Professor of Dairy Management and Chair of the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University.
Thomas R. Overton, Ph.D., is Professor of Dairy Management and Chair of the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University.
Tom is recognized widely for his research and extension efforts relating to nutritional physiology of the transition dairy cow.
He serves as Director of the statewide PRO-DAIRY extension program at Cornell. He teaches the dairy cattle nutrition course for undergraduates and co-teaches a similar course for veterinary students.
He served as Associate Director, Agriculture and Food Systems, for Cornell Cooperative Extension from 2014 to 2019. In this college-level position, he worked to build additional regional agriculture specialist extension teams and strengthened several college-level extension programs through his leadership.
Tom assumed the role of interim chair of the Department of Animal Science in July 2019 and was appointed chair in November 2020.
Tom has a B.S. degree from Cornell University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois.
He has authored or co-authored nearly 120 peer-reviewed scientific publications and numerous conference proceedings, extension publications, and popular press articles.
He was awarded the Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award by the American Dairy Science Association in 2006, the ADSA Foundation Scholar Award in 2007, and the ADSA Nutrition Professionals Applied Dairy Research Award in 2024.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, 08/1998, Nutritional physiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Ph.D.,05/1998, Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois.
M.S., 05/1994, Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois.
B.S., 05/1991, Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Graduate Research Assistant/Fellow 1991 – 1998
Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Postdoctoral Research Associate 1998
Assistant Professor (60% EXT; 40% RES) 1998 – 2004
Interim Chair, Department of Animal Science 2019 – 2020
Chair, Department of Animal Science 2020 – present
HONORS AND AWARDS (selected)
1992 – Purina Mills Graduate Research Fellowship
1992 – Honor Graduate, US Army Medical Service Corps Officer Basic Course
1996 – Mitchell Fellowship in Animal Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana
1996 – US Army Achievement Medal
1998 – National Milk Producers Federation Richard M. Hoyt Award. American Dairy Science Association
1998 – US Army Commendation Medal
2006 – Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award, American Dairy Science Association
2007 – Foundation Scholar Award and Lecture, American Dairy Science Association
2007 – CALS Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Outreach-Team Award (with L. E. Chase, D. G. Fox, and M. E. Van Amburgh)
2010 – CALS Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension/Outreach – Team Award (PRO-DAIRY; with D. M. Galton, K, J. Czymmek, C. A. Gooch, K. F. Barrett, D. J. Grusenmeyer, J. Karszes, K. S. Skellie, T. A. Shepherd)
2024 – Nutrition Professionals Applied Dairy Nutrition Award, American Dairy Science Association
Veterinary Medicine 6559 – Applied Dairy Nutrition for Practitioners (2 cr)
UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING AND HONORS RESEARCH ADVISING
190 students mentored as faculty advisor including 17 students successfully completing Honors Research programs
GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORING
11 Ph.D. students completed as major advisor, 2 Ph.D. students currently in progress, 12 M.S./M.P.S. students completed as major advisor, 2 MS currently in progress; 36 Ph.D. and M.S. students mentored (completed and current) as graduate committee member
REFEREED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS (2018 to present; out of 117 total)
Leno, B. M., R. C. Neves, I. M. Louge, M. D. Curler, M. J. Thomas, T. R. Overton, and JAA McArt. 2018. Differential effects of a single dose of oral calcium based on postpartum plasma calcium concentration in Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 101:3285-3302.
Mann, S., A. Sipka, F. A. Leal-Yepes, D. V. Nydam, T. R. Overton, and J. J. Wakshlag. 2018. Nutrient-sensing kinase signaling in bovine immune cells is altered during the postpartum nutrient deficit: A possible role in transition cow inflammatory response. J. Dairy Sci. 101:9360-9370.
Mann, S., C. Urh, H. Sauerwein, J. J. Wakshlag, F.A.L. Yepes, T. R. Overton, and D. V. Nydam. 2018. Short communication: The association of adiponectin and leptin concentrations with prepartum dietary energy supply, parity, body condition, and postpartum hyperketonemia in transition dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 101:806-811.
