Leadership

Graduate Students

The Department of Animal Sciences offers a comprehensive MS and PhD program providing educational opportunities and hands-on experiences to ensure our students’ success, both academically and professionally.

The Graduate Studies Program recruits talented and dedicated students to study and conduct research in a multitude of applied or basic research areas within Animal Sciences—genetics, meat science, nutrition, physiology, animal welfare, and anaerobic microbiology, to name a few. Our curriculum is flexible and can be tailored around your interests and career goals.

Kunkle Award



Congratulations to the 2011 L.E. Kunkle Award winner, Sara Crawford! This award is given to an outstanding graduate student in recognition of valuable contributions to the Graduate Program in Animal Sciences. The recognition is in the form of a permanent plaque engraved with the name of the recipient and in a personal plaque for the recipient. The sons of L.E. Kunkle chose to honor their father by providing this award in his name.

  1. Sara Crawford (PhD). Kunkle Award 2011, Graduate Student
  2. Sara Crawford
  3. Sara Crawford
  4. Hall of Fame Ceremony 2011

Sara’s PhD research focuses on production animal welfare and human and animal interactions. She is evaluating the efficacy of ProHand® as a tool for addressing human attitudes and beliefs as they influence behavior toward swine and subsequent productivity and fear responses in pigs. The research approach focuses on contract finishing entities. The research is being conducted in partnership with the Australian Animal Welfare Science Centre, OARDC, and two integrated, family-farm swine operations in Ohio.

Sara has a BS in Agriculture, OSU 2002 (Major: Animal Science, Minor: Agricultural Education), and an MS in Animal Science, OSU 2005 (Genetics and Meat Science).