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2007
Florida Ruminant
Nutrition Symposium
January 30-31, 2007
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Best Western Gateway Grand
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Gainesville, Florida
 Dr.
Adesogan is an Assistant Professor of Ruminant Nutrition in the
Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida where he
holds a 40% teaching-60% research assignment. He served as an Assistant
Professor of Animal Nutrition at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth,
UK between 1995 and 2001. Dr. Adesogan’s research presentation was
selected as the most outstanding from the Animal Nutrition session
during the 1994 meeting of European Association of Animal Production.
His research interests include improving the utilization of forages with
dietary additives, exploiting the potential of forages for improving the
level and efficiency of sustainable animal production, developing in
vitro methods for nutritionally-characterizing feeds, and using plant
neutraceuticals to improve animal welfare, health, and production and
thereby enhance human nutrition and health.
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 Dr.
John Arthington is Director of the Range Cattle Research & Education
Center, University of Florida, Ona. Prior to coming to Florida, John
earned his MS and PhD degrees studying nutrition, physiology, and
immunology at Kansas State University. His current research areas
include the development of cow/calf grazing and supplementation
strategies that improve both the profitability and sustainability of
Florida cattlemen, the identification of management practices that
improve stress tolerances of cattle with special emphasis on weaned,
transported calves, and the identification of quantifiable factors for
the measurement of stress in cattle. Dr. Arthington’s efforts include
extending to Florida cattle producers information on production
practices that will improve percent calf crop, calf weaning weight,
post-weaning performance, stress tolerance, and environmental quality.
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 Dr. Karen
Beauchemin is a senior research scientist at the Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta, and an adjunct
professor at several Canadian universities (University of British
Columbia, University of Alberta, and University of Saskatchewan). Before
her career in research, Dr. Beauchemin spent three years in the feed
industry. She obtained a PhD in ruminant nutrition at the University of
Guelph (1988), an MSc in animal nutrition at Laval University (1982),
and her BSc in agriculture at McGill University (1978).
Dr. Beauchemin has developed a broad-based
research program to improve the feed utilization ruminants. She is
recognized for her expertise in the areas of acidosis, rumen function,
and the fiber requirements of cattle.
Throughout her career, Dr. Beauchemin has
published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and
reviews, and over 200 conference proceedings and abstracts. Dr.
Beauchemin has been an invited speaker at numerous scientific and
industry meetings. She is a member of the American Society of Animal
Science, the American Dairy Science Association and the Canadian Society
of Animal Science. She was the 2005 recipient of the American Dairy
Science Association’s Pioneer Hybrid Forage Award.
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 Dr.
Joel Caton is a ruminant nutritionist and professor in the Animal
and Range Sciences Department at North Dakota State University. He is
also co-director of the Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy at NDSU. Joel
is native of Missouri and was raised on a livestock and grain farm. He
received his B.S. degree 1982 from New Mexico State University. In 1983
he received his M.S. degree from University of Missouri. His Ph.D. was
awarded at New Mexico State University in 1987. After a one-year
postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri, he accepted a
position at North Dakota State University. For the past 18 years, Joel
has conducted research and taught courses within the Animal and Range
Science Department at NDSU. In 1999 he completed a one-year sabbatical
at the University of Reading and The Rowett Research Institute in the
United Kingdom. In 2003, Joel was awarded the NDSU College of
Agriculture’s Research Award and in 2004 he received the National AFIA
Ruminant Nutrition Award presented at the American Society of Animal
Science meetings. Joel’s nutrition research program has resulted in
numerous publications and grants. In addition, he has advised or
co-advised 29 graduate students and 4 postdoctoral fellows. Joel enjoys
spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor
activities.
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 Dr.
