” Kensinger said. “The timing of Dr. Grandin’s visit was wonderful given the success of the HBO Temple Grandin movie at the recent Emmy Awards Show. It is my impression that her visit to OSU created a sense of campus unity and sparked interest in a multitude of academic programs.”
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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for success. Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 23,000 on its Stillwater campus, with students from all 50 states and 118 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.
