Animal Science Research and Review

Special Circular 161-99

Faculty

	F. R. Allaire, Professor, Columbus. Offers a capstone course where students, working in teams, learn to manage change that services a client's vision. Works with the Agroecosystems Team to develop knowledge management networks for farmers as they pursue systemic change in their enterprise and associated communities.
	W. L. Bacon, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Bacon's main research focus is avian reproduction. The effects of environmental lighting on semen quality and quantity, and the control of photorefractoryness in the male turkey are being studied. The effects of environmental lighting on circulating hormones at the initiation of photostimulation, and the ovarian-pituitary relationship during the ovulatory surge in the female turkey are also being studied. In female Japanese quail, the effect of yolk precursor lipoprotein concentration on lipid composition of the precursor, and metabolic rate of the precursor is determined.
	S. L. Boyles, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Boyles is responsible for the state beef cattle education outreach program. His Extension program includes coordinating the activities of the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team and conducting local education workshops. Dr. Boyles' research program emphasizes improved forage utilization through grazing strategies and hay storage systems. Dr. Boyles also is working with commodity organizations on improving beef cattle marketing programs.
	M. E. Davis, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Davis' teaching duties include Data Analysis and Interpretation for Decision Making (AS 260), Principles of Animal Improvement (AS 320), and Research Methods in Animal Genetics I and II (AS 820.02 and 820.04). Research responsibilities include genetics research with the beef herd at the Eastern Ohio Resource Development Center and emphasize studies of postweaning feed conversion, twinning, selection for IGF-I, and marker/QTL associations for growth and body composition in beef cattle. Dr. Davis also is director of the Animal Genetics Lab, which conducts blood and DNA typing for parentage verification for several of the major beef cattle breed associations.
	M. L. Day, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Day's research program in reproductive physiology emphasizes the study of puberty, postpartum reproduction, and estrous synchronization in cattle. He teaches the Beef Production and Management and Introductory Animal Sciences courses and advanced reproduction for graduate students. He serves as faculty supervisor of the Ohio State University Beef Center.
	B. A. Dehority, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Dehority's teaching responsibilities include a course in Rumen Microbiology taught every other year during the summer quarter at Wooster, and he advises graduate students. His research interests are in the area of rumen microbiology, including the role of fungi in the rumen, development of MPN procedures for counting rumen bacteria and fungi, the isolation and characterization of rumen bacteria responsible for the breakdown of forage structural carbohydrates, factors affecting protozoal numbers, and specificity of gastrointestinal protozoa, as well as various other specific studies in rumen microbiology.
	M. L. Eastridge, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Eastridge has Extension and research responsibilities in dairy cattle nutrition and serves as the coordinator of the Extension Program in Animal Sciences and faculty supervisor for the Waterman dairy facility in Columbus. He conducts educational programs in the area of nutrition. Research includes the impact of fats and feed additives on animal performance and milk composition, and study of optimum fiber in diets for lactating cows. Teaching responsibilities include advising graduate students and co-teaching and serving as leader for an applied dairy nutrition course designed primarily for veterinary students.
	J. L. Firkins, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Firkins' research activities include evaluation of by-products as fiber sources and fat and protein sources for dairy cattle. He studies how these feeds and feeding combinations affect site of nutrient digestion and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen of cattle. Dr. Firkins teaches AS 330, Principles of Animal Nutrition; AS 530, Comparative Animal Nutrition; and AS 730.02, Research Techniques in Animal Nutrition.
	F. L. Fluharty, Research Scientist, Wooster. Dr. Fluharty's responsibilities include conducting research in beef cattle and sheep nutrition. His primary research areas are determining the effects of energy and protein intake on animal growth and carcass composition and the nutritional requirements of stressed feeder calves. His research includes work with ruminal microbiology and digestion, as well as cattle and sheep performance studies. He currently is conducting research to determine the effects of nutrition and genetics on animal growth and meat tenderness and the effects of early-weaning beef calves on subsequent feedlot performance and carcass composition. He also teaches AS 540, Feedlot Management.
