Dr. Kathy Soder is a Research Animal Scientist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. She is located at the Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Unit in University Park, PA. She also holds adjunct faculty appointments with the Department of Animal Science at the Pennsylvania State University and the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Soder received her PhD in Animal Science (Dairy Nutrition) from Penn State University, an MS in Animal Science (Range Sheep Nutrition) at Montana State University, and a BS in Animal Science/Business Option from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Soder's research has focused on the forage-animal interface in grazing-based dairy and livestock systems with emphasis on supplemental feeds and forages. She generated some of the first data on pasture intake of mid-pregnancy sheep grazing winter range and late-pregnancy grazing dairy cows. Dr. Soder has conducted numerous studies on a variety of feed additives and supplements for grazing dairy cows to evaluate how effective they are in grazing-based systems. She has also conducted interdisciplinary research evaluating the effects of forage mixtures and alternative forages on animal productivity, pasture intake, ruminal fermentation, grazing behavior and methane output.