Meet the Team
Title: Extension Department Head
Office Phone: 575-646-4650
Email: sivey@nmsu.edu
Bio:
Dr. Shanna Ivey is a full professor in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at New Mexico State University. Her faculty appointment is split between teaching and research responsibilities in rumen microbiology and animal nutrition. Shanna joined New Mexico State University in 2004 after completing post-doctoral work at Oregon State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Shanna received her B. S. in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, M. S. from University of Nebraska in ruminant nutrition with research emphasizing the use of ethanol co-products in feedlot cattle diets. After completion of her M. S. degree Dr. Ivey worked as a Clinical Research Administrator at Elanco Animal Health. She completed her Ph. D. in 2002 in ruminant nutrition with an emphasis in rumen microbiology and is currently the only rumen microbiologist in the western United States. Current research in Dr. Ivey's laboratory focuses on determining the effect of different dietary constituents including biofuel co-products on rumen microbial ecology and the subsequent impact on animal production. Also the use of secondary plant compounds as rumen modifiers are being investigated.
Title: Associate Professor & Extension Forest and Fire Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-8130
Email: dcram@nmsu.edu
Bio:
Dr. Cram received a BS in Wildlife Science (New Mexico State University), a MS in Forest Science (Oklahoma State University) and a PhD in Range Science (New Mexico State University). He has been with NMSU Cooperative Extension Service since 2002 with a brief hiatus to the University of Hawaii in 2012.
Program Narrative:
Dr. Cram’s research and extension efforts focus on management of forests, rangelands, and riparian areas with a concentration on the interaction of fire within these systems. In addition, he leads a program called “Learning to Live with Fire” that is designed to help New Mexicans become resilient to wildfire, much like the relationships between Floridians and hurricanes, Oklahomans and tornados, and Californians and earthquakes. Contact him to discuss and arrange an Extension program to fit your needs.
Title: Extension Dairy Specialist
Office Phone: 575-985-2292 ext 106
Bio:
Dr. Robert Hagevoort, a native of The Netherlands, is an Associate Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist in the Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources Department of College of Agricultural in the College of Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Tropical Animal Production from the College for Tropical Agriculture (1987) in Deventer, The Netherlands. He received a M.S. degree in Range Nutrition (1989), and a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition (1993) both from Texas A&M University.
Prior to joining New Mexico State University as an Extension Dairy Specialist in November of 2005, Dr. Hagevoort served for over 10 years as an independent dairy management consultant primarily in California’s southern and central Valley. As a an Extension Specialist, he has been working closely with the Dairy Industry in New Mexico and across the Western US regarding many regulatory and environmental issues, and initiated an effort to rebuild a dairy program at NMSU through the formation of the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium (formerly known as the Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium).
A key component of his current research & extension program is the development and implementation of a comprehensive dairy workforce training & safety program.
In March of 2011, Dr. Hagevoort was the first recipient of the Topliff Dairy Chair, a position charged with promoting the visibility of the dairy industry through research, extension and education and which serves as a policy center for regulatory matters.
Email: dairydoc@nmsu.edu
Title: Assistant Professor
Office Phone: 575-646-2492
Email: fgiotto@nmsu.edu
Title: Extension Aquatic Ecology Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-6093
Email: rsallena@nmsu.edu
Bio:
Rossana Sallenave is the Extension Aquatic Ecology Specialist at New Mexico State University. She comes from Canada, where she earned her M.Sc. in Biology at the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Canada) and her Ph.D. in Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph (Canada). Her background is in freshwater ecology, and aquatic ecotoxicology, with special interest in invertebrate ecology. She also has considerable knowledge about aquaculture and aquaponics. Her research interests lie in the effects of anthropogenic activities on aquatic communities and are aimed at improving conservation and sustainable management of aquatic resources. Her extension goals are to provide education programming for New Mexicans on topics aimed at better understanding of watersheds, water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. She serves on the Board of Directors and the Extension Technical Committee of the Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC) and is the WRAC representative on the National Aquaculture Extension Steering Committee.
Program Narrative:
As the Extension Aquatic Ecology Specialist, Dr. Sallenave's goal is to help New Mexicans become informed, active participants in protecting our precious aquatic resources. She specializes in aquatic ecology and aquatic toxicology, and also has considerable knowledge about aquaculture and aquaponics. She provides support, information, and educational programs to New Mexico stakeholders and resource users about aquatic ecosystem health, water quality, watershed stewardship, aquaculture, and managing aquatic resources in a sustainable way. This includes county agents, homeowners, master gardeners, pesticide users, pond owners, and aquaculture producers.
