“I am delighted that Dr. Krisher will be joining the college leadership team as head of Animal Science,” said Troy Ott, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “I have known Rebecca for more than 20 years and have watched her rise among her scientific peers and be appointed to roles with increasing responsibility.”
Krisher joins an outstanding department poised for growth and greater impact in a state with large and growing animal industries, Ott added.
“Dr. Krisher will bring a unique skill set honed at the interface between discovery research and application to solve problems in animal agriculture,” he said. “She is well grounded in our land-grant mission and comfortable leading in the innovative, competitive and fast-moving biotechnology sector. Rebecca was recently elected into the presidential chain of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, a premier international society focused on reproductive biology and will serve as the society’s president in 2026-27. This is yet another testament to the respect she has garnered from her scientific peers and her leadership skills.”
Krisher said that she is excited to become a part of the great tradition of animal science at Penn State.
“There is impressive breadth and depth of expertise among the talented faculty members in the department,” she said. “The existing passion for driving innovation as well as passing along cutting-edge knowledge to students and community members creates a fantastic environment that I am thrilled to have been selected to lead. My experience as a faculty member at other Big Ten institutions, as well as in both the biomedical and agricultural industries, will bring a new perspective to the department that I believe will synergize with and add energy to the planned strategic initiatives.”
Krisher added that she looks forward to working with faculty and staff to engage with students and members of the community, resulting in the Department of Animal Science having an even greater impact on the lives of Pennsylvanians and the animal agriculture industry.
She will succeed Lisa Holden, interim department head and associate professor of dairy science. Holden noted that she is very appreciative of the support from faculty and staff during her time as interim department head.
“I look forward to welcoming Dr. Krisher into her new role,” she said. “I am confident that with her leadership, our department will thrive in the future.”
Krisher’s research program focuses on oocyte and embryo physiology, development of media solutions for in vitro fertilization in animals and humans, and embryonic stem cell technology. Her role at Genus focused on developing innovative reproductive technologies to pioneer accelerated genetic gain in cattle and pigs.
Over the course of her career, during which she has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, she has focused on translating basic discoveries into solutions for people and animal agriculture. Krisher was the recent president of the International Embryo Transfer Society.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from Hanover College, Krisher went on to receive her master’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in animal science/dairy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She also was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working in endocrinology and reproductive physiology.