	J. S. Hogan, Associate Professor, Wooster. Dr. Hogan's research is in the area of bovine mastitis: hygiene procedures to reduce bovine intramammary infection; relationships among normal and transit teat skin bacterial flora; and milk quality enhancement. He also conducts research relative to the development of a mastitis vaccine, and he teaches the undergraduate lactation course.
	K. M. Irvin, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Irvin's research focuses on swine genetics. Primary consideration is made to the combination of population genetics and molecular genetics. Teaching responsibilities include Principles of Genetic Improvement; Application of Genetic Improvement to Swine; Population Genetics I and II; Advanced Swine Production; Current Issues in Animal Sciences, Capstone and Third Writing Course; Seminars; Independent Studies; and Internships. Extension functions include presentations, allied industry and producer interactions.
	C. Johnston, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Johnston's research interests are in the areas of modification of non-milk ingredients for inclusion in milk replacers for cattle and sheep, and dietary macromolecular absorption by cattle and sheep.
	R. C. Kline, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Kline's responsibilities include teaching the horse courses: AS 201, AS 271, and AS 541. His Extension activities include conducting 11 statewide events each year for the 4-H Program, writing horse materials for both youth and adult programs, and answering the daily requests for information from the horse industry. He oversees the University horse herd and its use for classes and research. Present research involves equine behavior and reproductive physiology in horses.
	C. L. Knipe, Associate Professor, Columbus. Primary responsibilities include processed meat Extension activities for the Ohio meat industry. He is also involved in research and teaching and has a joint appointment with the Department of Food Science and Technology. In addition to providing technical assistance to small and large companies, within Ohio and nationwide, his Extension activities have focused on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training and implementation assistance for Ohio meat plants. Dr. Knipe's research interests include identification of processing methods that optimize the functional quality of pork, identification of processing procedures that limit shelf-life and/or safety of meat products, and shelf-life determination of such products, maximizing the functionality of high-collagen meat raw materials. He advises graduate students in Meat Science and teaches Animal Science 550, Meat Processing.
	J. D. Latshaw, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Latshaw's teaching responsibilities include an introductory course in animal nutrition and one in poultry science. Also, he teaches half of the second nutrition course and half of a course combining nutrition and physiology in support of reproduction. His research interests include documenting all nutrient deficiencies and excesses in broiler chicks and examining the use of energy by birds.
	M. S. Lilburn, Associate Professor, Wooster. Dr. Lilburn's research focuses on different aspects of avian nutrition and avian embryonic development. His teaching responsibilities are AS 830.05, a graduate vitamins course, and AS 830.03, a graduate course in proteins. Dr. Lilburn also advises students on the graduate level.
	S. C. Loerch, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Loerch's primary research responsibility is in beef cattle nutrition, including effects of limit feeding on feedlot performance and proportion of carcass lean and fat, use of corn as an alternative feed for wintering beef cows, and nutritional strategies for stressed feeder calves. He supervises the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) Beef Center and the cow herd at the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed Branch in Coshocton. He teaches an undergraduate practical nutrition course and a graduate level advanced ruminant nutrition course.
	D. C. Mahan, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Mahan's research responsibilities involve evaluating the nutritional requirements and feeding programs of swine at various stages of production, with primary emphasis on the sow and weanling pig. Nutritional areas of investigation include vitamin E and selenium, sodium and chloride requirements of young pigs, dietary protein and energy levels for the gestating and lactating sow, and the evaluation of carbohydrate and energy sources for the weanling pig. He teaches undergraduate courses in Animal Growth and Development, Feeds and Feeding, and a graduate course in Mineral Nutrition.
	K. E. McClure, Assistant Professor, Wooster. Dr. McClure's primary research interest is ruminant nutrition, with emphasis on forage utilization in the sheep enterprise. Considerable emphasis is directed to the use of the corn plant and other forages used in the basal diet of the ewe flock and breeding rams to economically meet their nutritional requirements. His service activities include the Animal Care and Use Committee. Extension responsibilities include phone consultations and meeting with producer groups.