McCarthy, M. M., T. R. Overton, G. D. Mechor, D. E. Bauman, T. C. Jenkins, and D. V. Nydam. 2018. Short communication: Field study to investigate the associations between herd-level risk factors for milk fat depression and bulk tank milk fat percentage in dairy herds feeding monensin. J. Dairy Sci. 101:3118-3125.
Neves, R. C., B. M. Leno, M. D. Curler, M. J. Thomas, T. R. Overton, and J.A.A. McArt. 2018. Association of immediate postpartum plasma calcium concentration with early-lactation clinical diseases, culling, reproduction, and milk production in Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 101:547-555.
Kerwin, A. L., C. M. Ryan, B. M. Leno, M. Jakobsen, P. Theilgaard, D. M. Barbano, and T. R. Overton. 2019. Effects of feeding synthetic zeolite A during the prepartum period on serum mineral concentration, oxidant status, and performance of multiparous Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 102:5191-5207.
Leal-Yepes, F. A., S. Mann, T. R. Overton, C. M. Ryan, L. S. Bristol, G. E. Granados, D. V. Nydam, and J. J. Wakshlag. 2019. Effect of rumen-protected branched-chain amino acid supplementation on production and energy-related metabolites during the first 35 days in milk in Holstein dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 102:5657-5672.
Leal-Yepes, F. A., D. V. Nydam, S. Mann, L. Caixeta, J.A.A. McArt, T. R. Overton, J. J. Wakshlag, and H. J. Huson. 2019. Longitudinal phenotypes improve genotype association for hyperketonemia in dairy cattle. Animals. 9:1059.
Silviera, P.A.S., W. R. Butler, S. E. LaCount, T. R. Overton, C. C. Barros, and A. Schneider. 2019. Polymorphisms in the anti-oxidant paraoxonase-1 (PON1) gene associated with fertility of postpartum dairy cows. Theriogenology. 125:302-309.
Yasui, T., R. M. Ehrhardt, G. R. Bowman, M. Vazquez-Anon, J. D. Richards, C. A. Atwell, and T. R. Overton. 2019. Effects of trace mineral amount and source on aspects of oxidative metabolism and responses to intramammary lipopolysaccharide challenge in midlactation dairy cows. ANIMAL. 13:1000-1008. doi: 10.1017/S1751731118002525
Sipka, A. S., T. L. Chandler, E. L. Behling-Kelly, T. R. Overton, and S. Mann. 2020. The effect of ex vivo lipopolysaccharide stimulation and nutrient availability on transition cow innate immune cell AKT/mTOR pathway responsiveness. J. Dairy Sci. 103:1956-1968.
Brown, W. E., M. Garcia, L. K. Mamedova, K. R. Christman, M. G. Zenobi, C. R. Staples, B. Leno, T. R. Overton, B. K. Whitlock, J. A. Daniel, and B. J. Bradford. 2021. Acute-phase protein α-1-acid glycoprotein is negatively associated with feed intake in postpartum dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 104: 806-817.
Leal-Yepes, F. A., S. Mann, T. R. Overton, E. Behling-Kelly, D. V. Nydam, and J. J. Wakshlag. 2021. Hepatic effects of rumen-protected branched-chain amino acids with or without propylene glycol supplementation in dairy cows during early lactation. J. Dairy Sci. doi: 10.3168/jds.2021-20265.
Ottemann-Abbamonte, C. J., T. R. Overton, A. D. Beaulieu, and J. K. Drackley. 2021. Effects of in vivo phlorizin treatment and in vitro addition of carnitine, propionate, acetate, and 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid on palmitate metabolism in ovine hepatocytes. J. Dairy Sci. 104:77749-7760.
Seely, C. R., B. M. Leno, A. L. Kerwin, T. R. Overton, and J.A.A. McArt. 2021. Association of subclinical hypocalcemia dynamics with dry matter intake, milk yield, and blood minerals during the periparturient period. J. Dairy Sci. 104: 4692-4702.
Chandler, T. L., T. A. Westhoff, T. R. Overton, A. L. Lock, M. E. Van Amburgh, A. S. Sipka, and S. Mann. 2022. Lipopolysaccharide challenge following intravenous amino acid infusion in postpartum dairy cows: I. Production, metabolic, and hormonal responses. J. Dairy Sci. 105:4593-46710.
