Jesse Robbins
Researcher, Van Os lab
Jesse Robbins, PhD is a Researcher funded by a USDA-NIFA-IDEAS (Interdisciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems) grant, for which Dr. Van Os is the lead investigator.
He is also a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University in the lab of Dr. Suzanne Millman. There, he is conducting behavioral research on social bonding between suckler beef calves in addition to developing animal welfare training curriculum for veterinary students.
Dr. Robbins earned his PhD in Applied Animal Biology at the University of British Columbia in 2017 with Dr. Marina von Keyserlingk of the Animal Welfare Program.
Previously, he worked as Program Director for the Washington State Dairy Federation representing the state’s dairy farmers on issues ranging from immigration and environmental stewardship to animal welfare. During his tenure there, Dr. Robbins also served as Project Manager for Washington Dairy Industry Research and Education Program.
Dr. Robbins earned his BS in Agricultural Science and Environmental Ethics from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, where he also managed a small lambing operation.
Dr. Robbins’ research spans both biological- and social-science methodological approaches to animal welfare. To date, he has studied the relationship between farm size and indicators of animal welfare; factors affecting public trust in the US food system; the effects of non-therapeutic surgeries (i.e. tail docking and ear cropping) on perceptions of both dogs and their owners; and attitudes towards the creation of genetically-modified animals.