Melissa Cantor

Assistant Professor Precision Dairy Science

345 Ag Science & Industries Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802

Areas of Expertise

Epidemiology
Animal behavior
Dairy calf development/nutrition
Precision livestock farming
Animal welfare
Dairy cattle management
OneHealth/Biosecurity

Education

University of Kentucky. BSc. Animal Science, 2011
UW-Madison. MSc. Dairy Science, 2015.
University of Kentucky Ph.D. Animal Science, 2021.
University of Guelph Post-doctoral fellowship, 2021-2023.

Dr. Melissa Cantor is an Assistant Professor in Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University. She has an applied dairy research program that explores the potential of new precision technologies and investigates the impact of disease, precision nutrition strategies, and environment on the health, performance, and welfare of cattle. Her research training is focused in epidemiology, dairy cattle nutrition, and animal behavior. Cantor has an extension program focused on strengthening stakeholder partnerships throughout the dairy industry including Chair of the PSU Dairy Nutrition Workshop, an editorial board member of J. Dairy Science, a member of the Dairy Cattle Welfare Media Outreach committee, and has two extension programs. Her extension programs focus on "dairy calf success:" including nutrition, health and management, as well as dairy robotics in partnership with U. Penn Drs. Bender, and Rassler. She has 12 PSU extension publications, 24 peer reviewed journal articles, and is a co-author of 2 book chapters. Cantor's expertise focuses in dairy calf health, nutrition, epidemiology, animal behavior, and precision livestock farming concepts.

Publications

Backyard Cultivation: 2025’s Best States for Hobby Farms, Maive, Sav, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

Colostrum: A powerhouse nutraceutical for older calves, Plaugher, Gillian, Bone, Breanna, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

Calf scours: Simple preventions and interventions for optimal calf health, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

Investigating nutritional strategies during a rest period to improve health, growth, and behavioral outcomes of transported surplus dairy calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Bajus, A., Creutzinger, K. C., Cantor, M. C., Wilms, J. N., Gomez Nieto, D. E., Steele, M. A., Kelton, D. F., Renaud, D. L., 2024

Common Pathogens Causing Diarrhea in Dairy Calves, Plaugher, Gillian, Renaud, Dave, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

HPAI: What You Need to Know About Dairy Cattle and Poultry, Cantor, Melissa, Lorenzoni Calvo, A, Holden, L, 2024

What is Animal Welfare?, Cantor, Melissa, Hodder, A, Monroe, Jennifer, 2024

Penn State Extension AI Guidelines, Ladlee, J, Beresnyak, Tom, Butzler, T, Cantor, Melissa, Esker, P, Felix, T, Fetter, J, Grozinger, C, Long, He, Hines, E, Hirneisen, Andy, Krali, Richard, LaBorde, L, Onopa, Jenn, Schmidt, C, Snyder, Carla, Yutzy, Amber, Mahan, Wendy, Millet, Chris, 2024

The development and validation of a milk feeding behavior alert from automated feeder data to classify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout: A diagnostic accuracy study
Journal of Dairy Science, Cantor, M. C., Welk, A. A., Creutzinger, K. C., Woodrum Setser, M. M., Costa, J. H.C., Renaud, D. L., 2024

Effects of supplementing colostrum beyond the first day of life on growth and health parameters of preweaning Holstein heifers
Journal of Dairy Science, McCarthy, H. R., Cantor, M. C., Lopez, A. J., Pineda, A., Nagorske, M., Renaud, D. L., Steele, M. A., 2024

Purchasing Guide for the Dairy: Precision Technology System, Cantor, Melissa, Bone, Breanna, 2024

Colostrum supplementation beyond the first feeding after birth
Tri-state Dairy Nutrition Conference Proceedings, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

Dairy Farm Transformation: Artificial Intelligence, Bone, Breanna, Cantor, Melissa, 2024

Stop the Suck: Avoiding Cross-sucking with Automated Feeders, Cantor, Melissa, James, Robert, 2024

Why Do Dairy Calves Cross-suck Each Other: A Success Guide, Cantor, Melissa, James, Robert, 2024

Precision Livestock Farming: Dairy Technologies, Cantor, Melissa, Monroe, Jennifer, 2023

Activity behaviors and relative changes in activity patterns recorded by precision technology were associated with diarrhea status in individually housed calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Guevara-Mann, D., Renaud, D. L., Cantor, M. C., 2023

The Endemic Calf Parasite Cryptosporidium Parvum, Cantor, Melissa, Springer, H, 2023

A Machine Learning and Optimization Framework for the Early Diagnosis of Bovine Respiratory Disease
IEEE Access, Casella, Enrico, Cantor, Melissa C., Setser, Megan M.Woodrum, Silvestri, Simone, Costa, Joao H.C., 2023

Feeding behavior and activity levels are associated with recovery status in dairy calves treated with antimicrobials for Bovine Respiratory Disease
Scientific Reports, Cantor, M. C., Renaud, David L., Neave, Heather W., Costa, Joao H.C., 2022

