Kathy Soder

Dr. Kathy Soder serves as a Research Animal Scientist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service at the Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Unit in University Park, PA, while holding adjunct faculty appointments at both Penn State University and the University of New Hampshire. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Animal Science (Dairy Nutrition) from Penn State University, an MS in Animal Science (Range Sheep Nutrition) from Montana State University, and a BS in Animal Science/Business Option from Penn State University. Her groundbreaking research focuses on the forage-animal interface in grazing-based dairy and livestock systems, with particular emphasis on supplemental feeds and forages. She pioneered research on pasture intake measurements for mid-pregnancy sheep and late-pregnancy dairy cows, while conducting extensive studies on feed additives and supplements for grazing dairy cows. Through her interdisciplinary research, she evaluates how forage mixtures and alternative forages affect animal productivity, pasture intake, ruminal fermentation, grazing behavior, and methane output. As an instructor for the Coursera course "Dairy Production and Management," she shares her expertise in sustainable grazing systems and animal nutrition with a global audience