October 2026 – Page 2 – Swine in Minnesota

For the good of pigs and people

For the average person, packages of pork products in the grocery store meat section represent ingredients for a meal.

For the Swine Disease Eradication Center (SDEC) at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), those products represent the culmination of years of productive partnerships between academia and the swine industry that have advanced research into eliminating deadly diseases that cost pork producers billions of dollars each year.

NC State student Molly Jones wins 2026 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize

Perle Zhitnitskiy presents Molly Jones with he 2026 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize — North Carolina State University veterinary student Molly Jones (left) is presented with the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize by Perle Zhitnitskiy, associate professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, on Sept. 21 at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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.