Dr. Sue DeNise of Zoetis Inducted into The Ohio State University Animal Science Hall of Fame

In the field of animal genetics, Dr. Sue DeNise, Executive Director, Zoetis Genetics R&D, is a standout. Zoetis has benefited from this since she joined the company in 2009. Now The Ohio State University is recognizing Dr. DeNise and her achievements by inducting her into its Animal Science Hall of Fame.

Dr. DeNise was celebrated at an event on April 8, 2017 on Ohio State’s campus in Columbus, Ohio. Every year, the university inducts a graduate who is a leader in animal sciences to its Animal Science Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was started in 1943, and Dr. DeNise is only the third female to be honored in its history. 

“Receiving this award, especially now when so many women are represented in animal health and veterinary practice, demonstrates that women are recognized for their contributions in the fields of animal sciences,” said Dr. DeNise. “We have wonderful examples of this at Zoetis, where throughout our company, so many of our leaders are women.”

A history of advancing science

When Dr. DeNise joined Zoetis, she was already an accomplished geneticist. She had been a professor in the Animal Science department at the University of Arizona, where she taught and researched for almost 20 years. After leaving academia, she joined a new company at the cutting edge of human genome sequencing. It was there that Dr. DeNise had one of her proudest accomplishments:  she contributed to the first whole genomic sequencing of livestock animals.

At Zoetis, Dr. DeNise continues to advance innovative science. She leads the genetics R&D division during a time when Zoetis has launched award-winning genetic products like Clarifide® Plus, which is the first product on the U.S. market to predict wellness traits in dairy cattle.

Dedicated to people

Dr. DeNise doesn’t limit her work to advancing science; she is committed to the people around her too. She helps colleagues at Zoetis in her every day work as a manager and mentor. She consulted on an internal project to promote colleagues’ leadership skills via an online development tool. She has also been active in supporting the integration of bioinformatics tools into the research pipeline. She works closely with Zoetis customers, going on site visits and partnering with them on research projects.  

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with colleagues at Zoetis and others throughout the industry who have graciously contributed ideas and research strategies which have contributed to my success,” concluded Dr. DeNise.