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Crystal Levesque

Crystal Levesque

Title

Associate Professor-Swine Nutrition

Office Building

Animal Science Complex

Office

106

Mailing Address

Animal Science Complex 106
Animal Science-Box 2170
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

Crystal Levesque was born and raised on a broiler and mixed grain farm in central Saskatchewan, Canada. She completed her PhD at the University of Alberta in amino acid metabolism during pregnancy followed by post-doctoral training at Prairie Swine Center (pig as a model) and University of Guelph (energy and amino acid metabolism) prior to accepting a position of Assistant Professor of monogastric nutrition at South Dakota State University. Her main research interests are protein and amino acid metabolism during pregnancy and maternal nutritional influence on offspring growth and development. She is actively involved in collaborative research on the impacts of alternative feeds and dietary additives on piglet growth, immune function, and gut health post-weaning and the use of the pig as a model for human health. Crystal is an active member of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Society of Nutrition serving on various organizing committees. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and landscaping and playing with the grandchildren. She lives with her husband in Brookings, SD.

CV

CRYSTAL LEVESQUE CV.doc(85.5 KB)

Education

2007 - 2010: Ph.D. (Nutrition and Metabolism), Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
1999 - 2002: M.Sc. (Animal Nutrition), Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
1995 - 1999: B.Sc. with Distinction (Animal Science), Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Academic Responsibilities

supervision of graduate students and laboratory technician
teach undergraduate swine production
teach graduate student communication course

Committee Activities

Discovery Learning Center advisory committee
Swine Education and Research Facility user group committee

Awards and Honors

2017 Woman of Distinction, South Dakota State University n/a
2010 Alberta Institute for Human Nutrition AGM, Student competition $100
2010 Agricultural Institute of Canada Foundation IUNS travel award $1875*
2009 National Science and Engineering Research Council PGS-D (2 yr) $24,000
2009 University of Alberta President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction $10,000
2009 Walter H. Johns Fellowship $1,500
2008 Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship $11,400
1999 Kellie Aulie Memorial Scholarship in Animal Science $600
*declined

Grants

21) MN Pork Producer Council 2017 Increasing the Demand for US Soybeans-Soybean Meal in Southeast Asia Through Collaborative Graduate Student Training at SDSU $15,000 (1 year) co-PI
20) MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council 2017 Integrity gut in weaned pigs fed diets containing soybean products that are derived from a low-anti-nutritional factor variety of soybean. $40,000 (1 year) co-PI
19) SDSU Griffiths Undergraduate Research Award 2017. Effect of essential oil supplementation of lactation diets on reproductive performance and fecal characteristics of sows. $3,000 (1 year) PI.
18) Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research – New Innovator Award 2017 Redefining amino acid requirements in pregnancy for precision sow feeding $600,000 (5 years) PI
17) South Dakota Pork Producers Council 2016. Influence of essential oil supplementation in sow diets on offspring post-natal growth performance” $6,000 (1 year) PI
16) SD Soybean Research Council 2016 Evaluation of a microbially-converted soybean meal on nursery pig immune response, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance $79,222 (1 year) PI
15) Canadian Institute of Health Research 2016 Evaluating the dietary protein quality of cereal grains to meet human nutrition needs by measuring the metabolic availability of the most limiting amino; lysine $650,000 (5 years). co-PI
14) MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council 2017 Nutrient digestibilities & immunological responses of weaned pigs to a soybean variety free of P34 protein, TI, & lectins $63,190 (1 year) co-PI
13) MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council 2017. Increasing the Long-Term Demand for US Soybeans & Soybean Meal in Southeast Asian Through Collaborative Graduate Student Training at SDSU $15,000 (1 year) co-PI
12) South Dakota Pork Producers Council 2016 Influence of essential oil supplementation in sow diets on offspring post-natal growth performance $6,000 (1 year), PI
11) SD Soybean Research Council 2015 Evaluation of a microbially-converted soybean meal on nursery pig immune status and response to disease. $153,500 (2 years), PI.
10) Minnesota Pork Board 2014 Effects of phase feeding gestating and lactating sows on reproduction performance, piglet robustness at birth and post-weaning $50,000 (1 year), co-PI
9) National Pork Board SREE 2014 Determination of nutrient digestibility of cold-pressed soybean meal, $6,000 (1 year) PI
8) National Pork Board 2014 Evaluation of a microbially-converted soybean meal as a substitute for fishmeal and a dietary acidifier in nursery pig diets and its effect on post-weaning diarrhea $41,549 (1 year), PI
7) SD Soybean Research Council 2014 Efficacy of soybean meal in reducing the effect of a PRRS challenge in pigs. $131,074 (2 year), co-applicant
6) SD Soybean Research Council 2013 alternative ingredient evaluation $39,890 (1 year), PI
5) South Dakota Pork Producers Council 2013 alternative ingredient digestibility $6,000 (1 year), PI
4) A.S.P.E.N. Rhoads Research Foundation 2013 A pilot study of systemic glucagon like peptide combined with oral epidermal growth factor and characterization of gut microbiome in short bowel piglets with and without ileum, $50,000 (2 years), PI
3) Ontario Pork 2012, Impact of starter pig nutrition on pig robustness and compensatory growth, $86,000 (2 years), co-applicant
2) Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs 2012, Patterns of nitrogen retention and nutrient utilization efficiency in gestating and lactating sows, UofG2011-1029, $121,390 (3 years), co-applicant
1) Ontario Pork 2011, Determinants of amino acid requirements of gestating and lactating sows, $92,893 (3 years), co-applicant

