Dr. Hans Coetzee is a University Distinguished Professor and Vice President for Research at Kansas State University. He was awarded his Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1996. After graduation he worked for 4 years in mixed animal practice in Northern Ireland, followed by 2 years in pharmaceutical research and development at Norbrook Laboratories Ltd. He earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Microbiology from Iowa State University in 2005 and a Fellowship from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (London) in 2024. He holds dual board certification in the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and the American College of Animal Welfare and is a European Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law. His professional interests include the development of pain assessment techniques and practical analgesic drug regimens for use in food animals. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has received over $20 million in research funding. Dr. Coetzee received the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Award of Excellence in 2014, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Award and the World Veterinary Association (WVA) Global Animal Welfare Award in 2017 and the World Buiatrics Congress Ruminant Well-being Achievement Award in 2018. He was also awarded the 2025 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Prize in Food & Agriculture Sciences and the Irvin Youngberg Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Award. He enjoys spending time with his wife and his twin daughters.