Chandler, T. L., T. A. Westhoff, A. S. Sipka, T. R. Overton, and S. Mann. 2022. Lipopolysaccharide challenge following intravenous amino acid infusion in postpartum dairy cows: II. Clinical and inflammatory responses. J. Dairy Sci. 105:4611-4623.
Kerwin, A. L., W. S. Burhans, S. Mann, M. Tetreault, D. V. Nydam, and T. R. Overton. 2022. Transition cow nutrition and management strategies of dairy herds in the northeastern United States: Part I-Herd description and performance characteristics. J. Dairy Sci. 105:5327-5348.
Kerwin, A. L., W. S. Burhans, S. Mann, D. V. Nydam, S. K. Wall, K. M. Schoenberg, K. L. Perfield, and T. R. Overton. 2022. Transition cow nutrition and management strategies of dairy herds in the northeastern United States: Part II-Associations of metabolic- and inflammation-related analytes with health, milk yield, and reproduction. J. Dairy Sci. 105:5349-5369.
Kerwin A. L., M. M. McCarthy, W. S. Burhans, D. V. Nydam, S. K. Wall, K. M. Schoenberg, K. L. Perfield, and T. R. Overton. 2022. Associations of a liver health index with health, milk yield, and reproductive performance in dairy herds in the northeastern United States. JDS Commun. 3:446-450. doi: 10.3168/jdsc.2022-0261
Chandler, T. L., T. A. Westhoff, P. A. LaPierre, W. Frizzarini, L. L. Hernandez, T. R. Overton, and S. Mann. 2023. Eucalcemia during lipopolysaccharide challenge in postpartum dairy cows: II. Calcium dynamics. J. Dairy Sci. 106:3601-3614.
Kerwin A. L., W. S. Burhans, D. V. Nydam, and T. R. Overton. 2023. Transition cow nutrition and management strategies of dairy herds in the northeastern United States: Part III-Associations of management and dietary factors with analytes, health, milk yield, and reproduction. J. Dairy Sci. 106:1246-1266. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-21876.
Kerwin, A. L, W. S. Burhans, D. V. Nydam, and T. R. Overton. 2023. Transition cow nutrition and management strategies of dairy herds in the Northeastern United States: Association of nutritional strategies with analytes, health, milk yield, and reproduction. Animals (Basel). 13:2701. doi: 10.3390/ani13172701
Kerwin, A. L., G. M. Graef, C. M. Ryan, L. Ferro, S. Ordaz Puga, T. A. Westhoff, D. M. Barbano, D. H. Kleinschmit, and T. R. Overton. 2023. Effect of replacing a portion of inorganic chloride trace minerals with trace mineral amino acid complexes. J. Dairy Sci. doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22953.
McCarthy, M. M., G. D. Mechor, A. W. Holloway, T. R. Overton, and E. A. Horst. 2023. Gene expression of hepatic gluconeogenic and fatty acid metabolism in early-lactation dairy cows as affected by dietary starch and monensin supplementation. JDS Commun. 5:161-166. doi: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0430.
McGuckin, M. M., S. L. Giesy, T. R. Overton, and Y. R. Boisclair. 2023. Inflammatory tone in liver and adipose tissue in dairy cows experiencing a healthy transition from late pregnancy to early lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 106:8122-8132. doi: 10.3168/jds.2023-23373
Otteman-Abbamonte, C. J., T. R. Overton, A. D. Beaulieu, and J. K. Drackley. 2023. In vitro addition of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and carnitine alters palmitate oxidation and esterification in isolated ovine hepatocytes. J. Dairy Sci. 106:3633-3640.
Westhoff T. A., S. J. Womack, T. R. Overton, C. M. Ryan, and S. Mann. 2023. Epidemiology of bovine colostrum production in New York Holstein herds: Cow, management, and environmental factors. J. Dairy Sci. 10.3168/jds.2022-22447.
Westhoff, T. A., T. R. Overton, and S. Mann. 2023. Epidemiology of bovine colostrum production in New York Holstein herds: Prepartum nutrition and metabolic indicators. J. Dairy Sci. 106:4896-4905.