Molly Jones, a veterinary student from North Carolina State University, is the 2026 winner of the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize, an award given to veterinary students who want to make a difference in swine health and production.
The award was presented on Sept. 21 at the annual Allen D. Leman Swine Conference hosted by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Veterinary students interested in swine health and production were eligible.
Jones was chosen for this award by a jury of swine practitioners for her presentation, “What’s in your water? Visualizing water medication delivery.”
Her project sought to test how much medication administered to pigs via water is actually distributed to each drinker in a barn’s watering system. Jones used a blue dye and collected water from each of the drinkers in the barn. She compared the water sample to a color chart to determine the actual dye-to-water ratio. Jones created the color chart by translating known ratios and absorbance information into RGB color values and made it available on any device.
The medicators are commonly set to a 1:128 ratio, but in her study, Jones observed ratios varied from 1:96 to 1:507, which would mean that the pigs can receive from 40 to 135 percent of the intended dose.
“Molly’s presentation stood out because of her enthusiasm during the delivery and the direct on-farm applicability,” says Dr. Perle Zhitnitskiy, the CVM professor who coordinates the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize. “The jury was very impressed by her confidence in handling the numerous questions from the audience. Ultimately, discovering that pigs could be receiving anywhere from 40 to 135 percent of an intended dose is the kind of finding that changes how we think about water medication.”
Jones received a cash award of $5,000 plus complimentary registration and travel costs to attend the Leman Swine Conference.
The Morrison Swine Innovator Prize honors the legacy of the late Bob Morrison, DVM, PhD, MBA, who coordinated the conference for many years. The prize is supported by the Morrison Legacy Fund, which was created with generous donations from leading swine producers, veterinary practices, and industry partners to carry forward Bob’s impact.
About the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference
For more than 50 years, the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference has brought together health and production professionals to collaborate on science-driven solutions for the global swine industry. Founded in 1974, the conference is one of the world’s largest annual swine educational events, bringing together nearly 800 veterinarians, scientists, producers, and professionals from across the globe to learn, innovate, and celebrate the science advancing the industry. The Leman Conference is organized by the Swine Group at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and is held annually in St. Paul, MN.