Matt Hersom is an Assistant Professor and Extension Beef
Cattle Specialist in the Animal Sciences Department at the
University of Florida. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in
Animal Science at Iowa State University and the Ph.D. at
Oklahoma State University. His research efforts have focused on
year-round grazing systems to minimize stored feed inputs and
optimize forage utilization by spring calving beef cows, the
effect of previous live weight gain during winter grazing on
feedlot performance, visceral organ mass, body composition, and
splanchnic metabolism of beef steers. His current research and
extension program emphasizes the implementation of optimal
supplementation strategies for Florida cow-calf production and
the development of increased pasture and forage utilization and
management.
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 Dr.
Richard Kohn joined the faculty at the University of
Maryland at College Park in 1996. He is a Professor in the
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences. His appointment is
split between research (75%) and extension (25%) on reducing
environmental damage from animal agriculture. Rick has published
dozens of refereed journal articles and book chapters, and has
authored over 130 invited presentations. He was a member of the
National Research Council Committee on Air Emissions from Animal
Feeding Operations, which published two reports (2001, 2002).
Rick’s work focuses on reducing nutrient losses from dairy farms
to air and water resources. This work includes development and
evaluation of mathematical models that integrate feeding,
cropping, manure and soil management to demonstrate the
interactions of these subsystems, and to facilitate
decision-making on the farm. This work has demonstrated that
optimal diet formulation and crop selection can greatly reduce
nutrient losses from farms without increasing the cost of
production.
A related research interest is protein and phosphorus digestion
and metabolism by dairy cattle. Rick’s laboratory quantified the
minimal requirements for different forms of protein needed for
milk production, and the milk production losses from
underfeeding protein. His laboratory also developed the means to
quantify N excretion per cow using milk urea N concentration and
milk production, and developed recommendations to trouble shoot
diets based on milk composition.
Rick also conducts basic research on applying principles of
physical chemistry to fermentation and metabolism. He showed
that the rumen environment is near equilibrium with respect to
major volatile fatty acid concentrations and gases (carbon
dioxide, methane and hydrogen), which explains the stability of
the rumen fermentation. The work provides an example of the way
the laws of thermodynamics can be applied to understand the
regulation of biological systems at the both the ecological and
molecular level.
Rick grew up on a small farm in the town of North Collins in
Western New York State. He received his Bachelor of Science
Degree in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1985, after
also having studied for a year at the Swedish College of
Agriculture in Uppsala. He received his Master of Science Degree
in 1987 from the University of New Hampshire and his Ph.D.
Degree in 1993 from Michigan State University. Before coming to
Maryland, Rick was a Research Associate at New Bolton Center at
the University of Pennsylvania.
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 Dr.
Lee R. McDowell earned his graduate degrees from University of
Georgia and Washington State University. He has been a professor at the
University of Florida Department of Animals Sciences since 1971 on a 80%
research and 20% teaching assignment. His research deals mostly with
mineral and vitamin utilization by grazing livestock. He teaches two
graduate level courses in minerals and vitamins. Dr. McDowell is active
in international research, having made 254 visits to 62 different
countries. He has over 1,200 publications including 11 books and 305
journal articles. He has received eight nutrition awards from either the
American Society of Animal Science or American Dairy Science
Association. These include the Morrison Award as well as the
International and Fellow Awards from both societies.
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 Dr.
David Schingoethe is Distinguished Professor of Dairy Science at
South Dakota State University. He grew up on a dairy and livestock farm
in northern Illinois where he was active in 4-H and FFA. His academic
training included the B.S. in Agricultural Science-Dairy Science and
M.S. degree in Dairy Science from the University of Illinois, and the
Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University in Dairy Science and
Nutrition. He has been a member of the faculty of the Dairy Science
Department at South Dakota State University since 1969, where he teaches
graduate and undergraduate students in addition to conducting dairy
cattle nutrition research.
Dr. Schingoethe's research investigations are primarily in the
areas of protein and energy nutrition of lactating cows,
including the use of distillers products in dairy cattle diets.
He is the author or co-author of nearly 450 scientific and
popular press articles reporting research results, 8 chapters in
books, and 2 patents. He has been invited to speak at more than
50 international, national, and regional conferences on subjects
related to his research.
