Rhea Schirm Joins Swine Health Information Center

Pork industry veteran Rhea Schirm joined the Swine Health Information Center as grant and contract administrator on April 22, 2025. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity, learning the role, and engaging with this fast-paced organization,” Schirm said. She joins Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder and Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton on the SHIC staff.  

“We are thrilled to have Rhea join the SHIC team as grant and contract administrator,” remarked Niederwerder. “Her experience in the pork industry and knowledge of the grant lifecycle will help our organization grow in efficiency.”  

Prior to joining SHIC, Schirm was a consultant working primarily with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians as journal and publication manager, advertising coordinator, and foundation coordinator. From 2011 to 2021, Schirm worked at the National Pork Board. After earning a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, Schirm worked in the human medical field and earned a certificate in global health. Starting the new role, she looks forward to applying her breadth of health and swine experience towards the SHIC mission.  

While a recommendation from a friend in 2011 led Schirm to seek employment with the National Pork Board, her experience with the organization, people, and related entities kept her in the swine industry. “Chance brought me to the pork industry, and I never left,” she said. “The diverse opportunities I have had working with producers, universities, and now three different swine organizations have been incredibly rewarding.”  

Schirm appreciates SHIC’s role in being on the cusp of new research for the industry as well as its success in getting that information out to producers and veterinarians. She was on staff at NPB when SHIC was conceptualized and launched in 2015, following the organization’s growth since.  

“It was really intriguing to see the industry create SHIC in response to an unmet need following the PEDV outbreak. SHIC provides a framework for research and communication of results faster than the industry could otherwise,” she said. “Getting involved and being able to help make SHIC even more effective and efficient, and assisting in getting information out to producers is exciting to me. I look forward to adding to the dynamic operation of SHIC and contributing to the day-to-day activities focused on emerging swine diseases. Collaboration and making processes easier are one of my skills.”  

Schirm and her husband, Ryan, live in southern Iowa. They are the parents of Hayden, who keeps them busy at all sporting events, and Kirstin, who is married to Chace, and welcomed a granddaughter in 2025.