Dairy Nutritionist Joins DAS Faculty
Dr. Alexander Hristov who joined the faculty in January, will focus research on ways to improve nitrogen utilization in the dairy cow, and teach animal nutrition.
Alexander N.
Hristov, Ph.D., P.A.S., joined the faculty of Penn State's Department of Dairy
and Animal Science in January as associate professor of dairy nutrition.
Hristov's responsibilities include both research and teaching, with his research focused on ways to improve nitrogen utilization in the dairy cow.
A native of Bulgaria, Hristov received his Ph.D. in animal nutrition in 1992 from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria. He did his undergraduate work in dairy technology at the Higher Institute of Zooengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Stara Zagora Bulgaria.
In making the announcement, Dr. Terry Etherton, head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science, said, "We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Hristov to the faculty. With his strong background in dairy nutrition, his subject matter expertise will be incredibly valuable to Pennsylvania's economically important dairy industry. We look forward to his interactions with our faculty and students, and to the contributions he will make to the entire dairy industry in the Commonwealth."
Hristov comes to Penn State from the University of Idaho having also spent time as a research scientist at the Lethbridge Research center, Agriculture Canada, following his postdoctoral fellowship at the same institution. He also served as a visiting scientist at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research center in Madison, WI, and had previously been a research scientist at the Institute of Animal Sciences, Kostinbrod, Bulgaria.
Noting that his research is directly relevant to dairy producers, Hristov said his studies will help them find ways to manage their nutrients more effectively while saving money. His research in Idaho involved working directly with large dairies in on-farm projects.
An important aspect of his research will be finding ways to improve feed and ammonia nitrogen utilization in the rumen and the whole animal. He said his research will also look at the whole farm nutrient balance.
He will be teaching both an undergraduate course in animal nutrition and an upper level course in ruminant nutrition, something he looks forward to.
