2003-2004 WISLINE Speaker Biographies

David Thomas, Professor of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, grew up on a livestock/dairy farm and in the rural community of Mineral Point in southwestern Wisconsin. He raised and exhibited purebred Hampshire sheep through high school and college. He earned the B.S. degree in Meat and Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971. From 1971-73, he and his wife, Lynda, served as U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers in Kenya where he worked in animal husbandry extension. He received both the M.S. (1975) and Ph.D. (1977) degrees in Animal Breeding from Oklahoma State University. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991, he served on the faculties at Oregon State University (1977-81) and the University of Illinois (1981-91). At UW-Madison, he has an appointment in research, teaching, and extension. His research deals with genetic improvement of reproduction in sheep and sheep dairying. He teaches Sheep Production and Principles of Animal Breeding, and serves as the Wisconsin Sheep Extension Specialist. He has published over 430 research and extension articles including 63 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, and has made over 100 invited presentations to both scientific and sheep producer audiences outside his state of residence in the U.S. and internationally. He has worked or consulted on livestock development projects in Kenya, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan and serves as USAID's Scientific Liaison Officer to the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. He and Lynda have three children: a married son who is a financial market analyst in New York City, a married daughter who is an elementary school teacher in Chicago, and a daughter who is a personal banker in Madison, WI. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, family genealogy, and traveling.

Joseph P. Tritschler: Born (1950) and raised in the small western Pennsylvania town, Beaver Falls. Educated at Franklin and Marshall College (1973; A.B.; religious studies and psychology), the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1974; B.S.; biochemistry), and the University of Florida, Gainesville (1981; Ph.D. animal science, emphasis ruminant nutrition). Worked as a Peace Corps volunteer (1975-77) in Colombia, conducting a project in mineral nutrition for ruminants; as the Livestock Extension Specialist for Massachusetts (1981-92); as a Beef Cattle Extension Specialist for Hawaii (1992-97); and currently as the Small Ruminant Extension Specialist for Virginia. Current principle projects include the study of Anthelmintic resistance and control of nematodes; Farmer-to-farmer volunteer technical assistance in East Africa; Cooperative marketing of small ruminants; and the annual Virginia Grazing School and Virginia Small Ruminant Expo. Live in Prince George, VA with Kristin Kosciusko and our three children Joseph (12), Olivia (9) and Nicholas (6). Enjoy camping, fishing, running, coaching youth soccer, reading.

Susan K. Duckett: Susan Duckett grew up in Northeast Iowa on a small farm raising beef cattle and sheep. Susan received her B. S. in Animal Science from Iowa State University, M. S. in Ruminant Nutrition and Ph. D. in Animal Science (Meat Science) from Oklahoma State University. She was employed as an Assistant Professor in Meat Quality at University of Idaho from 1994 to 2000. In 2000, Susan joined the Animal and Dairy Science Department at The University of Georgia in a teaching and research faculty position. Susan's research activities are aimed at examining the factors affecting fresh meat quality, and developing pre- and post-harvest strategies to increase red meat yield, quality grade, palatability, and consumer acceptability of beef and lamb. Her teaching responsibilities include undergraduate courses in Meat Animal Evaluation, and graduate courses in Meat Science.

Dan Morrical: Dr. Morrical was born in Hartford City, Indiana. He joined the Iowa State University faculty in 1984 as Extension Sheep Specialist after completing his doctorate degree at New Mexico State University. He holds the rank of Full Professor.

At Iowa State University, he has been responsible for educational programs in all areas of sheep production, including reproduction, genetics, nutrition and marketing. In addition, Dr. Morrical has been the principal scientist for the sheep research flock located at the McNay Research Farm, Chariton, IA. The focus has been on applied research in the areas of lamb and ewe nutrition, forage utilization and lamb survival. He currently serves as Iowa State University representative to the NCR190 Project on Increasing the Efficiency of Sheep Production. Dr. Morrical was a co-developer of the National Sheep Improvement Program.

Daniel G. Morrical
Department of Animal Science
Iowa State University
337 Kildee Hall
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: 515-294-0847
Fax: 515-294-3795
Email: morrical@iastate.edu

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