Keynote Speaker

DR. KWAME MATTHEWS

Associate Professor and Small Ruminant Extension Specialist at Delaware State University

Navigating My Journey Through Animal Science

Dr. Kwame Matthews is an Associate Professor and Small Ruminant Extension Specialist at Delaware State University. He has a split appointment in Extension, research, and teaching. He completed his Ph.D. at Tuskegee University in July 2016, where he worked on identifying chemical inhibitors for novel therapeutic molecular targets in Haemonchus contortus. He received his master’s degree at Delaware State University, where he worked on using plant dewormers (pumpkin seed and ginger) and breed resistance to reduce internal parasite infections in small ruminants and assisted with several parasite and reproduction research conducted by his advisors. Since being at DSU, he has served as the PI and/or co-PI on 14 funded grants in Extension and research totaling approximately $2.9 million. He has co-authored 34 abstracts, mentored 37 students (undergraduate and high school) and graduated two master’s students in animal science research or experience, and serves as the faculty advisor for all animal science students currently at the University. Dr. Matthews has been serving as the chair for the Delaware Institute of Veterinary Medical Education (DIVME) since 2019 and a became a member of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Administrative Council. Currently, his research projects focus on the cost-effective, sustainable, and novel means of parasite control and prevention in sheep and goats.