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Advancing knowledge of animal sciences for the betterment of animals and humans…
The Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University focuses on advancing animal sciences for the betterment of animals and humans through research, teaching, and outreach endeavors. The department is the leading provider of animal science education and outreach in the state of Ohio. Having formed strategic alliances with The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Human Nutrition in the College of Education and Human Ecology, the Animal Welfare Science Centre in Australia, and with other universities and institutions both in the United States and abroad, the department is consistently collaborating with other academic, industry, and government professionals and scientists across the world. As a result, our faculty conduct cutting-edge research that has widespread implications for both traditional and emerging agriculture, along with animal and human health, behavior, and welfare. Areas of our research foci include:
Growth, development, and meat science- Breeding, genetics, & reproduction
- Mammary biology & milk quality
- Animal welfare & behavior
- Nutrition & microbiology
- Waste management & biofuels
- Human-Animal interactions
The department's species foci include:
Cattle (beef and dairy)- Horses
- Poultry
- Sheep
- Swine
- Companion animals (teaching and outreach)
The department excels at integrating disciplines while pursuing our mission of discovering and communicating knowledge about animals and their products by taking multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.
Department of Animal Sciences: A unit of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
The Department of Animal Sciences is in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), one of a collection of colleges and schools within The Ohio State University. You can understand the department’s purpose first in context of the college’s ecological paradigm (pdf). Briefly, a paradigm is a framework of scientific disciplines. The ecological paradigm is a model that guides work in the college and is depicted as four sides of a pyramid, each represented by one of four areas of focus: production efficiency, economic viability, environmental compatibility, and social responsibility. The four sides support and strengthen each other to emphasize balance and integration of the four areas, and the pyramid is not complete without all four sides. The Department of Animal Sciences is made up of interrelated systems within the context of the CFAES ecological paradigm.
The department’s integration within the college is further aligned in the three Signature Focus Areas within the CFAES Strategic Plan. These include
- Food Security, Production, and Human Health
- Environmental Quality and Sustainability
- Advanced Bio-Energy and Bio-Based Products.
Thus, the department has made a strong commitment to responsible production of food and other animal products, as well as animals for companionship and recreational purposes, in its teaching, research, and outreach efforts.