Professional Memberships

American Society of Animal Science
American Society of Nutrition

Work Experience

Experienced communicator: oral and written
Extensive public speaking experience both in formal and classroom environments
Proficient in Microsoft Office 2010, Word, Power Point, Excel, Simply Accounting, SAS 9.2
Certified as Good Lab Practitioner (GLP)
Certified as primary surgeon for implantation of subcutaneous injection port and cephalic vein catheter in sows and intestinal cannulation in pigs

University of Guelph Postdoctoral Fellow 2011-2012
Dept. of Animal and Poultry Science
Guelph, ON (Supervisor: Kees de Lange)

Prairie Swine Centre Research Coordinator (Pig as a model) 2010-2011
Saskatoon, SK

University of Alberta Postdoctoral Fellow 2010-2011
Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science
Edmonton, AB (Supervisor: Ron Ball)

University of Alberta Graduate Researcher 2007-2010
Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science
Edmonton, AB (Supervisor: Ron Ball, Paul Pencharz)

University of Alberta Vice President Academic 2008-2009
Graduate Students Association
Edmonton, AB

Maureen’s Café Restaurant Owner/Operator 2003-2007
Saskatoon, SK

Prairie Swine Centre Research and Information Services Asst 2002-2003
Saskatoon, SK

Area(s) of Research

Dr. Levesque’s research program is focused on two primary areas: 1) defining maternal nutrient requirements to optimize offspring pre- and post-natal development and 2) impacts of alternative feeds and dietary additives on piglet growth, immune function, and gut health post-weaning. Nutrient supply to the sow plays a critical role in fetal programming and post-natal offspring health. Improvements to maternal nutrient supply to enhance fetal development has the potential improve overall pork production efficiency by reducing piglet mortality, and hence increasing market pigs sold, without an increase in sow numbers or litter size. Providing optimal sow nutrition can also help to limit environmental impact of pork production by more closely matching nutrient supply with nutrient demand resulting in lower nutrient excretion. The use of alternative feeds and feed additives in swine diets to maintain, and enhance, young pig health are of increasing importance because the cost, and availability, of traditional high quality feedstuffs (i.e. fishmeal, animal products) are becoming prohibitive. Further, feed additives are increasingly included in diets as a means to support, and enhance, immunological status and gut health of the young pig as stricter limits of the use of antibiotics are implemented. However, on-farm benefits of feed additives are often highly variable. Insights into the biological mechanisms of alternative feed ingredients will assist in optimal dietary inclusion for maximum benefit.

Applications of Research

Improving sow nutrition to produce more robust offspring resulting in increased production efficiency, reduced antibiotic use, reduced non-renewable resource input and improved overall sustainability.

Department(s)

Links

SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility