Santiago A. Utsumi, PhD
Innovations for Sustainable
Farming & Ranching
Inspired by Nature, Driven by Science

Dr. Santiago Utsumi embarked on his academic journey with a degree in Agricultural Production Engineering from the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) in 1998. He furthered his expertise by completing a master’s degree at the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNdMdP) between 2000 and 2003, focusing his thesis on the ingestive behavior of dairy cattle.

In pursuit of deeper knowledge, Dr. Utsumi earned his Ph.D. from New Mexico State University (NMSU) between 2004 and 2007. His dissertation on small-ruminant management and herbivory ecology earned him the prestigious "Outstanding PhD Award." Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Utsumi served as a postdoctoral research associate with NMSU and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, he accepted a position as Assistant Professor at Michigan State University’s (MSU) W.K. Kellogg Biological Station and the Department of Animal Science.

At MSU, Dr. Utsumi distinguished himself by teaching advanced courses in dairy science and grazing ecology, while spearheading the development of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station’s Robotic and Grazing Dairy Center. For a decade, he conducted pioneering research on pasture-based dairy systems and agricultural ecology, focusing on farm-scale evaluations of ruminant metabolic greenhouse gases and soil carbon dynamics.

In 2020, Dr. Utsumi returned to New Mexico State University, joining the Department of Animal and Range Science. There, he teaches rangeland courses, develops precision rangeland and livestock management technologies, and coordinates rangeland ecosystem research across various sites. His expertise extends beyond academia; Dr. Utsumi consults for state and federal agencies, as well as farming, ranching, and technology manufacturing companies, earning recognition both locally and internationally.

Throughout his career, Dr. Utsumi has authored numerous scientific papers, proceedings articles, and technical notes in various journals and specialized publications. His research and insights have been showcased at conferences across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout Europe and Latin America, including the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile.

With over 25 years dedicated to advancing sustainability in rangeland and mixed crop-ruminant systems, Dr. Utsumi’s work spans both extensively managed ranches and intensively managed beef and dairy farms.