Websites:
Western Regional Aquaculture Center
Title: Associate Professor / Extension Wildlife Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-5944
Email: ssmallid@nmsu.edu
Personal Bio: Range Improvement Task Force Website
Program Narrative:
Wildlife Management in New Mexico
People encounter wildlife at home, work and while engaged in recreation. Wildlife may represent significant opportunities and challenges for people. New Mexico's farmers, ranchers and urban citizens need information detailing basic ecology, human health issues related to wildlife, animal biology and management, habitat management, wildlife damage management and wildlife enterprise development. Further information regarding basic ecology, management and human health issues regarding commonly encountered wildlife is needed by youth and adults. Educational programs needed for urban and rural residents often differ in the types of information people need regarding wildlife damage management, wildlife enterprises, and wildlife ecology and management. Objectives of this are:
- to provide wildlife damage management education and demonstration relevant to urban and rural environments,
- to provide education related to diversification or income through wildlife enterprises, and
- to provide general wildlife ecology and management education for youth and adults in rural and urban settings.
Title: Extension Range Management Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-3098
Email: spackman@nmsu.edu
Bio:
Dr. Casey Spackman hails from Northern Utah where he grew up on a mixed practice farm of beef, dairy, and crop production. Dr. Spackman attended Utah State University where in 2015 he earned a B.S. degree in Animal Sciences, and in 2019 he earned a Ph.D. in Rangeland Sciences. His studies were focused on Livestock Grazing Behavior, Invasive Annual Grass Control, Poisonous Plants, Plant Ecology and Physiology, Rangeland Monitoring and Revegetation Efforts. While earning his B.S. degree, Dr. Spackman worked for the Department of Wildland Resources as a Research Technician at Utah State University gaining invaluable experience on several yearly experiments in animal behavior and grazing. During his Ph.D., he worked for the USDA-ARS Poisonous Plants Research Laboratory, collaborating on several projects located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Dr. Spackman moved to New Mexico in the beginning of 2020 where he currently is the Extension Range Management Specialist at New Mexico State University.
Title: Associate Professor / Extension Horse Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-1242
Email: jlturner@nmsu.edu
Title: Extension Livestock Specialist
Office Phone: 575-646-5947
Email: maward@nmsu.edu
Major Programs:
- Beef and sheep production / management
- Rangeland nutrition, ranch products evaluation, performance and quality analyses
Research Emphasis:
- Evaluation of on-ranch calf preconditioning approaches
Bio:
Dr. Marcy Ward became the NMSU Extension Livestock Specialist in June of 2013. Marcy received her B.S. degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University in 1991, and her M.S. from New Mexico State University in Animal Science in 1993. Her primary research focus was in the area of ruminant range nutrition. She then went to work for Purina Mills, Inc. as a Dairy Specialist in Stephenville, TX. After three years she was transferred to South Central Kansas, where she worked with all livestock species. In 2002, she decided to return to graduate school. She received her Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition from North Dakota State University in 2005. She comes back to NMSU from Colby Community College, where she was the Beef Program Director for seven years.
Title: Extension Veterinarian
Office Phone: 575-646-3019
Email: jwenzel@nmsu.edu
Bio:
John C. Wenzel, DVM is a New Mexico native and graduated from New Mexico State University with a B.S. degree in Agriculture in 1982. He attended Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 1986. In 1987, Dr. Wenzel moved to the Southwest corner of New Mexico and joined a mixed animal practice as an associate veterinarian. He then purchased the practice in 1991. Since entering private practice, Dr. Wenzel has concentrated on cow / calf medicine and preventative health programs for producers in SW New Mexico. Dr. Wenzel retired from full time veterinary practice in 2012 and in 2006 Dr. Wenzel joined the faculty at New Mexico State University in the Department of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources as the university's first Extension Veterinarian. Since joining NMSU, Dr. Wenzel has given many producer educational presentations all over New Mexico. He is the State Coordinator for several programs., including NM Beef Quality Assurance, NM-ALIRT and Enhanced Passive Surveillance. He also represents New Mexico on the Veterinary Medical Advisory Council for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. He belongs to several local, state and national organizations. Dr. Wenzel has been married to Dolly since 1979 and they have three sons and nine grandchildren.
Support Staff
Title: Fiscal Assistant, Sr.
Office Phone: 575-646-2426
Email: saerts@nmsu.edu
Fax: 575-646-5441
Title: Administrative Assistant, Intermediate
Office Phone: 575-646-2515
Email: kingb@nmsu.edu
Fax: 575-646-5441