AMES, Iowa – Elizabeth Due, a third-year doctoral student in animal science at Iowa State University, has been selected to receive the Nelda Christian Iowa Pork Foundation Graduate Fellowship, along with Emma Zwart in the College of Veterinary Medicine. They will receive their awards at the 2027 Iowa Pork Congress Auction and Scholarship reception in Des Moines.
Due received her undergraduate degree in animal science from The Ohio State University. She earned a master’s degree in animal science at Iowa State, where she is now continuing research on disease management in swine, especially dietary strategies and feed ingredients that can combat disease and promote feed intake in nursery pigs.
Due, who grew up in the Toledo, Ohio, area, did not have an agricultural background. “I knew I really liked the STEM field and working with animals. I thought that meant vet school, but I wasn’t sure that was for me. Then I had a mentor who encouraged me to consider research.”
At Ohio State, she researched swine immunology, and when it was time to think about next steps, she was encouraged to consider pursuing graduate school at Iowa State. “It seemed like a logical place to work on swine health,” Due said.
Her master’s research focused on evaluation of F18 E. coli attachment on nursery pig intestinal health and growth performance. The summer before starting her PhD, she interned with the DNA Genetics – Pillen Family Farms in Nebraska, evaluating amino acid requirements of sows.
“Through those experiences I have learned that I love research,” Due said. “Designing a study to answer questions and collecting and analyzing the data can be a lot of work, and is sometimes frustrating, but it is also fascinating and often rewarding.”
“Lizzy’s research is distinguished by its integration of swine nutrition, intestinal physiology, microbiology and host-pathogen interactions,” said Due’s advisor, Nicholas Gabler, professor of swine nutrition and physiology at Iowa State.
”Her work addresses important challenges facing modern pork production by moving beyond simply describing disease responses to understanding the biological mechanisms with the goal of improving resilience and performance in nursery pigs,” he said.
At Iowa State, Due has been active in the Association of Graduate Animal Scientists, serving as the organization’s vice president last year. She has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences. Her poster on the potential of zinc oxide to benefit swine health placed third at the 2026 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Day.
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 and the Iowa Purebred Association for the Pork Board. She also was a community leader for 4-H, the Story County Fair, the Iowa State Fair and Gilbert school sports. The fellowship provides a $3,000 stipend.