	D. L. Meeker, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Meeker's primary responsibilities are in Extension, though he is also involved in research and teaching. He is coordinator of the Ohio Pork Industry Center, which coordinates expertise from various disciplines to facilitate the profitable and environmentally responsible production of wholesome pork. The Center is an outreach activity of Ohio State University Extension. Dr. Meeker's research interests include swine genetics, particularly genetic effects on muscle quality. He teaches Animal Sciences 643, Advanced Swine Production.
	S. J. Moeller, Assistant Professor, Columbus. Dr. Moeller's Extension responsibilities include swine production, management, and genetics/breeding. He works as co-leader of the Ohio State University Swine Educators Team to assist with in-service training and development of comprehensive statewide educational and technology transfer programs important to the Ohio swine industry. His primary research interests are in swine genetics and production management strategies. Teaching responsibilities include Swine Production and Advanced Swine Production, taught yearly in Spring Quarter.
	F. V. Muir, Professor and Associate Chair, Wooster. Dr. Muir's primary outreach interests are in the areas of the management of layers and broilers, especially the application of computers in the production of eggs and poultry meat. The use of computers to integrate egg production or growth data, feed consumption, poultry house environment, feed formulation, and record keeping are important considerations in remaining competitive. Courses taught include graduate seminar and Commercial Poultry Management.
	K. E. Nestor, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Nestor's research interests include population genetics of turkeys and Japanese quail, genetics of disease resistance in the turkey, genetic relationships between growth and reproduction, and genetics of leg strength in the turkey. He advises graduate students and is host to several visiting scholars. Dr. Nestor is a Fellow of the Poultry Science Association and a member of Gamma Sigma Delta.
	H. W. Ockerman, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Ockerman's teaching responsibilities include Advanced Meat Technology, Laboratory Analysis of Meat Products, Quality Control Interpretation, Global Food and Agriculture, Food in International Agriculture, Meat Science Seminars, as well as internships and individual studies. His research programs include biochemistry, microbiology, processing, quality, food safety, shelf life, and economics of muscle tissue from slaughter to consumption in all species. Extension duties include short courses, consulting, legal evaluation, and trouble-shooting industry concerns.
	J. S. Ottobre, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Ottobre's research is in the area of reproductive physiology. The primary focus of this research is the regulation of the function of the corpus luteum. He teaches Introductory Animal Science, Reproductive Physiology, and Advanced Reproductive Physiology. Dr. Ottobre has a joint appointment in the Department of Physiology in the College of Medicine.
	D. L. Palmquist, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Palmquist's research is in the area of dairy cattle nutrition, including digestive physiology and nutrient utilization of high-energy diets, especially fats, and regulation of milk synthesis and composition. He teaches graduate courses in ruminant nutrition.
	J. L. Pate, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Pate is a reproductive physiologist specializing in the area of corpus luteum function. Primary research interests focus on the regulation of luteolysis, prostaglandin production by the corpus luteum, the interactions between the immune system and the reproductive system, and nutritional/metabolic effects on fertility. She teaches Physiology of Reproduction and Advanced Reproductive Endocrinology.
	W. F. Pope, Professor, Columbus. Dr. Pope's primary research interests are in embryonic mortality in swine. Secondary investigations are examining factors affecting fertilization, estrous cycle control, uterine secretions, and isoforms of the estradiol receptor. His teaching responsibilities include the core physiology course (310) and reproductive physiology (410). Extension duties include presentations to commercial producer groups and phone consultation.
	F. L. Schanbacher, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Schanbacher's research interests are in the areas of physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of bovine mammary development and milk protein synthesis. Studies are focused at whole animal, cellular, and molecular biology levels for synthesis and secretion of milk protein, mammary cellular growth and development, and growth regulation. He teaches the advanced course in physiology of lactation.
