At Green Field Solutions, our women scientists are at the forefront of animal nutrition science, driving innovation and advancing our industry every day. They represent just a few of the many women who continue to shape the future of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). We are proudly celebrating their contributions and achievements by inviting three of our women in science to share who inspired them and which exciting projects they’re currently leading.
KATIE BARRY, PH.D.
Global Nutrition & Quality Manager
TINGTING WANG, PH.D.
Product Development Specialist
LISA TAGER, PH.D.
Product Development Scientist
How do different perspectives enrich science and advancement?
KATIE: Like in most fields, people look at problems in different ways. When it comes to science, that different viewpoint can lead to breakthroughs. For example, Green Field Solutions looks at food factory leftovers every day. They share what they find with the R&D team, and we try to figure out: 1) if it’s nutritious, 2) what animal species it would be best suited for, and 3) what form it needs to be in to best fit into that animal’s diet. We’ve seen lots of leftovers, and turned those into billions of pounds of animal feed by seeing the valuable nutrients they contain.
TINGTING: Different viewpoints spark new ideas and help turn research into real‑world solutions—so science becomes more creative and useful.
LISA: I think a lot of people think that science and research follow very strict guidelines, which is mostly true. But the truth is that research requires a lot of “out-of-the box,” creative thinking and a willingness to let your core beliefs go as you learn new things via a diverse group of colleagues, mentors, industry leaders and your own research. Without a diverse group of perspectives in research and science, there would never be any creative and unique ideas and research that challenge current beliefs and systems. We need this diversity to help us advance our current paradigms and improve animal, human and environmental health.
Do you have a favorite female trailblazer?
KATIE: Katalin Karikó has dedicated her career to studying mRNA, discovering new information about how it works and how to harness this knowledge in practical and useful applications. Her research has led to millions of lives protected against novel disease, and she earned a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine because of this.
TINGTING: Madame Curie, who won two Nobel Prizes and transformed science with her work on radioactivity, proving that brilliance and determination can break any barrier.
LISA: Dr. Sylvia Earle was a pioneer in the world of oceanography long before women were accepted into the field. The research and public outreach she has done has been crucial to our understanding of what covers more of the world’s surface than anything else – oceans. She has inspired me since I was a teenager to make waves in a mostly male dominated field.
What is a project you are excited to be working on?
KATIE: As a pet nutritionist, I never spent a lot of time concerned with dairy processing. Now, I’ve spent countless hours learning about cheese manufacturing and processing to improve our products for customers and help make safe feed and pet food ingredients available.
TINGTING: I’m most proud of developing NIR calibration methods from scratch for several highly variable ingredients. The work was challenging but rewarding because it now helps us evaluate ingredients faster and more consistently.
LISA: I’m very excited about a group of projects we’re working on to create unique and nutritious feeds for adult dairy and beef cows. Currently, we mostly work with ingredients for calves in the cow space. So being able to bring a group of ingredients for adult cows to the table is very exciting!
A culture of inclusion and innovation.
The stories of these brilliant women scientists highlight individual expertise and innovation. Together, they also reflect the broader evolution of our scientific team, where female representation has grown from 50% in 2016 to 67% in 2019 to 75% currently. Meet the rest of the Green Field Solutions team.