Association of a green tea extract with serum immunoglobulin G status and neonatal vitality in newborn dairy calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Reis, M. E., Cantor, M., Bittar, C. M.M., Costa, J. H.C., 2022

Effect of supplementation with algae β-glucans on performance, health, and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Reis, M. E., de Toledo, A. F., da Silva, A. P., Poczynek, M., Cantor, M. C., Virgínío Júnior, G. F., Greco, L., Bittar, C. M.M., 2022

Evaluation of an infrared thermography camera for measuring body temperature in dairy calves
JDS Communications, Cantor, M. C., Goetz, H. M., Beattie, K., Renaud, D. L., 2022

Daily behavioral measures recorded by precision technology devices may indicate bovine respiratory disease status in preweaned dairy calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Cantor, M. C., Costa, J. H.C., 2022

Evaluation of a point-of-care meter for measuring glucose concentrations in dairy calves: A diagnostic accuracy study
JDS Communications, Renaud, D. L., Hare, K. S., Wood, K. M., Steele, M. A., Cantor, M. C., 2022

Cost-aware Inference of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Calves using Precision Livestock Technology, Casella, Enrico, Cantor, Melissa C., Silvestri, Simone, Renaud, Dave L., Costa, Joao H.C., 2022

Associations between Feeding Behaviors Collected from an Automated Milk Feeder and Neonatal Calf Diarrhea in Group Housed Dairy Calves: A Case-Control Study
Animals, Conboy, Meridith H., Winder, Charlotte B., Cantor, Melissa C., Costa, Joao H.C., Steele, Michael A., Medrano-Galarza, Catalina, von Konigslow, Taika E., Kerr, Amanda, Renaud, Dave L., 2022

Using Machine Learning and Behavioral Patterns Observed by Automated Feeders and Accelerometers for the Early Indication of Clinical Bovine Respiratory Disease Status in Preweaned Dairy Calves
Frontiers in Animal Science, Cantor, Melissa C., Casella, Enrico, Silvestri, Simone, Renaud, David L., Costa, Joao H.C., 2022

Using machine learning and precision livestock farming technology for early indication of health status in preweaned dairy calves, Cantor, M. C., Casella, E., Silvestri, S., Renaud, D. L., Costa, J. H.C., 2022

Nutraceutical intervention with colostrum replacer: Can we reduce disease hazard, ameliorate disease severity, and improve performance in preweaned dairy calves?
Journal of Dairy Science, Cantor, M. C., Renaud, D. L., Costa, J. H.C., 2021

Supplementation of lysolecithin in milk replacer for Holstein dairy calves: Effects on growth performance, health, and metabolites
Journal of Dairy Science, Reis, M. E., Toledo, A. F., da Silva, A. P., Poczynek, M., Fioruci, E. A., Cantor, M. C., Greco, L., Bittar, C. M.M., 2021

Symposium review: Precision technologies for dairy calves and management applications
Journal of Dairy Science, Costa, Joao H.C., Cantor, Melissa C., Neave, Heather W., 2021

A comprehensive evaluation of microchips to measure temperature in dairy calves
Journal of Dairy Science, Woodrum Setser, M. M., Cantor, M. C., Costa, J. H.C., 2020

Technical note: Estimating body weight of dairy calves with a partial-weight scale attached to an automated milk feeder
Journal of Dairy Science, Cantor, Melissa C., Pertuisel, Charlotte H., Costa, Joao H.C., 2020

Effect of milk feeding strategy and lactic acid probiotics on growth and behavior of dairy calves fed using an automated feeding system
Journal of Animal Science, Cantor, Melissa C., Stanton, Amy L., Combs, David K., Costa, Joao H.C., 2019

Current perspectives on the short- And long-term effects of conventional dairy calf raising systems: A comparison with the natural environment
Translational Animal Science, Cantor, Melissa C., Neave, Heather W., Costa, Joao H.C., 2019

Key animal welfare issues in commercially raised dairy calves: Social environment, nutrition, and painful procedures
Canadian Journal of Animal Science, Costa, Joao H.C., Cantor, Melissa, Adderley, Nicola A., Neave, Heather W., 2019

Impact of observed and controlled water intake on reticulorumen temperature in lactating dairy cattle
Animals, Cantor, Melissa C., Costa, Joao H.C., Bewley, Jeffrey M., 2018

Validation of radio frequency identification with a current transducer to quantify the use of an automatic grooming brush in pre-weaned dairy calves. In: 10th International Livestock Symposium
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Falk, M., Cantor, Melissa, Hayes, M., Jackson, J., Costa, J., 2018

Bovine Life History
Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior, Costa, Joao, Cantor, Melissa, Neave, Heather, 2018

Validation of radio frequency identification with a current transducer to quantify the use of an automatic grooming brush in pre-weaned dairy calves, Falk, Morgan, Cantor, M. C., Hayes, M., Jackson, J., Costa, J. C., 2018