Longtime educator and producer Dr. Ken Odde recently joined ASA’s SimSpecialist team. Odde received a bachelor’s in animal science at South Dakota State. After a two-year stint in the US Army as an officer and platoon leader, he received a master’s degree in reproductive physiology, a doctorate of veterinary medicine, and a doctorate in physiology at Kansas State University (KSU). Odde taught at Colorado State University for 11 years, conducting research on beef cattle reproduction and health. He then returned to South Dakota, working for Pfizer Animal Health for six years, and AgSpan for three. 

Odde joined North Dakota State University in 2003 as head of the animal and range sciences department. He soon became the director of Beef Systems–Center of Excellence, which is a public-private partnership designed to grow cattle feeding and processing in North Dakota. In 2007 he became the animal sciences and industry department head at KSU; Odde recently retired from that role. 

In 1996, Odde and his wife, Arlene, purchased land in Pollock, South Dakota, which the family has since grown into a sizable commercial cow-calf operation. Today, they run 500 head of commercial SimAngus cows; Odde’s son John manages the ranch. In 2014, the family started an internship program to provide students with cattle experience. 

Odde has been involved with the Simmental breed for many years, participating in research, interviews, and industry events, and will be a valuable member of the SimSpecialists team.