Dr. Rebecca Nordquist

Biography

Dr. Rebecca Nordquist is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University, specializing in the improvement of farm animal welfare with a particular focus on transitions to sustainable food systems. She leads an interdisciplinary group of academics that explores circular agriculture and resilient food systems. Dr. Nordquist serves as the vice-chair of Future Food Utrecht, an initiative aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research to promote sustainable food systems. Her role in the working group of the COST action Affect-Evo brings together diverse disciplines, including animal welfare scientists and philosophers, to understand the societal impacts of understanding animals' affective states. With a strong background in animal cognition, Dr. Nordquist utilizes this as a platform to highlight critical issues regarding farm animal welfare. Her research has involved developing validated behavioral tests to assess learning and emotionality in chickens and pigs and publishing findings related to cognitive development's implications on animal welfare. Community engagement is integral to Dr. Nordquist's academic practice, as she actively participates in public events and works as a Faculty Ambassador for Community Engaged Learning, promoting collaboration between students and the community.

Research Interests

Experience