Kristen Johnson

Kristen Johnson is a Professor and Scientist in the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). Her research focuses on ruminant nutrition, beef cattle energetics, and environmental impacts of ruminant production. She holds a leadership role in coordinating and teaching courses such as Anim_Sci 520 (Scientific Writing) and contributes to team-taught courses like Anim_Sci 510 (Advanced Nutrition).

Her research examines energy utilization in beef cattle, including maintenance energy costs and rumen fermentation efficiency. She also investigates methane emissions and mitigation strategies to address environmental concerns in livestock production. Kristen’s work emphasizes improving cattle adaptability and reducing production costs through metabolic and genetic studies.

In teaching, she instructs foundational courses like Animal Sciences Orientation (Anim_Sci 180) and specialized courses such as Ruminant Nutrition (Anim_Sci 408) and Beef Production (Anim_Sci 474). Her research-active profile bridges academic instruction with applied agricultural science.