An Evening with Temple Grandin

Autism self-advocate Temple Grandin, PhD, will share her unique perspective on animals when she headlines the 2024 Nebraska Science Festival this spring.

A professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Dr. Grandin also is a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals.

Dr. Grandin will kick off the festival March 26 with her presentation, “Visual Thinking and Animal Behavior.” The 7:30 p.m. presentation will be at The Garden Theater, 3125 Oak View Drive in Omaha. Grandin’s talk will help attendees better understand animals in their sensory-based world as well as provide insights into solving problems. General admission tickets are free but required for admittance; tickets (first-come, first-served basis) will be available March 1 via Eventbrite. The program is suggested for ages 12 and older.

The Nebraska Science Festival, which runs throughout April, features an array of science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state – all designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for all ages.

Dr. Grandin’s achievements are remarkable. At age 2 she had no speech and signs of severe autism. She learned speech after many hours of therapy and intensive teaching. Later, inspired in part by her high school science teacher, she pursued a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer. Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. She has developed animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulted with companies on animal welfare. Widely published, she continues her research at Colorado State University and teaches courses on livestock handling and facility design.

In her latest book, Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets For Helping Kids on the Spectrum, Dr. Grandin presents nine strengths-based mindsets necessary to successfully work with young people on the autism spectrum. Her book Animals in Translation was a New York Times best seller, and her book Livestock Handling and Transport is in its fourth edition. In addition to a popular TED Talk, she has authored Thinking in Pictures, Emergence Labeled Autistic, Animals Make us Human, Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach, The Way I See It, and The Autistic Brain.