The task of solving such problems confronts people like Dr. Tami M. Brown-Brandle, an Agricultural Engineer for the USMARC (United States Meat Animal Research Center) in Clay Center, Nebraska. Dr. Brown-Brandle researches ways to improve the care of livestock animals. Exposure to heat causes livestock to decrease biological activity. Thus, in warm conditions, hens lay fewer eggs, dairy cows produce less milk, and fattening pigs consume less food.

Recently, Dr. Brown-Brandle conducted research toward updating the antiquated swine housing standards. She studied pigs housed in temperatures ranging from 64-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Dr. Brown-Brandle measured the pigs’ respiration rate, core body temperature, and heat production. She proceeded to develop equations illustrating the relationship between the environmental temperature and the pigs’ biological responses. Dr. Brown-Brandle hopes that this information will guide engineers as they design increased ventilation into swine buildings.

During her work, Dr. Brown-Brandle draws upon multiple skills, including knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, computer programming, and communication skills such as speech and writing. Many of her responsibilities entail collating data and writing journal articles. In addition, she attempts to find new research methods and to purchase new equipment when necessary.

Dr. Brown-Brandle also spends substantial time interacting with the animals. Unfortunately, the animals do not always share her appreciation for quality data. For example, during many experiments, Dr. Brown-Brandle seeks to determine swine feeding behavior. Every thirty seconds, electronic scales weigh the remaining food in the pig troughs. However, exhibiting their legendary table manners, some of the pigs jump into the feeders. Brown-Brandle and her colleagues attempted to resolve the problem with the installation of feeder lids. Still, some of the pigs like to sleep with their heads inside the trough. “We’re still working on that one,” Dr. Brown-Brandle said.

Dr. Brown-Brandle recalled only one particularly onerous aspect of her duties: government red tape. When her office orders new machinery, a few months may expire while she and her co-workers “jump through paper trail hoops.” Once past the bureaucracy, Dr. Brown-Brandle faces another challenge—making sure the equipment functions. Recently, USMARC ordered an expensive telemetry system for measuring body temperature. Telemetry is a method for transferring information via radio instead of wire. “I was a bit nervous the morning we implanted the first steer. I was very relieved when I actually got a reasonable body temperature,” Dr. Brown-Brandle reported.

Upon graduation from high school, Dr. Brown-Brandle didn’t know what career or educational plan best suited her interests and abilities. Although she was not raised on a farm, she always enjoyed working with animals in her hometown of McCook, Nebraska. Science and research also attracted her. For two years, Dr. Brown-Brandle attended McCook Community College. After receiving her associate’s degree, she enrolled at UNL. Upon observing some of Biological Engineering’s animal welfare research, Brown-Brandle knew that she had found her place. From that juncture, her educational experiences composed a litany of firsts. In 1993, she earned the first degree given by UNL’s Biological Systems Engineering program. In 1997, she became the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from the University of Kentucky. Although female agricultural engineers form a definite minority, Brown-Brandle stated that gender has “never really been an issue.”

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