U of I alum named USA Today Woman of the Year
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A University of Illinois graduate has been named USA Today's 2025 Woman of the Year.
Temple Grandin graduated with a PhD from Illinois' College of ACES in 1989. She's known as an advocate for the humane treatment of livestock, a professor in animal science and a voice for neurodiversity.
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In the early 1970s, Grandin studied cows in Arizona. While she faced adversity at the time, Grandin also said that her autism allows her to think primarily in pictures, which in turn helps her see what cows are seeing, and connect with how they are behaving.
This helped Grandin realize that animals might be sensitive to distractions in their facilities, which can lead to injuries and losses. And, it helped her design facilities that were less threatening to livestock, transforming industry standards.
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When Grandin was at the U of I, some of her research focused on how environments impact the visual cortex in animal brains.
Today, Grandin still works to develop better ways to support people who are neurodivergent. Through her work over the years, Grandin challenged the world to value different perspective, and has written several books on her experiences and research. You can find some of her books here.
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In 2010 Grandin was one of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world. In 2016, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the next year she was named to the National Women's Hall of Fame.
You can read more about this year's USA Today 2025 Women of the Year honorees here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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