Speakers: Nuts and Bolts of Range Nutrition

Dr. Ted McCollum is the Extension beef cattle specialist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Amarillo. From this location, McCollum serves the North Region (Panhandle, South Plains, Rolling Plains districts). In the north region, Dr. McCollum assists Texas AgriLife Extension Service county staff with educational programming, directs beef cattle programs for producers, provides assistance to cattle producers and industry groups, and conducts field research. At the state level, he assists with statewide programs and serves as a resource person for beef cattle nutrition and stocker cattle programs. Interests include production management of all phases of commercial cattle and beef production from rangeland and forage-based production systems to cattle feeding systems.

Dr. McCollum is a member of the animal nutrition section in the Department of Animal Science and the graduate faculty of Texas A&M University, as well as adjunct faculty at West Texas A&M University. He received his B.S. in Biology from Baylor University, his M.S. degree in Animal Science from New Mexico State University and his doctorate in Ruminant Nutrition from New Mexico State University. He is a Professional Animal Scientist and Diplomate of the American College of Animal Nutrition in the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.

Kent Mills is employed by Hi-Pro Feeds as a range nutritionist, and has lived near Snyder, Texas since 1972. He received a BS Degree from Texas A&M University in 1970. He has been in the livestock feed business since 1982, first with Ezell-Key Grain Co., Inc. in Snyder, Texas, and with Hi-Pro Feeds since 2004. At Hi-Pro, he is responsible for range cattle nutrition, mineral supplement development, as well as sheep, goat, and wildlife nutrition.

Dr. Bruce Carpenter grew up in Southern New Mexico. He received his B.S. from NMSU in 1983, majoring in both Animal Science and Range Science. He worked as an assistant ranch manager in Oklahoma and later as an Extension Beef Cattle Assistant in the south-central and gulf coast regions of Texas. In 1990, he received his M.S. and in 1993, his PhD, in Physiology of Reproduction from Texas A&M University. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M and lives in Ft. Stockton where, since 1994, he has served as the Extension Livestock Specialist for Southwest Texas. Some of his regional and state-wide Extension programs have included Integrated Toxic Plant Management, Cattle Artificial Insemination and Pregnancy Determination Schools, Total Resource Management, and Beef Quality Assurance. Much of his applied research has focused on range bull and ram fertility, range nutrition, and animal behavior.

Dr. Derek Bailey is a Professor of Range Science and has been at New Mexico State University since 2005. He teaches courses in livestock behavior and welfare, advanced rangeland management and a graduate course in rangeland research methods. In addition to teaching and research responsibilities at NMSU, he is the Director of the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center. Derek has over 35 refereed journal publications and has received over one million dollars in extra-mural funding. Prior to coming to NMSU, Derek worked as an assistant and associate professor at Montana State University for nine years, a range management consultant in Nevada for 5 years, a research scientist in Oklahoma for two years, and an extension agent in Arizona for a year. Derek received his PhD and in Range Science at Colorado State University and his MS and BS degrees in Animal Science at Colorado State. After growing up on a cattle ranch in southern Colorado, Derek has maintained his interest in rangeland livestock production. His research has focused on the mechanisms of grazing distribution and animal behavior. Derek's approach is to meld livestock behavior, animal learning, animal nutrition, animal breeding, low-stress stockmanship, grazing ecology and vegetation restoration into practical approaches to resolve management issues on rangelands.

Dr. Sam Smallidge is an Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, in the Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources Department at New Mexico State University. He is also the Range Improvement Task Force Coordinator. Dr. Smallidge's research and extension efforts focus on the management of wildlife and livestock interactions.