Thomas R. Overton - Associate Professor
PhD from University of Illinois
Graduate fields: Animal Science
Area(s) of interest: nutritional physiology, dairy cattle nutrition and management.
Teaching:
Email: tro2@cornell.edu
Current Research
My research program focuses on nutritional physiology of dairy cattle during late pregnancy and early lactation. This timeframe in the lactation cycle is characterized by dramatic changes in nutrient requirements that necessitate exquisite coordination of metabolism to support increasing milk production and prevent occurrence of metabolic disorders during early lactation. Current efforts include determining nutritional strategies to optimize liver function and health in dairy cows during early lactation and utilization of stable isotopic techniques to quantitatively characterize macronutrient metabolism in dairy cows during late pregnancy and early lactation. Data from these efforts will be integrated into the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System.
My extension effort in dairy management is focused on enhancing the profitability and competitiveness of dairy producers, mostly through working with agriservice professionals and consultants. A major new initiative involves using the Internet to develop a continuous, sustained resource for dairy management and electronic technologies such as videoconferencing to deliver programs simultaneously and interactively with multiple sites throughout New York State.