He was President of the American Dairy Science Association
(2000-01), was President of the Midwest Branch of the ADSA
(1993-94), was President of the Federation of Animal Science
Societies (2003-04), and is an Editor of the Journal of Dairy
Science. He has received numerous national and local awards for
his research, teaching, and service.
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 Dr.
William W. Thatcher
is a Graduate Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of Animal
Sciences at the University of Florida. He received his B.S. from the
University of Maryland, a M.S. degree from the University of Maryland,
in conjunction with the USDA-ARS Beltsville Research Center, and the
Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University. He completed two
sabbaticals at INRA, Nouzilly, France, in 1977 and 1985.
His research program in cattle has been associated with
ovarian follicular development, maternal-embryo interactions,
and developmental approaches for regulating reproductive
function to enhance production and health. Major focus has been
dealing with effects of the postpartum period, nutrition, and
heat stress on ovarian follicular and corpus luteum functions
and embryo survival. He has served as a mentor for 70 graduate
students-postdoctoral fellows and sabbatical persons. Dr.
Thatcher has published 311 refereed journal articles and 40 book
chapters (www.thatcherteam.com).
He teaches endocrinology, and is an active member of the
Interdisciplinary Reproductive Biology and the Animal Molecular
Cell Biology programs at the University of Florida. Dr. Thatcher
has served as associate editor or on the editorial boards of
Biology of Reproduction, Journal of Animal Science, Journal of
Dairy Science, Theriogenology, Animal Reproduction Science, and
Reproduction-Nutrition-Development. Dr. Thatcher is the
recipient of the Research Award from SSR (1994), the Upjohn
Physiology Award of American Dairy Science Assoc. (1981), the
Animal Physiology and Endocrinology Award from American Society
of Animal Science (1985), the Borden Award from American Dairy
Science Association (1992), the L.E. Casida Award for Excellence
in Graduate Training (1997), National Association of Animal
Breeders Research Award (2000), Merial Dairy Management Research
Award (2002), recipient of 2001-2002 Doctoral Dissertation
Advisor/Mentoring Award from the University of Florida, Honorary
Member of American College of Theriogenologists (2003), and
recipient of the Morrison Award of the American Society of
Animal Science (2006).
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 Dr.
Gabriella Varga earned her advanced degrees from the University of
Rhode Island and the University of Maryland. She currently conducts
research and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses as a professor
at Pennsylvania State University where she is a University Distinguished
Professor of Animal Nutrition. Her research focuses on determining
management strategies for late gestation and early postpartum dairy cows
that will minimize the incidence of periparturient metabolic disorders
and maximize postpartum milk production. The research program
incorporates basic and applied concepts to provide a mechanistic
understanding of factors affecting the needs of the transition cow while
providing information that can be used directly by the dairy producer.
An interdisciplinary team of investigators is involved providing a
diverse background of strengths to enhance the outcome of scientific
findings. She was a member of the subcommittee developing the 2001 NRC
Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle publication. In 2000 Dr. Varga
received the AFIA Ruminant Nutrition Award from the American Dairy
Science Association.
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 Dr.
Matt Waldron
received his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1993 and a
Master’s degree from The University of Tennessee in 1996. He then
returned to the northeast where he worked in the feed industry for Agway
Agricultural Products for 3 years before returning to Cornell University
to pursue his doctorate working with Dr. Tom Overton. Matt continued a
consulting relationship with the feed industry during his doctoral work
and received his Ph.D. in Animal Science with emphases in nutrition and
physiology of dairy cattle in 2004. He then remained at Cornell as a
postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Animal Science
through June 2006 when he joined the faculty in the Department of Animal
Science at the University of Vermont. Matt’s research entails gaining a
better understanding of the interaction between nutrition and health of
the dairy cow. Specifically, he is interested in understanding how
nutritional and farm management factors impact the development of
infectious diseases and metabolic disorders in dairy cattle, and also
how sickness impacts the nutritional requirements and metabolism of the
animal.
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