Ellen Dierenfeld

Ellen S. Dierenfeld, PhD, received her PhD and MS in Animal Science from Cornell University, and a BS in Animal Science from Iowa State University. She is a founding member of both the American Zoo and Aquarium Associations Nutrition Advisory Group and the Comparative Nutrition Society, serving in the latter as Secretary for 6 years, and currently President-Elect.

She brings extensive expertise in Comparative Animal Nutrition and Global Sustainable Agriculture, with over 30 years professional experience in applied and basic animal nutrition research. Previous positions include: Director of the Wildlife Nutrition Center (Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo), Director of Nutrition and Research (Oxbow Animal Health), Staff Nutritionist (Saint Louis Zoo), and Manager of Africa R&D and Global Sustainability Programs (Novus International, Inc.). Present activity includes roles as Honorary Professor, School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, Editorial Board for Zoo Biology, as well as Consulting Nutritionist for several zoos, private facilities/individuals, and feed manufacturers. Ellen has conducted field work on six continents with a variety of both wildlife and livestock species, focusing on native/local feed ingredient composition and animal utilization.

She has mentored >100 students/interns in aspects of comparative nutrition, and currently co-supervises graduate student activities in the UK, Belgium, Myanmar, and Brazil, working with multiple species and nutrients. Ellen has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, co-authored the book, Comparative Animal Nutrition and Metabolism, and developed Zootrition records keeping and nutritional analysis software used globally in zoos, universities, and by private entities.