T. G. Nagaraja
University Distinguished Professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology
T.G. Nagaraja joined K-State's animal sciences faculty in 1980 and transferred to
the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. His research has focused on microorganisms
in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly of the rumen of cattle in relation to
health and disease.
Nagaraja has done extensive research on feed additives and on ruminal digestive diseases of beef cattle, such as acidosis, bloat and liver abscesses. He leads a team of researchers studying the ecology of E. coli O157, a major human food-borne pathogen, in cattle for the past decade with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and animal heath companies. The team also is working on developing and testing intervention strategies to reduce E. coli O157 in cattle presented for slaughter.
Nagaraja received the 2001 Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence from the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the 2010 Irvin Youngberg Award for Applied Sciences, one of the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement awards. He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology, Anaerobe Society of the Americas, American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Phi Zeta and an honorary diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Microbiology.
He earned the title of university distinguished professor, K-State's highest academic ranking, in 2008. He also was named one of the state's 150 top scientists in 2011 by the Ad Astra Kansas Initiative "Science in Kansas: 150 Years and Counting." The initiative is part of the Kansas sesquicentennial celebration
A veterinarian from India, Nagaraja received his bachelor's in veterinary science in 1970 and his master's in veterinary microbiology in 1975, both from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. He earned a doctorate in microbiology from K-State in 1979.
Nagaraja can be contacted at 785-532-1214 or tnagaraj@vet.k-state.edu.
Pronouncer: Nagaraja is Nah-guh-rah-juh