A Triennial Symposium Focusing on Animal Mortality Management
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Alan Franklin
Tuesday, June 30th
Biography:
Dr. Alan Franklin recently retired as Supervisory Research Biologist and Leader of the Wildlife Pathogens, Agriculture and One Health Project at the USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center where he led a team conducting research on the effect of wildlife pathogens on agricultural and human health. He currently is a Faculty Affiliate at Colorado State University. He received his B.S. in wildlife science from Cornell University, his M.S in wildlife at Humboldt State University, and his Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from Colorado State University. Dr. Franklin's expertise is primarily on the ecology and dynamics of wildlife populations, particularly in integrating wildlife population ecology with wildlife disease ecology. He currently conducts research on the ecology of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in wildlife populations at the agricultural-wildlife interface, as well as other pathogens in wildlife that affect agricultural and human health.
Presentation Title: Wildlife Mortality and Conservation: Are Emerging Diseases an Increasing Threat to Wildlife Populations
Abstract: Although disease has been long recognized as one factor affecting wildlife populations, it is only until in recent decades that disease has become increasingly important in causing wide-spread mortality in wildlife populations. Diseases causing recent large-scale mortality in wildlife include West Nile viral disease in birds, white-nosed syndrome in bats, and highly-pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in wild birds and mammals. Mechanisms that help us understand the impacts of these diseases include tipping points, density dependence, social structure, and population characteristics, such as distribution, abundance, and reproductive potential. Under excessive mortality, these mechanisms can dictate whether wildlife populations will recover, face extirpation or ultimately face extinction. The problem is that disease may now become an unpredictable factor in conserving wildlife populations because of the potential for more numerous and larger mortality events. I will try to integrate these mechanisms and issues with recent major mortality events in wildlife from emerging diseases to provide a process for understanding the effects of large-scale mortality on wildlife populations and the implications for wildlife conservation.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Alan Huddleston
Wednesday, July 1st
Biography:
Dr. Alan Huddleston is the Acting Chief Veterinary Officer of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS). He returned to VS after serving as the Acting Associate Deputy Administrator for APHIS Animal Care (AC).
Alan joined APHIS in September 2006 as a Veterinary Medical Officer and Technical Training Specialist on the VS Professional Development Staff. In January 2010, He changed focus to program development, management, and evaluation in a new role as the Associate National Sheep and Goat Health Coordinator in the National Scrapie Eradication Program. In November 2016, Alan took on his first leadership role in the agency, becoming the Assistant Director of the Sheep, Goat, Cervid & Equine Health Center. In May 2018, he took on a senior leadership role in VS as Director of Aquatic Animal, Swine, and Avian Health Center. His scope of national responsibility expanded in February 2020 to include Equine and Non-Program Species Health, and the center became the present-day Aquaculture, Swine, Equine, and Poultry Health Center. From February 2023 to February 2024, Alan served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for APHIS Policy & Program Development, providing leadership for staff focused on budget, rulemaking, program assessment and development, and operations analysis and improvement. In February 2024, Alan returned to VS as the Director of the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health. However, in October 2024, he was tapped for a detail to Animal Care as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Administrator. He served as Acting Associate Deputy Administrator from February 2025 through December 2025.
Between 2022 and 2023, Alan supported the VS Executive Team in detail Senior Executive Service assignments as the Executive Director of Strategy & Policy, Associate Deputy Administrator of Strategy & Policy, and Executive Director of Field Operations.
Additionally, from December 2014 to January 2023, Alan served multiple roles on the VS Incident Management “Green” Team, including Public Information Officer, Liaison Officer, Operations Branch Chief, and Situation Unit Leader. He has deployed to multiple animal disease responses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza, virulent Newcastle disease, and New World screwworm.
During his 17 years with APHIS VS, Alan has developed key executive competencies emphasizing the following: individual and team development; policymaking; resource planning, execution, and evaluation; national program strategic planning, development, and management; emergency response; interagency collaboration; and stakeholder outreach and engagement.
Alan earned his Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. He practiced veterinary medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, following graduation, specializing in exotic pet medicine. Prior to veterinary school, he worked as a veterinary nurse and zookeeper at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York.
Alan is a native of the Centennial State - Colorado. He grew up in Breckenridge, a mountain resort town where, yes, skiing was part of the school curriculum! He graduated from Colorado State University in 1992, double-majoring in Political Science and English. He currently lives in Washington, DC, with his husband Robbie. As a nature lover, film and theatre enthusiast, and life-long learner, Alan’s current passions (in addition to his family and friends) include hiking, getting lost in a great movie or play, and reading.
