Rate My Professor Suzanne Millman

Suzanne Millman is a professor in Agricultural and Veterinary Science at Iowa State University, holding joint appointments in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Sciences within the College of Veterinary Medicine. An applied ethologist, she holds the Scott and Nancy Armbrust Professorship in Veterinary Medicine and was named a Morrill Professor in 2025. Millman earned her BSc(Agr) in Animal and Poultry Science in 1990 and PhD in Applied Ethology in 2000 from the University of Guelph, Canada. She joined Iowa State University in 2008 and coordinates animal welfare instruction within the veterinary professional curriculum, coaches the university's animal welfare judging team, and offers animal welfare and behavior services to the community. She is PAACO certified as a meat plant auditor for the Common Swine Industry Audit.

Millman's research centers on behavioral responses of animals to pain and illness, animal welfare assessment techniques, and practical interventions to improve welfare in commercial production settings. Animal welfare research requires an interdisciplinary approach involving behavior, health, performance, endocrinology, neurophysiology, and ethical and cultural considerations. Key publications include "The effect of meloxicam on behavior and pain sensitivity of dairy calves following cautery dehorning with a local anesthetic" (Heinrich et al., 2010), "The impact of meloxicam on postsurgical stress associated with cautery dehorning" (Heinrich et al., 2009), "Behavioral responses of cattle to pain and implications for diagnosis, management, and animal welfare" (Millman, 2013), and "Board-invited review: The ethical and behavioral bases for farm animal welfare legislation" (Croney and Millman, 2007). She has earned awards including the Iowa State University Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award (2024), Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teacher (2024), American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Award (2022), College of Veterinary Medicine Faculty Member of the Year (2016), and Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award (2016). Millman holds roles such as Procedural Advisor for the International Society for Applied Ethology (2022-present), Editorial Board Member for Frontiers in Veterinary Science Animal Behavior and Welfare section (2015-present), and Invited Subject Expert for American Veterinary Medical Association working groups.