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Department of Animal Science (ASCI)

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Graduate Students
Grad Office:  203 Terrill
802-656-5892
 
Both MS and PhD degrees are offered through the Department of Animal Sciences. Currently all graduate programs involve a combination of courses and graduate research for a thesis. Areas of study broadly correspond to the specializations and research interests of the faculty. The following is a sample of graduate research currently being conducted by our graduate students:
Melissa BainbridgeMelissa Bainbridge is originally from Burlington, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011 with a B.S. in Animal Science. She then spent the next two years working as a field technician for the Vermont Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Melissa will be working on her Ph.D. in Animal, Nutrition and Food Sciences with Dr. Jana Kraft. Her research will focus on improving the nutritional attributes of milk, concentrating on bioactive fatty acids, to promote both human and animal health. Melissa also enjoys hiking, cooking and running.  Email:  Melissa.Bainbridge@uvm.edu
Aimee BenjaminAimee Benjamin, originally from the small town of Bernhards Bay, NY, received her B.S. degree from Cornell University in 2005. Following graduation she worked at the Cornell Dairy Facility where she became an integral part of the herd health team. Aimee will be working in Dr. David Kerr's lab towards a Ph.D. in Dairy Science. Her research interests are E. coli mastitis and the immune system response following infection.  Email:  albenjam@uvm.edu
Laura CersosimoLaura Cersosimo grew up in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. In 2011 she received her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut where she was a member of the Dairy Club and taught first-year Animal Science students how to show dairy cows. During the summers of 2010 and 2011 she interned at Pfizer's Comparative Medicine Department. She attended Northeastern University in Boston for a year and then transferred into the ANFS Ph.D. program at UVM. Laura will be conducting research in Dr. Andre Wright's lab focusing on looking at methanogen populations within five breeds of dairy cattle along with other ruminants. One of her favorite interests outside of school is baking, especially cake decorating. Email:  lcersosi@uvm.edu
Kelcie DeClueKelcie DeClue, originally from Columbia, Missouri, received her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from the University of Missouri in 2012. After graduation, she worked as a lab technician at the university. Kelcie will be working on her Ph.D. in genetics in Dr. Stephanie McKay's lab. Her research interest is in epigenetics and behavior. She enjoys reading and cheering on sports teams from her alma mater.  Email:  kelcie.declue@uvm.edu
Ben GreenBenjamin Green, originally from Kingston, Massachusetts, received his Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Colby College and is currently working on his Ph.D. with Dr. David Kerr. Ben's research focuses on the bovine immune response in relation to mastitis infection with an emphasis on epigenetics. He enjoys the outdoors, a good cup of coffee, and the Red Sox.  Email:  Benjamin.Green@uvm.edu

Sue IshaqSuzanne Ishaq is originally from Worcester, Massachusetts.  She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2007 as a Justin Morrill Honors Scholar with a BS in Animal Science and a minor in Nutrition and Food Sciences. From 2007 to 2010, she worked as a technician at a local small animal hospital. Sue started her Ph.D. in Animal, Nutrition and Food Sciences in July 2010 and will be working in Dr. AndrĂ©-Denis Wright's lab on the microbe environment in the digestive tracts of moose. Her focus will be on methane production and ways to reduce it, and how this reduction may be applied across various ruminant species. Email:  Suzanne.Ishaq@uvm.edu

Shun KitaokaShun Kitaoka was born in the city of Takamatsu, Japan.  Shun received his B.S. in Biology and his M.S. in Biological Science at Okayama University. For the last four years he has been a research scientist at BioResearch Laboratory, BioBusiness Development at Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shun is pursuing a Ph.D. in Dr. Feng-Qi Zhao's lab. He will be conducting research on glucose transporter genes in Caenorhabditis Elegans, as it relates to diabetes. After receiving his Ph.D. he plans to return to Japan to continue his scientific research at Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shun enjoys playing the piano and golfing.  Email:  skitaoka@uvm.edu
Robert MugabiRobert Mugabi was born and raised in the small district of Lyantonde in Uganda where he received his primary and high school education, Later Robert joined Makerere University in Uganda where he received his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He completed a Master of Science degree in Infectious Disease Management and Biosecurity from North Dakota State University and has joined UVM to pursue his Ph.D. He will be working in Dr. John Barlow's lab focusing his research on Staphylococcus aureus molecular epidemiology and biofilm formation of different isolates in cattle farms. Email:  rmugabi@uvm.edu
Yogi MisraYogi Misra graduated from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India in November of 2004 with a Master's Degree in Animal Reproduction, Gynecology & Obstetrics (MV Sc) and a minor in Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry and a Bachelor's in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH). Yogi is currently working on his PhD and his research focuses on the hormonal control of the mammary tumorigenesis/breast cancer using transgenic mice and human mammary tumor samples. He is studying the intricate molecular mechanisms by which pregnancy or hormones induce protection against breast cancer. How pregnancy induced differentiation of the mammary gland reduces the incidence of mammary carcinogenesis also generates tremendous interest.  Email:  Yogi.Misra@uvm.edu  "This area of research is of tremendous significance as the incidence of breast cancer is on the logarithmic rise in the western world."  Yogi has a huge inclination/liking for the sweet things, ice cream, muffins; S'mores are his favorite.
Mital PandyaMital Pandya, originally from Columbus, OH, received her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Sciences from Ohio State University in 2006. She completed her Master's Degree in Veterinary Public Health from the same university in 2007. Following graduation she worked as a research assistant at Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Orient Point, NY. Mital will be working in Dr. John Barlow's lab towards a Ph.D. in Animal Science and Immunology. Her research interests are Foot and Mouth Disease and the immune system response in bovine following vaccination or infection.  Email:  mpandya@uvm.edu 


Xi QianXi Qian is from Jiangsu, China. He received both his Bachelor degree in Biotechnology and Masters degree in Animal Nutrition from Shanghai Ocean University. He joined the Lactation and Mammary Gland Biology (LAMGB) PhD program in May, 2009. His research interest is involved with dairy farming, focusing on production of pharmaceutically active human proteins in bovine milk.  Email:  Xi.Qian@uvm.edu
Yong ShaoYong Shao grew up in the Shandong province of China. Yong achieved his BS degree in animal science in 2003 and MS degree in animal genetics and breeding in 2006 from China Agricultural University. He started his PhD program at UVM in January 2008. His research mainly focuses on the glucose transporter in the mammary gland, specifically the hormonal regulation of glucose transporter gene expression.  Email:  Yong.Shao@uvm.edu

Xiaozheng SongXiaozheng Song is a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Zhongzong Pan. He graduated from Shandong Normal University in China and joined the Lactation and Mammary Gland Biology (LAMGB) PhD program in the summer of 2008. He is interested in molecular mechanisms of mammary gland development and breast cancer. Xiaozheng's current research is focused on how estrogen receptor affects mammary gland cell proliferation.  Email:  Xiaozheng.Song@uvm.edu

Rink TacomaRink Tacoma is originally from the Netherlands and immigrated with her family at the age of two to New Zealand where in 2012 she completed her BSc in Animal Science at Lincoln University. Rink also worked at Penn State as a research technician before starting her Ph.D. program at UVM. She is currently working on her Ph.D. with Dr. Sabrina Greenwood in dairy nutrition, specifically looking at diet and milk protein interactions. She enjoys being in the outdoors with good company.   Email:  rtacoma@uvm.edu

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Last modified February 26 2013 10:11 AM

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