AMES, Iowa – Jayden Lawrence, a doctoral student in animal science at Iowa State University, has been selected to receive one of two 2025 Nelda Christian Iowa Pork Foundation Graduate Fellowships, along with Morgan Almeida (’22 animal science), a current Iowa State veterinary medicine student. The awards will be presented at the Iowa Pork Congress Auction and Scholarship reception next winter in Des Moines.
“I did not grow up on a farm,” said Lawrence, who is from a small town in central Illinois. “I was introduced to animal science through 4-H programs and the friendly leaders who gave me opportunities to explore my interests in working with animals.”
Lawrence is an active student member of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) and received its 2024 Graduate Student Teaching Award. She is serving on a NACTA strategic planning committee seeking to encourage student engagement. The Pork Foundation Fellowship will provide $3,000, which Lawrence will use as travel support to attend next year’s NACTA conference.
Lawrence started her doctoral program at Iowa State in 2024. Her primary focus is studying key stakeholder perceptions of swine welfare in the U.S., working with Professor Anna Johnson, animal science. Lawrence is interviewing swine veterinarians, animal science students, swine caretakers and consumers.
“Jayden has been a terrific fit for this work, and her findings will be instrumental in clearly understanding our stakeholders and enhancing practices for successfully messaging swine welfare,” Johnson said.
Lawrence is also contributing to other research projects, including looking at the impact of gilt and gestating sow enrichment toys based on work in the Johnson Lab with fellow animal science graduate student Deidra Bebb. She has also helped with a study on the effects of incorporating soybean meal into swine diets with Nick Gabler, professor of animal science.
In addition to research, Lawrence is looking forward to working as a teaching assistant for a swine science course this fall and the behavior and welfare class in the fall of 2026.
“I really love teaching and hope to teach someday at the college level,” said Lawrence, who is currently participating in Iowa State’s Preparing Future Faculty program, which provides extra training to graduate students interested in academic careers.
Lawrence has a bachelor's in conservation biology from Lincoln College, Lincoln, Illinois, and a master's degree in agriscience-animal science from Illinois State University, where she researched student stress in an animal science study abroad program in Mexico.
“I am so appreciative of the fellowship from the Pork Foundation,” Lawrence said. “I have been very fortunate to have supportive mentors, especially Dr. Johnson here and Dr. Drew Lugar at Illinois State, who originally encouraged me to pursue this career path.”
The Pork Foundation fellowship is named in memory of Nelda Christian, of Ames, who passed away in 2014. Christian was actively involved in the Iowa Pork Producers Association and the Iowa Pork Board’s Purebred Swine Council, as well as a community leader for 4-H, the Story County Fair and Iowa State Fair and Gilbert school sports.
Contacts
Jayden Lawrence, Department of Animal Science, jaydenl9@iastate.edu
Anna Johnson, Department of Animal Science, 515-294-2098, johnsona@iastate.edu
Ann Y. Robinson, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-3066, ayr@iastate.edu