Rejected from veterinary school twice, it would have been easy for Scott Dee, a self-proclaimed city boy, to change his mind and pursue a different path in life. Thankfully, he didn’t give up that easily. On his third try, he was accepted into veterinary school and no one was going to stop him.
After a conversation or two with the late Al Leman at the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine, Dee made up his mind to pursue a future in swine health. He couldn’t shake how much he enjoyed both the animal populations and the people in the swine industry.
Not only were they really smart, but he says they asked hard questions and liked new ideas. There was just something that drew Dee to appreciate these critical-thinking farmers who were intrigued by his ideas that came out of left field.
Dee admits that when he looks back on his career, there’s no question he often found himself in the right place at the right time.
“When porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) showed up, I was boots on the ground. When porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) rolled in, I was boots on the ground,” Dee says.
He’s served the pork industry as a swine practitioner for 12 years, a university professor for 12 years, and a researcher for 11 years – allowing him to see the industry from so many different perspectives.
Maybe it was that unique vantage point, combined with his different way of looking at the problems at hand that helped him achieve legendary success over the years and is behind his designation as the 2022 Distinguished Service Award honoree presented by the National Pork Board.
Scott Dee says good research starts by spending time in the barn. Photo by National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff.
Pathogen Protection
Dee’s groundbreaking research on viral transmission and biosecurity has changed the landscape on how swine farms are protected against pathogens today.
“After the original ‘snowball from hell’ work, where we learned that PRRS virus can be moved around the landscape mechanically on boots and trucks, etc., we developed the disinfection and downtime room in 2000,” Dee says. “Then we studied aerosol transmission of PRRSV and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae over long distances and introduced the concept of air filtration. Then came the feed research that rolled into foreign animal disease preparedness. It’s been this layering of science, application, science, application.”
Over the years this has helped form a comprehensive approach to protecting a farm with multiple layers of biosecurity: mechanical, aerosol and feed – a term his colleague and long-time friend Gordon Spronk at Pipestone calls “next-generation biosecurity.”
In his current role as director of research for Pipestone Applied Research, Dee says the topic that gets him most excited is studying disease transmission in feed. And throughout his career, the most rewarding thing he has done is discover the risk of virus transmission in feed.
“It was a brand-new observation to discover viruses could be transmitted in feed,” Dee says. “We knew salmonella and mycotoxins could be found in feed, but no one had ever thought about viruses.”
When other scientists started reproducing Dee’s observation, he found it very satisfying. He couldn’t believe how supportive soybean meal was as a matrix. He found it gratifying when others discovered the same thing.
“The worst thing that you can do is to bring something forward and then realize, you made a mistake. That hasn’t been the case on this one,” he says. “I don’t want to take anyone down a rabbit hole to spend money and waste time.”
But it was reproducible with a myriad of scientists looking at it from different angles and bringing in new ideas to make the body of work around feed transmission bigger and bigger.
“It opened up a whole new world that we are still trying to get our arms around. We don’t have it all figured out yet so that’s why I want to continue to stay involved in this area of study,” he says.
Dee’s discovery that some viruses can be transmitted by feed has opened a new frontier in science. Photo by National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff.
Ask the Right Question
Dee’s experience on the farm working with farmers has been a pivotal part of his discoveries. If researchers aren’t spending time on the farm, they won’t truly understand what producers are struggling with.
“I learned that you have to ask the right question,” Dee says. “That’s the hard part. How do we ask the right question and get the right answer for the farmer? How do we design the study to give that information?”
It’s not lost on Dee that if pig farmers think something is important, they will drill down and put something together for their farm, he says.
“If the data are there and it’s strong enough in their opinion, pig farmers will go for it. They are always asking what they can do to make improvements and protect their herd,” Dee says.
But that relationship with producers is one that also makes Dee unique. His ability to communicate at the highest level of science in scientific forums and being able to express what the science really means to farmers and their pigs is crucial.
“You have to be able to speak at multiple levels. I think that often gets overlooked as far as what people really need in their portfolio of skills to make an impact,” he explains.
Taking a sample from inside a feed bin. Photo by National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff.
A Little Help from the Right Brain
Although Dee has received many veterinary and science awards based on the merit of his scientific work, he says receiving this service award is different.
“To me, a service award comes from the heart, in contrast to veterinary/science awards that come from the brain and fuel the ego. When Bill Even called me, I almost drove off the road. I was so flabbergasted. I’ve never had an honor like this, especially from farmers, saying thank you. I’m used to polished papers and P values. This is definitely the greatest thing I’ve experienced besides getting married and having kids,” Dee says.
The 2021 winner, Roy Poage, moved pigs into confinement buildings. The winner in 2020, Bret Marsh, is one of the best state veterinarians in the country, Dee says. The 2019 winner, Billy Flowers, changed the industry from natural breeding to artificial insemination.
“They’re a bunch of heavy hitters who are changing the world. To be included in a circle with minds like these is very humbling,” he says.
Dee lives in Alexandria, Minn., with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Nicholas and Ellen. He is an avid musician who plays bass guitar in The Abiders, along with being a fan of The Beatles.
His passion for music is an important part of his career, he adds.
“I really believe that a good mix of right brain and left brain makes a difference in how you approach problems,” Dee says. “For example, a lot of the designs I have for experiments – snowballs from hell, production region models and transboundary feed models, very abstract approaches – is my right side helping me come up with new ideas and then my left side comes in and organizes an experiment with all the right procedures.’ The musical side with imagination brings a lot to the table for me as a scientist.”
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Roy Poage: The Grandfather of Modern Swine Production
Bret Marsh Receives National Pork Board’s Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Billy Flowers Receives Pork Industry’s Distinguished Service Award
Never Surrender: Scott Dee Goes To Battle To Protect U.S. Swine Herd
