USU Vet Med and Animal Science Professor is Top Agriculture Teacher in Western U.S.

Heloisa Rutigliano, an associate professor in USU’s Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been presented with the 2022 Western Region Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences.

This reward is for outstanding teachers in their field at public and land-grant universities in the region comprised of 13 western states and four Pacific territories. The candidates are nominated and the judged on multiple criteria, including their abilities as instructors, educational innovation, and their service to students. They are also evaluated on their professionalism and scholarship. 

Dr. Rutigliano earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree in Brazil before coming to the U.S. and attending the University of California Davis where she earned both her masters and Ph.D. in animal biology. Her current teaching interests are in physiology, immunology, endocrinology, ethics, and professionalism. Her research pertains to animal fertility and pregnancy, including identifying mechanisms underlying pregnancy losses and complications. Her research is expected to help increase pregnancy success rates in livestock species.