Ira Parsons

Title: PhD Student

Ira Parsons is a graduate research assistant studying grazing ecology at Mississippi State University. His research interests vary broadly, but are best described as focusing on the intersection of animal nutrition, physiology and behavior, with an emphasis on understanding livestock production from an ecological perspective. This includes work in both confined and pastoral beef production systems, ranging from cow-calf to finish operations. His disciplinary interests include animal physiology, landscape ecology, forage ecology, agro-ecology, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which he uses to study land management, animal fitness and animal performance.

A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Ira graduated from Kansas State University in 2015 with a B.S. in Feed Science and Management. Studying under Dr. Gordon Carstens, Ira joined the fighting Aggie Class of 2017, graduating from Texas A&M University with a master's degree in Animal Science focused on Feeding Behavior and Feed Efficiency in confined beef cattle. He joined the QuEST lab in 2018 under Dr. Garrett Street and a diverse team comprised of wildlife ecologists and animal scientists interested in improving sustainability of beef production with the aid of precision technologies. Ira loves being outside with all animals, finding fulfillment in utilizing the animal husbandry skills he developed as a farm boy to conduct useful, unique and fascinating scientific studies.