Dr. Charlie Apter
Dr. Apter joined the faculty of the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences at University of Maryland College Park in August 2012 as Livestock Lecturer. He received a BS from Clemson University and a PhD in Animal Science (Equine) from Texas A&M University, after which he taught for 11 years in NE Missouri at Truman State University where he managed a 45-head university-owned horse herd. He was then named Director of Agriculture at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, TX, where he worked for five years before joining the faculty at University of Maryland. He has spent much of the last 20 years teaching animal science and equine-related coursework, and most of his teaching has focused on the basic science of animals including anatomy, physiology, reproduction, nutrition, and behavior, and the practical implications of animal science for the management of horses, cattle and other livestock. His teaching assignment at UMD includes a mix of equine, livestock, and animal science courses.
Elaine Bailey
Elaine is the 4-H Youth Development Educator for UMD Extension-Calvert County. In that capacity, she plans, directs, and evaluates a variety of youth development projects, ranging from horses to insects, from robotics to livestock and more. An animal scientist with a BS Degree in Animal Science from Clemson University, and an MS Degree in Agricultural and Extension Education from Iowa State University, she has taught numerous classes at UMD College Park. Among classes that she designed and developed are Equine Business Management and Equine Industry Applications. Elaine is a member of extension’s HorseQuest Community of Practice, where she assists with answering questions about horses, designing and developing online classes and reviewing information for inclusion on the web site, http://extension.org/horses. In her horse pursuits, she is currently learning all about the beauty and nuances of dressage, after being a western pleasure rider much of her life.
Dr. Amy Burk
Dr. Amy Burk is an Associate Professor, statewide Extension Horse Specialist, and Coordinator for the Equine Studies Program in the Animal and Avian Sciences Department. She teaches courses in equine science, horse management, and pasture management. She coordinates care for the on-campus teaching horses and the broodmare and foal herd. In addition to advising undergraduates in the major, she serves as faculty mentor to the Maryland Equestrian Club and Maryland Eventing Team. She provides statewide leadership in equine nutrition, equine health, and pasture management. Her novel 5.5-acre Equine Rotational Grazing Demonstration site has been used to educate over 650 members of the horse industry. Dr. Burk’s current research focus is on utilizing turf grasses in a novel forage system to improve health and welfare of obese horses and ponies. She has given over 150 invited talks and has received many awards including Educator of the Year from the Equine Science Society, Excellence in Teaching and Advising from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Excellence in Extension Award from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resource’s Alumni Association. Dr. Burk sits on the Boards of the Maryland Horse Industry, National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics, and Equine Science Society. She grew up riding in the Linthicum 4-H Hi-Riders and St. Margaret’s Pony Club, both based in Anne Arundel County.
Kristina Davis
Kristina is pursuing a Master’s Degree under the direction of Dr. Amy Burk. She earned her BS in Animal Science with an equine emphasis from the University of Maryland in 2015. Kristina has a passion for educating others about horses and gets some help during her visits from her miniature horse, Dancing in the Rain. Her research focus is on the health and nutritional status of ponies grazing turf grass pastures.
Shannon Dill
Shannon is currently the Agriculture Educator for UMD Extension in Talbot County. She has been a faculty member of the UMD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources since 2001. She received a BS in Agriculture Business and an MS in Agriculture Economics from the University of Wyoming. Shannon provides outreach and education to agricultural producers of Talbot and neighboring counties in farm business planning, sustainable small farm enterprises, marketing and livestock management. Her educational programs have included QuickBooks for Farm Business Planning, Ag Tourism, Equine Pasture Management and Grain Marketing.
Karol Dyson
Karol is the Senior Agent and Capitol Area Extension Director. She has worked with Connecticut and Maryland Extension in both urban and rural areas. A major part of her youth development work has been in the area of developing youth through Animal Science. She serves as the Show Manager of the 4-H horse shows at the Maryland State Fair and helps coordinate the state 4-H Horse Judging Contest. As an Area Extension Director, Karol supports extension programs in all program areas in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County. Dyson has a BA from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) in Sociology and an MEd from the University of Hartford with a focus on multicultural education. She lives with her riding family and eight horses in rural southern Maryland.
Jessica Flores
Jessica serves as a Senior Agriculture Agent Associate for Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore counties. Agriculture has always been a way of life for Jessica, growing up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and helping her grandparents on their poultry farm. She received both her BS Degree in General Agriculture and her MS in Extension Education from UMES. Her responsibilities include developing and coordinating educational programs and events to meet the needs of the local agricultural community, including programs related to beginning farmers, women in agriculture, livestock, poultry, forage, equine, and pasture management. Being a well-rounded equestrian and active in Farm Bureau, she manages her family’s horse farm, “Rusted Star Ranch,” that focuses on western performance horses. She competes in Cowboy Mounted Shooting with her Quarter Horse Bullseye.
Aubrey Jaqueth
Aubrey Jaqueth is a PhD graduate student working under the direction of Dr. Amy Burk. She is a Maryland native and longtime horse enthusiast, having grown up riding and showing horses locally in Montgomery and Howard counties. She received a BS degree with majors in Dairy Science and Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech and a Masters in Agricultural Leadership from the University of Georgia. Aubrey has been busy establishing turf grass plots to investigate their novel uses on horse farms including a diet horse pasture for overweight horses.
David A. Martin
David Martin is the Senior Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources for Baltimore County. A native of Pennsylvania, Dave received both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Agronomy from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. His early employment included two and half years as supervisor of the Virginia Tech Extension Soil Fertility Lab followed by 13 years with the Baltimore Farm Credit District in various lending and human resources positions. Since 1988 he has been with the University of Maryland Extension as an Extension Educator, receiving tenure in 1994. He served for five years in Anne Arundel County followed by his present position in Baltimore County. He works with a variety of educational, crop production, environmental and land use issues with farmers, landowners and governmental agencies.
Dave Myers
Dave has been a lifelong resident of Anne Arundel County, and currently is the Acting State Extension Program Leader for Agriculture. Prior to beginning his career with UMD Extension in December 1997, Dave was the agronomist for the U.S. Naval Academy Dairy Farm, where he was employed from 1980 to 1997. While working there, Dave earned a BS degree in Agronomy, Crop Science in 1983 and an MS degree in Agronomy, Weed Science in 1996 from the University of Maryland. His extension responsibilities include all field crop and livestock agriculture with an emphasis on fruit and vegetable production and marketing. Dave currently conducts fruit and vegetable research trials at the University of Maryland Upper Marlboro Research and Education Center.
Jennifer Reynolds
Jennifer is the Equine and Poultry Extension Coordinator for the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences. In that role, she assists equine faculty with the planning and execution of equine education programs including the University Seminar Series at Horse World Expo, the Equine Session at the Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Conference, and the pasture events held at the Equine Rotational Grazing Demonstration Site. Jennifer was born and raised in southern New Jersey; after graduating from Delaware Valley College, majoring in Large Animal Science, she worked as a broodmare manager, boarding barn manager and as a volunteer with therapeutic riding programs. In 1998, she moved to Carroll County where she spent 10 years with UMD Extension working as an educator with the 4-H program, and then for a brief period with the Nutrient Management Program. She now is happy to have her own horses to enjoy and compete in local hunter circuits.
© The Equiery Feb. 2017