Katie Kroeze | Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Katie Kroeze

U of Guelph student Katie Kroeze kneeling in a field with cattle.

Advice for prospective grad students...

My student philosophy is that anyone can learn anything. However, to succeed and enjoy your graduate school education you need to create good relationships with your mentors and those you look up to and get involved in student life by joining things that resonate with you whether that be student councils, clubs, intramural teams, etc!

Program

Animal Biosciences, PhD

Why did you choose to complete your graduate studies in your program at the University of Guelph?

My top two reasons (of many) for choosing the University of Guelph are 1. my advisor and 2. the facilities that we have here for our research! I have been working with my advisor, Dr. Katie Wood, since 2020 when I was still an undergraduate student. She has mentored me into the scientist that I am today and has always been very supportive, understanding, and kind. Having a good relationship with your advisor, I think, is paramount to having a positive graduate school experience. Secondly, the research facilities that we have at the Ontario Beef Research Centre are incredibly impressive and are managed very well. Having access to these facilities and learning opportunities is a privilege that I am grateful for.

A bit about your path...

I have had a passion for animals and science for as long as I can remember. I started my Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Guelph thinking I wanted to work towards becoming a large animal veterinarian, but then when I was awarded a USRA (Undergraduate Student Research Assistant) position in the summer between my second and third year in Dr. Katie Wood's lab I realized I loved research. That summer, I assisted on several projects, my favourite being a pasture project that studied methane mitigation. Working in the Wood lab that summer led to me volunteering, working and completing my undergraduate research courses (ANSC 4700 and 4710) in the lab. The next summer, between my third and fourth year of my undergraduate degree, Katie encouraged me to apply to be a summer student at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture (OMAFA). I was successful in my application and became a Beef Research Summer Student under Megan VanSchaik. This summer taught me more about commercial farming, and meeting producers, while also allowing me to do some on-farm research on bunk management and veal calf nutrition. This position also introduced me to several other students in similar programs of study, allowing me to make more connections with my peers. I also worked with Christoph Wand, a Livestock and Sustainability Specialist. He and Megan are still mentors of mine today! Megan and I worked together to get an article published in the Veal Producer magazine, The Connection, titled Addressing Acidosis on Ontario Veal Farms. Getting published in this magazine taught me that I enjoy writing my science in plain language so that it can be more accessible to the people who can actually implement it, in this case, the veal producers. Getting this published led me to work for SPARK (Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge) where I interviewed several researchers from the university and wrote about their research in articles more digestible to the public. This led me into another role under Dr. Katie Wood where I now interview beef researchers from the university, help run knowledge transfer events, and keep our Beef@Guelph website updated. I completed my MSc under Katie as well, again looking at methane mitigation, this time investigating the question, do beef heifers previously classified as high or low methane emitters respond the same to a canola oil methane mitigation strategy? I defended my MSc thesis in October 2024 and am now working on my PhD! The overarching theme of my research is again methane mitigation, specifically while the cows are on pasture.

A bit about the work you are doing here...

My Ph.D. investigates methane mitigation strategies for beef cows on pasture. My summer trial looks at pasture management of a three-day rotation versus continuous grazing and my fall trial looks at high tannin versus low tannin strip grazing. The first hypothesis is that the more intensively managed pasture will have lower GHG emissions, and the second is that the high tannin pasture will have lower GHG emissions. My third chapter brings samples from these pastures to the University of Saskatchewan to run Rusitec studies under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel Ribeiro to compare the in vitro and in vivo emissions leading to a possible modification of current equations to have the GreenFeed measured emissions validate the benchwork emissions for pasture fed beef cows.

How do you think the work you are doing at U of G can potentially improve life?

My three research projects are all striving to improve life by decreasing the environmental impact of beef production. My first two projects could provide producers with pasture management strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions either with rotational grazing or with increased tannin grazing (no results to share yet though!). My third project takes place at the University of Saskatchewan and has the potential to decrease the amount of time and resources expended when exploring new methane mitigation strategies. This project uses an artificial digestion method to mimic a cow’s digestion, called Rusitec. A Rusitec trial takes only two weeks to complete whereas my pasture experiments take months. The goal of the Rusitec project is to develop a model that can accurately predict the emissions from the cattle on pasture.

Your academic relationship with your advisor...

My advisor, Dr. Katie Wood, is a fantastic advisor. Her mentorship has been invaluable to my growth as a scientist.

What do you plan to do after graduation?

After graduation I hope to explore a career that combines research and plain language communications. I really enjoyed my summer position working for OMAFA but I am still exploring different avenues for this!

Tips? Favourite study spots? 

There are many free learning opportunities outside of the university as well that can help to boost your knowledge and understanding of your field, something I did in the summer before starting my graduate studies was Beef Advocacy Canada.

My favourite study spot is actually in downtown! I wrote probably half of my MSc thesis sitting in Sunday Blooms drinking their delicious coffees and teas.

What it is like to be a graduate student at Guelph?

Being a graduate student at Guelph has been a fantastic experience so far. I appreciate all of the opportunities to attend conferences and share my passion for research and what I have learned so far while getting to learn from my peers at other universities as well as industry professionals and farmers!

What do you like best about the U of G campus?

My favourite part of campus is the Arboretum! Especially the lilac garden when it is in bloom.

What you like about living in the City of Guelph?

I’ve lived in Guelph for seven years now and one of my favourite things about the city are all the parks. There are green spaces everywhere to go have a walk or read a book or meet up with some friends!