Drew Conroy Profile Photo

Andrew Conroy

PROFESSOR
Program Coordinator - Applied Animal Science
Phone: (603) 862-2625
Office: Thompson School of Applied Science, Barton Hall Rm 131, Durham, NH 03824

Professor Conroy, a four time teaching award winner, has been teaching people how to work with and manage farm animals for 37 years at the college level. Broadly trained in agriculture, he teaches 8 different Animal Science courses at the University of New Hampshire, with CREAM being his most well-known course. See: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am04OHObpP4&amp;list=PLIV5m_SmQxYSPMd-B……</a> His teaching focus at UNH is primarily with dairy cattle, but he is also well versed in managing and handling goats, sheep, swine, beef cattle, and poultry. He has worked for decades with 4-H and FFA youth judging cattle and other livestock, as well as helping them develop their animal handling, training, showmanship and live animal judging skills. In support of youth and college students interested in judging he has written an OER textbook on Dairy Cattle Judging and Evaluation available free on-line at: <a href="https://oercommons.org/authoring/29160-judging-and-evaluating-dairy-cat……</a>

A two-time Fulbright Scholar, his teaching, research and consulting have taken him to 19 times to Africa, where he has worked in Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo and Rwanda. In 2023 he began teaching a course called Livestock and Wildlife in Namibia. This writing intensive Discovery World Cultures course combines weekly lectures in Durham, with an embedded faculty-led study abroad component in Namibia over spring break. Students explore the economic, geographic, scientific, cultural and practical aspects of livestock and wildlife management in Namibia. See: <a href="https://colsa.unh.edu/study-abroad">https://colsa.unh.edu/study-abroad<…;

Dr. Conroy's work in Africa has also led to mentoring many UNH undergraduate students in research abroad, specifically on topics related to conflicts with wildlife and agriculture. Students he has worked with have done research in Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia. See: <a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&amp;context=i……</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0CmWrTUTUA">https://www.youtube.com/wa…;

Finally, he is one of the foremost academic authorities on draft oxen in the world having written 4 books, numerous book chapters, nearly 100 articles and consulted for numerous Charitable and Government organizations, as well as the movie industry on the use and training of oxen. See: <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/drew-conroy/oxen/9781612128009……</a> or <a href="https://extension.unh.edu/resource/nh-4-h-working-steer-manual">https:/…; and <a href="https://youtu.be/Jr9c41YCck0?si=ATlYIOdSVHha-b52">https://youtu.be/Jr9c…; or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul2PFDdeJ2k">https://www.youtube.com/wa…;

Faculty Award Winner

Award Type:  TSAS Excellence in Teaching
Year:  2014

Award Type:  Alumni Association Excellence in Public Service Award
Year:  2011

Award Type:  Excellence in Teaching Award
Year:  2011

Courses Taught

  • AAS 421: Large Animal Behav & Handling
  • AAS 423: Dairy Selection
  • AAS 425: Intro to Dairy Herd Management
  • AAS 432: Intro Forage & Grassland Mgmt
  • AAS 574: Dairy Cattle Disease Seminar
  • AAS 591: Studies
  • AAS 597: Work Experience/Dairy
  • ANSC 406: Careers in Animal Science
  • ANSC 600: Field Experience
  • ANSC 690: Livestock & Wildlife Namibia
  • ANSC 695: Supervised Teaching Experience
  • ANSC 698: Coop Real Educ Agriculturl Mgt
  • ANSC 795W: Investigations
  • SAFS 795W: Investigations

Education

  • Ph.D., Natural Resources/Conservation, University of New Hampshire
  • M.S., Animal Sciences, Northwest Missouri State University
  • B.S., Animal Sciences, University of New Hampshire

Research Interests

  • Agricultural Development
  • Agricultural History
  • Agriculture
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Dairy Science
  • International Agriculture
  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Vocational/Technical Education
  • Wildlife & Habitat Management/Conservation

Selected Publications

  • Conroy, A. (2022). Oxen: Status, Uses and Practices in the U.S.A.,
    Encouraging a Historic Tradition to Thrive. In C. Cropp, & L. Zoll (Eds.), Draft Animals in the Past, Present and Future (pp. 137). Heidelberg, Germany: Heidelberg University/Heidelberg University Library Propylaeum – Specialized Information Service Classics Grabengasse 1, 69117. doi:10.11588/propylaeum.1120.c15608

  • Mujyambere, V., Adomako, K., Olympio, S. O., Ntawubizi, M., Nyinawamwiza, L., Mahoro, J., & Conroy, A. (2022). Local chickens in East African region: their production and potential. POULTRY SCIENCE, 101(1). doi:10.1016/j.psj.2021.101547

  • Conroy, A., Overson, C. E., & Erickson, P. S. (2019). University of New Hampshire Alumni Perspectives in C.R.E.A.M. a Flipped Classroom with Experiential Learning on a Dairy Farm. NACTA Journal, 63, 299-306. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26769654

  • Conroy, A. (2018). "Judging and Evaluating Dairy Cattle".. OER Commons. Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education. . under license "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0". Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/29160-judging-and-evaluating-dairy-cattle

  • Orefice, J., Carroll, J., Conroy, D., & Ketner, L. (2017). Silvopasture practices and perspectives in the Northeastern United States. AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS, 91(1), 149-160. doi:10.1007/s10457-016-9916-0

  • Antaya, N. T., Soder, K. J., Kraft, J., Whitehouse, N. L., Guindon, N. E., Erickson, P. S., . . . Brito, A. F. (2015). Incremental amounts of Ascophyllum nodosum meal do not improve animal performance but do increase milk iodine output in early lactation dairy cows fed high-forage diets. JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 98(3), 1991-2004. doi:10.3168/jds.2014-8851

  • Teweldmehidin, M. Y., & Conroy, A. B. (2010). The economic importance of draught oxen on small farms in Namibia's Eastern Caprivi Region. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, 5(9), 928-934. doi:10.5897/AJAR09.161

  • Conroy, A., & Erickson, P. S. (2009). UNH CREAM- A Case Study. In J. Aber, T. Kelly, & B. Mallory (Eds.), The Sustainable Learning Community One University's Journey to the Future (1 ed., pp. 87-90). Lebanon, NH: UPNE.

  • Conroy, D. (2007). Oxen A Teamster's Guide to Raising, Training, Driving & Showing. 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247: Storey Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.storey.com/books/oxen/

  • Crawford, C. A., Schwab, C. G., Conroy, A. B., Erickson, P. S., Whitehouse, N. L., & Boucher, S. E. (2007). Essential oil supplementation of a corn silage based diet deficient in rumen undegraded protein fed to lactating Holstein dairy cows.. In JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE Vol. 90 (pp. 684). Retrieved from https://www.webofscience.com/

  • Conroy, A. (1999). Oxen, A Teamster's Guide (Vol. 1). Rural Heritage. Retrieved from https://www.ruralheritage.com/new_rh_website/index_green.shtml

  • Conroy, D., & Barney, D. (1986). The oxen handbook. Butler Pub & Tools.