People

Graduate students work together with faculty and staff to conduct a broad spectrum of research, ranging from fundamental laboratory studies to farm-oriented applied projects. These are an important component of the interaction and collaboration among researchers within the Animal Sciences Graduate Program and with faculty and students of other programs. To get an idea of what this interaction and collaboration can produce, we have compiled a list of dissertation titles since 2000, complete with abstracts. 

Graduate students are also an integral part of the teaching and extension activities of the department. These activities are vital to the development of methods and programs that will continue to improve the productivity and efficiency of animal agriculture in the state, nation, and world.

See Graduate Student Profiles (a work in progress).

Click the titles below for the faculty home pages. View the full department directory.

  

Genetics

Dr. Yang Da, Associate Professor
Quantitative & Molecular Genetics. Statistical genetics and genomics. Statistical analysis for mapping disease genes and quantitative trait loci. Statistical procedures to apply genetics markers to animal breeding and genetics. Genetic diversity in domestic animals.

Dr. Les Hansen, Professor; Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching
Dairy Genetics. Monitoring of genetic relationships and inbreeding of Holsteins has been an on-going area of interest and research. Curator of a 1964 control line of Holstein cows at the University of Minnesota, which is currently housed at the research and outreach center at Morris, MN.

Dr. Abel Ponce de León, Professor; Associate Dean of Research

Dr. Tony Seykora, Professor
Dairy Cattle Genetics.
  

Growth Biology

Dr. William Dayton, Professor
Muscle Growth Biology. Utilizing molecular biology and muscle cell culture methodologies to study the regulation of muscle growth during embryonic and postnatal growth of economically-important animals.

Dr. Douglas Foster, Professor
Avian Growth Biology. Immortalization of avian cells for vaccine substrates, molecular mechanisms of cellular senescence and immortalization, regulation of cell cycle events, cloning of growth specific sequences, avian endocrinology, recombinant protein production.

Dr. Marcia Hathaway, Professor
Muscle Growth Biology. Effect of feed additives and beta adrenergic agonists on skeletal muscle growth. Role of satellite cells in muscle growth. Muscle tissue culture systems.

Dr. Michael White, Professor
Animal Growth Biology. Cellular and molecular regulation of muscle growth and development in meat-producing animals, with a specific focus on the role of the Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs) and their Binding Proteins (IGFBPs) in the regulation of muscle growth.
  

Nutrition

Dr. Brian Crooker, Professor
Nutritional Physiology-Ruminants. Regulation of nutrient use by food producing animals with a focus on lactation. Studies are designed to determine physiological, metabolic, and genetic factors that regulate and affect performance and efficiency of lactation.

Dr. Alfredo DiCostanzo, Associate Professor
Beef Cattle Nutrition & Management. Nutrition and management factors affecting the biologic and economic efficiency of cow-calf and feedlot operations. Evaluation of alternative feeds and feeding and management strategies to improve economic efficiency.

Dr. Lee Johnston, Professor
Swine Nutrition & Management. Energy and protein nutrition of sows. Management of reproducing sows. Nutrition/environment interactions. Nutrition of the newly weaned pigs. Feedstuffs evaluation. Disposal of swine mortalities.

Dr. Hans Jung, Adjunct Professor
Dairy Nutrition & Forages. Determine factors that limit forage utilization by dairy cows and develop technologies to improve the quality of forages.

Dr. Jim Linn, Professor; Department Head
Dairy Nutrition. Dairy cattle nutrition, feeding management, and replacement heifer nutrition and management.

Dr. Sally Noll, Professor
Poultry Science. Nutrition and feeding of market turkeys. Management, health and stress interactions in market turkeys. Improving poultry waste utilization production.

Dr. Jerry Shurson, Professor
Applied Swine Nutrition & Management. Pork quality and safety. Manure management and odor reduction in swine facilities. Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in swine diets.

Dr. Marshall Stern, Professor
Ruminant Nutrition. Protein nutrition of ruminants including methodology for measuring protein degradation and microbial protein synthesis in the rumen, and protein absorption from the small intestine. Also studying various factors that affect fermentation and microbial populations in the rumen.
  

Physiology

Dr. David Brown, Professor
Veterinary Biosciences

Dr. Mohamed El Halawani, Professor
Avian Endocrinology. Reproductive problems in avian species. Interrelations between prolactin, gonadotropins, and ovarian function. Control and regulation of hormones by the brain. Neurochemical control of prolactin release.

Dr. Scott Fahrenkrug, Professor
Swine Genetics. Functional genomics/molecular genetics. Functional characterization and manipulation of the pig genome.

Dr. Mathur Kannan, Professor  
Veterinary Biosciences

Dr. Laura Mauro, Associate Professor
Cellular Physiology. Importance of the tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) in cell proliferation and differentiation; exploring whether these molecules could serve as drug targets for skeletal disorders, such as osteoporosis, in animals and humans.

Dr. Scott O’Grady, Professor
Cellular Physiology. Laboratory investigations have focused on understanding mechanisms and regulation of electrolyte transport across epithelial tissues, and regulation of eosinophil activation in patients with asthma.

Dr. Jon Wheaton, Professor
Reproductive Endocrinology. Reproductive physiology with the aim of improving reproductive efficiency, emphasis is placed on cattle and sheep.
  

Production Systems

Dr. Samuel Baidoo, Assistant Professor
Swine Nutrition & Management. Nutrition and management factors to enhance economic and environmentally sustainable swine production. Energy and amino acids nutrition of sows and impact on sow productivity and longevity. Evaluation of alternative feeds and feeding and management strategies to improve economic efficiency in swine production.

Dr. Hugh Chester-Jones, Associate Professor 
Dairy & Beef Production Systems. Nutrition, health, and management of calves to be used for dairy heifer replacements or dairy-beef production. Nutrition, growth, development and economics of raising dairy heifers.

Dr. John Deen, Associate Professor
Veterinary Population Medicine

Dr. Marcia Endres, Assistant Professor
Dairy Science. Dairy cow management and behavior.

Dr. Dennis Johnson, Professor
Dairy Production Systems. Research focuses on the information needs of moderate sized dairy farms with particular emphasis on reduced-input, intensive grazing systems.

Dr. Cliff Lamb, Associate Professor
North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida

Dr. Jeff Reneau, Professor
Applied Dairy Management. Mastitis control. Milk quality and safety.

Dr. Roger Walker, Professor
Swine Systems Management / Swine Breeding & Genetics. Segregated early weaning in swine. Composting livestock mortalities.