Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University Names New Leader
Note to Reporters: Photos of Dr. Jerry Black, Jason Bruemmer and an Equine Reproduction Laboratory rendering are available with the news release at http://www.news.colostate.edu.
Two leaders in Colorado State University’s renowned Equine Sciences programs are gaining new responsibilities as part of a larger effort to strengthen internationally recognized teaching and research on campus.
Dr. Jerry Black, a veterinarian and associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, will become director of the CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory, a leader in horse reproductive technologies and genetic preservation. As director, Black will oversee day-to-day operations of the Equine Reproduction Laboratory in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Black will retain his position as director of the undergraduate Equine Sciences program in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The undergraduate program offers one of CSU’s most popular majors, with about 400 enrolled students training for professions in the horse industry.
In addition, Jason Bruemmer, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, will fill a new role as associate director of the Equine Sciences undergraduate program. Bruemmer has been a faculty member in both the Equine Sciences undergraduate program and the Equine Reproduction Laboratory for more than 15 years.
“We’re very pleased to have Dr. Black and Dr. Bruemmer take on new leadership roles in both our undergraduate equine program and the CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory. As they help guide two of our stellar CSU horse programs, the university will strengthen and streamline programs to help meet the needs of students, horse owners and the horse industry,” said Craig Beyrouty, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the faculty shifts are a step toward establishing a new CSU Equine Sciences and Health Institute that would draw together multiple equine programs.
“We envision an institute that will continue to conduct cutting-edge research, which assists the equine community with everything from orthopedics to reproductive techniques, while also educating undergraduates and future veterinarians,” Stetter said. “Regardless of where the public comes in contact with the university, we want CSU to continue to lead the way in helping animals, people and the planet.”
For 30 years, researchers at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory have developed reproductive techniques benefiting horses and preserving bloodlines. Multiple techniques used today in human and animal reproduction assistance were pioneered at the laboratory, including semen freezing and cooling, embryo transfer and other advanced reproductive procedures including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and advanced methods of semen and embryo preservation.
A new 12,200-square-foot Equine Reproduction Laboratory is under construction on the Foothills Campus and is expected to open in the spring. Fire destroyed the original main laboratory building in 2011.
“The equine community relies on these facilities, which is why we’re making a business decision to bring all the pieces together in one place for our clients and the public we serve,” said Colin Clay, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Black obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at CSU before spending most of his decorated career in California, where he founded the Pioneer Equine Hospital. For the past several years, he has served as director of CSU’s Equine Sciences program, one of the top undergraduate equine sciences programs in the nation. He has been prominent nationally in equine veterinary and industry associations: Black is past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, vice chair of the American Horse Council, and director of the National Cutting Horse Association.
The Equine Reproduction Laboratory is part of the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory on CSU’s Foothills Campus
“Few other organizations in the world conduct the kind of specialized research in equine sciences that CSU does in one place,” said Thomas “Tod” Hansen, director of the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory. “Since the 1940s, we have built a reputation of excellence in animal reproductive techniques – in many cases, research that has been translated into human medicine.”
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