Yuri Montanholi has joined North Dakota State University Extension as the beef cattle specialist.

He is native of Brazil and has dual Canadian citizenship.

“I feel honored to join a community where the beef industry means a lot and with a long history of Extension assisting producers and tailoring research,” he says.

Montanholi received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Santa Catarina State University in Brazil, a master of science degree from Rio Grande do Sul Federal University in Brazil and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph in Canada. He continued in post-doctoral and research associate positions at the University of Guelph before accepting faculty positions at Dalhousie University in Canada and Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom. He also holds an adjunct professor position at the University of the Uruguay Republic.

He has a dual appointment at NDSU in Extension and research. In his Extension role, his responsibilities include developing statewide beef cattle Extension programming materials, conducting meetings and offering in-service training for beef cattle producers, county Extension personnel and other professionals involved in the beef industry. The Extension activities will assist Montanholi in focusing his applied research program to meet the needs of the North Dakota beef industry.

Montanholi’s research and Extension programs have focused on improving the efficiency of feed utilization, evaluating metabolic rates from the whole animal to cellular levels, evaluating the relationships between feed efficiency and carcass composition, assessing the biological associations between feed efficiency and sexual maturity, optimizing sensing methodologies for assessing productive performance on-farm and in processing plants, and evaluating biomarkers for health and welfare.

At NDSU, Montanholi plans to expand his activities through an interconnected research and Extension program to assist beef producers in increasing their efficiency while safeguarding the environment and contributing to the strength of the state’s communities.

“We are excited to have Yuri step into the role of Extension beef cattle specialist,” says Greg Lardy, interim Extension director. “His international experience and training make him uniquely qualified for the position and we look forward to the opportunity he has to serve the beef cattle industry in North Dakota.”

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Sept. 10, 2019