Speakers

Temple Grandin, Ph.D
Distinguished Professor and Author

Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In North America, almost half of the cattle are handled in a center track restrainer system that she designed for meat plants. Curved chute and race systems she has designed for cattle are used worldwide and her writings on the flight zone and other principles of grazing animal behavior have helped many people to reduce stress on their animals during handling.

She has also developed an objective scoring system for assessing handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants. This scoring system is being used by many large corporations to improve animal welfare. Other areas of research are: cattle temperament, environmental enrichment for pigs, reducing dark cutters and bruises, bull fertility, training procedures, horse perception of novel objects, and effective stunning methods for cattle and pigs at meat plants.

She obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College and her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University. Dr. Grandin received her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. Today she teaches courses on livestock behaviour and facility design at Colorado State University and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling, and animal welfare.

Daniela Podda, LVT, BA, MA
Licensed Veterinary Technician at AMC

Daniela Podda is a Licensed Veterinary Technician with a background in Emergency and Critical Care. She began her career at MedVet Chicago before joining the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York, where she has worked for the past six years. Originally from Italy, Daniela holds degrees in Foreign Languages and Political Science. After moving to Chicago in 2012 to work in the corporate world, she transitioned to veterinary medicine to pursue her passion for animal care.

At AMC, Daniela serves as a Lead Technician in the Emergency and Critical Care department, where she is actively involved in leadership and team coordination. She plays a key role in the training and mentoring of veterinary technician interns (VTIs), supporting the next generation of professionals in the field. She has taught in the Veterinary Technology program at Fox College and, in 2024, founded Vettech In Fabula, an educational platform dedicated to advancing the veterinary technician profession in Italy. Daniela also collaborates with Associazione Tecnivet to promote technician education and visibility.

Now based in New York with her family, Daniela enjoys travel, nature, and hands-on work. She is passionate about mentorship and elevating the role of veterinary technicians both in the U.S. and internationally.

Samantha Baine, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Manager of Emergency and Critical Care (LVTs & Assistants) at AMC

Samantha Baine was born and raised in Westchester, NY. She is a graduate of Mercy College, an AVMA accredited school, where she majored in Biology with a specialty in Veterinary Technology. Upon licensure, she followed her passion for emergency veterinary medicine and ultimately obtained her VTS (ECC) certification. Samantha is currently the manager of the Emergency and Critical Care Department at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. She is a certified RECOVER ALS/BLS rescuer. Her goals are to provide engaging articles and lectures on topics related to emergency and critical care and to advance education to improve patient care. Samantha currently lives in New York City with her two dogs, a French Bulldog, Freya, and a Norwich Terrier, Coby.

Feliza Lopez, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Senior Director of Peri-Operative Services at AMC

Feliza is a Licensed Vet Tech and Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) with >15 years of clinical and leadership experience. She began her leadership journey as a Team Leader in AMC’s ECC service and went on to serve as the Director of ECC, overseeing triage, patient care, and tech development. She now serves as the Senior Director of Peri-Operative Services at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City, where she leads surgical and anesthesia operations, training programs, and departmental strategy.

Beyond her hospital leadership, Feliza is committed to advancing the profession through advocacy and mentorship. She is a committee member of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA), the VECCS Practice Leadership committee, and the ACVECC/VECCS DEI Committee, and she was recently appointed to the New York State Board for Veterinary Medicine.

Rick Albrecht, MS Ed., LVT, CVT
LVT Clinical Educator at AMC

Rick Albrecht has dedicated over 27 years to the veterinary field, building a diverse career from the ground up. He began as a veterinary assistant, gaining hands-on experience with husbandry tasks before refining his skills as a veterinary technician in both general practice and specialty medicine.

Over the last decade and a half, Rick transitioned into leadership and educational roles, leveraging his clinical expertise to train and develop others. He has held various positions, including Training Manager, Hospital Manager, and Director of Education and Training. He has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Veterinary Technology at LaGuardia Community College for 10 years.

Rick’s professional journey reflects a deep-seated commitment to mentoring, teaching, and leadership development, all of which are central to his work in advancing the veterinary technology profession. Rick has an A.A.S. from Penn Foster in Veterinary Technology, a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Delaware, and a M.S. Ed in Science Education from CUNY- Brooklyn College.

Julia Jankowski, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician at AMC

Julia Jankowski is a graduate of both School of Visual Arts and Mercy University having both a BA, and BS. She has always had an interest in both art and animals and tried to balance that interest with pursuing a Vet tech education for medical illustrations of exotic animals. Instead, they have fallen in love with exotic, zoo, and surgical medicine and hopes to start pursuing research publications. They also have a deep passion and advocacy for education of exotic animal care, wanting to heighten their standard of care and grow skills and comfort with those handling them. and making the intern program more robust for the next generation of exotic caretakers. By weekday Julia is busy being a LVT as they currently work for both AMC and the Staten Island Zoo as an Exotics LVT and Animal Hospital Manager respectively. On weekends you can find her dueling on her Medieval Armored Combat Team, or hiking with her dogs, or working seasonally as a professional pumpkin carver as seen on the Food Network.