Since joining the UF/IFAS Animal Sciences department (ANS) in 2016 as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Diwakar Vyas has played an active role in teaching, research, and student mentorship within the department. He continued as an Assistant Professor in 2019 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2024, while maintaining 70% research and 30% teaching appointment.
In Spring 2026, Vyas accepted the Undergraduate Coordinator position and has been working diligently with the ANS academic advising office. As Undergraduate Coordinator, Vyas hopes to continue building a supportive environment for Animal Sciences students throughout their undergraduate experience.
“I hope to contribute to the success and overall experience of our undergraduate students,” he said. “One of my main goals is to help create an environment where students feel supported academically, professionally, and personally throughout their time in the department.”
Although he has only recently stepped into the role, Vyas says the experience has already been rewarding.
“[I have developed] a deeper appreciation for how hard our advising team works to support student success,” he said. “I have also really enjoyed interacting with our graduating seniors and hearing about their experiences, accomplishments, and future plans after UF.”
Vyas continues to teach undergraduate and graduate courses that give students both foundational and advanced knowledge in animal nutrition and forage evaluation.
“I am thankful to work in an environment where everyone is genuinely committed to student success, impactful research, and advancing animal agriculture. There is a strong culture of collaboration, mentorship, and support that makes the department a great place for students to learn and grow.”
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time on the tennis court, listening to audiobooks, and spending time with friends and family.
Course Highlight: ANS 3404C Food Animal Nutrition and Feeding
Since 2019, Vyas has taught the undergraduate course ANS 3404C Food Animal Nutrition and Feeding. This class is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in food animal nutrition and feeding by combining nutritional principles with practical feeding management applications for livestock species.
Students develop the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate feed ingredients, understand nutrient requirements, interpret feed analyses, and formulate balanced diets for beef cattle, dairy cattle, and swine using both traditional calculations and computer-based ration formulation tools. The course also emphasizes the application of scientific concepts and industry practices to real-world livestock feeding and management systems.
ANS 3404C is required for students in the Food Animal specialization and serves as a nutrition concentration elective for Integrative Animal Sciences students. Undergraduates especially value the course’s real-world applications and hands-on learning experiences.
“Topics that involve practical feeding decisions, ration formulation, feed evaluation, and visits to livestock operations tend to generate a great deal of interest because students can directly see how the concepts learned in class apply to real production systems.” Says Vyas.
One of the most rewarding parts of teaching this class is seeing students end the semester feeling proud of what they accomplished.
“A particularly memorable experience was having a student become so interested in animal nutrition through the course that they decided to pursue graduate school in the field,” he said.
Another memorable moment came when a former student, nearly two years after graduation, shared that he was using concepts and practical knowledge from the course while managing a cow-calf operation.
Course Highlight: ANS 6452 Principles of Forage Quality Evaluation
In 2017, Vyas began teaching ANS 6452: Principles of Forage Quality Evaluation in spring semesters. This graduate-level course focuses on understanding the factors that influence forage quality and challenges students to critically evaluate different laboratory and analytical methods used in forage assessment. Students also learn how to interpret forage evaluation data in the context of livestock productivity, animal health, and environmental sustainability.
The class is especially engaging among students when class material is tied to current research and real-world scenarios.
Find more information about the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences on our website. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Read more on UF/IFAS ANS here: http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/animalsciencesdept/.
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