Triennial Reproduction Symposium: Challenges and opportunities facing livestock reproduction in the 21st century1

The 2009 Triennial Reproduction Symposium was held immediately before the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), American Dairy Science Association, and Canadian Society of Animal Science in Montreal, Canada, in July 2009. The intent of the symposium was to identify major challenges facing the reproduction of livestock and areas that could create opportunities for enhanced reproductive performance in the future. Because reproductive efficiency drives many aspects of livestock production, the symposium addressed how improvements in reproduction could aid in addressing global issues. The symposium was organized with the first session focusing on global perspectives on animal health and livestock reproduction, and the second session involving the impact of genetics on reproduction. At each Triennial Reproduction Symposium, the L. E. Casida Award is given. Jerry J. Reeves of Washington State University received the award to recognize almost 4 decades of excellence in graduate student education in the area of reproductive physiology and endocrinology.