	K. L. Smith, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Smith's research is in the area of diagnosis, therapy, and control of bovine mastitis in dairy herds; natural factors of disease resistance associated with the bovine mammary gland; and environmental and nutritional factors associated with increased mastitis in dairy herds. He advises numerous M.S. and Ph.D. students.
	P. W. Spike, Associate Professor, Columbus. Dr. Spike has appointments in Extension and teaching, including Extension responsibilities in youth work (4-H and FFA), genetics, and management. His teaching duties include dairy cattle evaluation, dairy herd management, and dairy farm management. He also coaches the dairy cattle judging teams and advises the Buckeye Dairy Club.
	N. R. St-Pierre, Assistant Professor, Columbus. Dr. St-Pierre specializes in the area of dairy farm management. Research interest is in the control function of management. Ongoing research projects are focused on quantitative methods for evaluating animal systems (production, reproduction, mammary health; the value of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as a nutrition management tool; feed cost optimization and nutritional economics; and production risks and risk management for dairy farms. Extension programs are focusing on three inter-dependent areas: long-term strategic planning of dairy enterprises; production and financial benchmarks for evaluating short-, medium-, and long-term results; and nutritional management, herd structure, and cost control.
	T. B. Turner, Assistant Professor, Columbus. Dr. Turner's primary research interest is beef cow performance, including milk production, preweaning calf performance, age at weaning, and matching feed resources to calving and weaning management. His teaching responsibilities include Introductory Animal Sciences, Livestock Selection and Evaluation, and Applied Beef Cattle Genetics, and he coaches the Intercollegiate Livestock Selection and Evaluation Team. Extension responsibilities include programs in beef cattle genetic improvement and in livestock selection and evaluation. He also advises undergraduate and graduate students.
	S. G. Velleman, Assistant Professor, Wooster. Dr. Velleman's research focuses on how the extracellular matrix influences skeletal muscle growth and function. She teaches AS 618, Early Embryonic Development in Support of Tissue Growth, Structure, and Function.
	W. P. Weiss, Associate Professor, Wooster. Dr. Weiss' research is in the area of forage utilization, feed evaluation, and nutritional factors affecting cow health, especially mastitis. Extension duties include working with the Research-Extension Analytical Laboratory, the Ohio Dairy Ration Program, and teaching dairy nutrition short courses.
	M. P. Wick, Assistant Professor, Columbus. Dr. Wick's research is in the area of skeletal muscle myosin, the constituent proteins in the sarcomere and how they influence skeletal muscle quality, growth, and development. Teaching responsibilities include teaching 355.01, Principles of Meat Science; 620, Applied Animal Molecular Genetics; and 868, Molecular Biological Techniques.
	L. B. Willett, Professor, Wooster. Dr. Willett's research interests are in the area of food, feed, and animal safety, which is the study of the movement and effects of hazardous or toxic materials in food-producing animals. He also studies the physiological adaptive changes that occur in calves immediately after birth. His teaching responsibilities are in the graduate toxicology courses and advising graduate students in physiology and toxicology. Dr. Willett also advises independent study students in a collaborative effort with the College of Wooster.
	D. M. Wulf, Assistant Professor, Columbus. Dr. Wulf has Extension and teaching responsibilities in meat science. Extension duties focus on the industry from the point of the live market animal through to the carcass, including carcass evaluation, grading, and fabrication. He teaches Principles of Meat Science (355.01), Meat Science Products Laboratory (355.02), and Meat Animal and Carcass Evaluation (305). His research focuses on the conversion of muscle to meat and meat quality. Dr. Wulf also supervises the Meat Lab operations and coaches the Meat Judging Team.
	D. L. Zartman, Professor and Chair, Columbus. Besides administrative duties in the Department of Animal Sciences, Dr. Zartman's areas of interest and expertise include bioengineering to improve animal performance through increased physiological data for improved decision making or through modification of cellular processes. He advocates intensive grazing and seasonal dairying research and also works in genetics, cell culture, and reproductive physiology.