Dr. Tera L Montgomery

Dr. Tera L. Montgomery is a Full Professor of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences in the UW-Platteville School of Agriculture and is the Campus Liaison for the Dairy Innovation Hub. She is also the Director of the School of Agriculture. Tera earned a B.S. from UW-River Falls in animal science with an equine emphasis in 1996. After a two year hiatus from school, she attended the University of Maryland-College Park and received her M.S. in animal science (2000) working in the area of beef physiology, specifically looking at how growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone predicted future milking ability in beef heifers.

Tera's Ph.D. research focused on the mechanism by which photoperiod management affects milk production and immune function in dairy cattle. After receiving her Ph.D. in 2003, she took an Assistant Professor position at Langston University in Oklahoma at the E. Kika de la Garza Goat Research Institute where she received funding to continue her photoperiod/immune research in the dairy goat. Tera spent the next four years in Columbus, Georgia working as an Adult Education instructor and starting her family, which now includes her husband, three daughters, dogs, cats, goats, alpacas, horses, chickens, and pigs.

Originally from Fond du Lac, she is happy to call Wisconsin home. Tera joined the faculty of the School of Agriculture in August of 2009. Her teaching goals include further development of courses in calf and heifer production as well as small ruminant dairying and she hopes to complete her cheesemaker's license. She also leads a short-term faculty-led study abroad trip to explore agriculture in Romania, Spain, and England.  Tera is advisor to the Pioneer Dairy Club, coaches the Dairy Challenge team, and is the advisor for the student-managed ice cream business, Pioneer Sweets. 

Tera's research interests include investigating the effects of photoperiod management in ruminants, such as dairy sheep and goats, evaluating the impact on milk production, out-of-season breeding, and the immune system. She has published 14 peer-reviewed journal articles in six different journals and is an active reviewer for the Journal of Dairy Science. Tera is a member of the American Dairy Science Association, NACTA, and the American Dairy Goat Association.