Faculty spotlight: Mellissa Crosswhite
Friday, February 3, 2017
We are excited to welcome Mellissa Crosswhite into the ANSI family!
As our newest faculty member, Mellissa will be advising undergraduate students, specifically freshman and sophomores, alongside her husband, Justin.
“I love the idea of helping students to understand more about things that they are passionate about,” Mellissa said. “Whether it’s the broad ideas of animal science or a more specific species, helping students to learn is very exciting.”
This semester, she will also be teaching classes including Form and Function of Livestock. Next fall, she plans to teach Growth and Performance, as well as ANSI 1111.
Mellissa grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where she and her family raised livestock. “I always had a passion for animals,” Mellissa said. She attended the University of Florida for her undergraduate degree in animal science, beef option. “I, like many others, was pre-vet when I started college, before realize some of the other amazing opportunities that were available within animal science,” Mellissa said. She and Justin met while they were both attending the University of Florida.
She went on to receive her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal science, Reproductive Physiology from North Dakota State University. “Most of my degrees are focused on beef cattle, which I grew up raising and became my passion.” Mellissa said.
Now, she and Justin, along with their dogs, Worm and Dixon, are happy to be together in Stillwater, and she excited to be a part of OSU.
“No matter where you go in the country and really the world, you will meet someone who has attended OSU,” Mellissa said. “The kind of culture and instruction that this university has to offer its students is amazing, and I am very excited to be a part of that culture.”