Faculty of Veterinary Medicine announces first recipient of Simpson Ranch Fellowship

Healthy cattle, healthy food and a healthy environment are essential for the beef cattle industry in Alberta. Through the newly established Simpson Ranch Fellowship in Beef Cattle Health, the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will provide veterinary medicine research that will contribute to the innovation and sustainability of the beef cattle industry.

Thanks to the valued support of the Simpson family, Elizabeth Homerosky has been appointed the first Simpson Ranch Fellow in Beef Cattle Health, pursuing her master’s degree in veterinary medical sciences and board certification in beef cattle practice.

“I couldn't be more excited about my new role. To be part of an industry that feeds the world is not only a great honour but a great responsibility; a responsibility which I as a cattlewoman and veterinarian take very seriously,” says Homerosky. 

“I look forward to developing the expertise needed to best serve Alberta's #1 agricultural industry and am thankful for the opportunity to work with a team of industry leaders and visionaries so dedicated to the future of global beef production.”

John Simpson, of the Simpson Ranch, says his family funded the fellowship because of his commitment to the beef cattle industry. “It is important to study, in-depth, how standard industry practices need to improve so that health issues in the food chain can be circumvented to create healthier environments and standard protocols for livestock.”

The primary goal of the Simpson Ranch Fellowship is to work with industry to implement these improvements while educating producers and veterinarians on the use of these new and improved practices.

“We want to recognize the Simpson family for their contributions to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and to the University of Calgary that allow us to create more opportunities to enhance our student experience  and serve our community,” says Alastair Cribb, dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

“We welcome Elizabeth to our university family and we look forward to the work she will be undertaking in a very critical area.”

Before coming to the University of Calgary, Homerosky received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ohio State University in 2012 and most recently worked as associate veterinarian at a predominantly-beef clinic in Iowa. Her three main areas of interest within the beef industry are preventive medicine, theriogenology (animal reproduction) and animal welfare.