Associate Professor of Animal Science Department Chair of Plant, Animal & Soil Sciences Department of Plant, Animal & Soil Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK 99775-7200   Phone: 907-474-7429 Fax: 907-474-6184 E-mail: ffmps@uaf.edu   Ph.D. Utah State University, 1996 RESEARCH INTEREST: Reproductive management of ruminant species RESEARCH SUMMARY: Research efforts have concentrated on reproductive behavior and reproductive management of ruminant species including sheep, cattle and bison. Since moving to Alaska in 1999, the major emphasis of my research has concentrated on management of reproduction in reindeer (production of meat and antler) and musk oxen (production of qiviut). Minor efforts also include detection of estrous behavior and estrous synchronization in dairy, beef and bison cows in production settings at high latitude. Research projects recently accomplished or currently in progress include:  Determination of the physiologic onset of the breeding season in reindeer,  Effects of reindeer bull exposure on the onset of the breeding season in reindeer cows,  Musk ox bull management during the rut, and  Harem management of musk ox cows :   Characterization of estrous behavior using radiotelemetric estrous detection,   Manipulation of the onset of the breeding season, and   Estrous synchronization. Since 1999, funding for this research has come from USDA NRI, SARE, Hatch funds, and Private Industry.    Sampling Reindeer   Milan with one of his cows     REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS: Publications (italicized author name indicates student co-author)   Shipka, M.P., J.E. Rowell, and M.C. Sousa. (In Review). Steroid hormones of the estrous cycle and pregnancy and gestation length in farmed Alaskan reindeer. Small Ruminant Research.     Rowell, J.E., M.C. Sousa, A.M. Hirth, and M.P. Shipka. 2004. Reproductive management of reindeer in Alaska. Proceedings of the 1st World Deer Veterinary Congress. 21:96-97.   Rowell, J. E., M. C. Sousa, and M. P. Shipka. 2003. The male effect, mounting behavior and the onset of estrus in farmed muskoxen. J. Anim Sci. 81: 2669-2674.   Lopez, H. and M.P. Shipka. 2003. Association of flooring surface to estrous behavior in lactating dairy cows as determined by radiotelemetric estrous detection. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Dairy Cattle Housing. 5: 265-273.   Shipka, M.P., J. E. Rowell and S.P. Ford. 2002. Reindeer bull introduction affects the onset of the breeding season. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 72: 27-35.   Lopez, H., T.D. Bunch and M.P. Shipka. 2002. Estrogen concentrations in milk at estrus and ovulation in dairy cows. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 72: 37-46.   Shipka, M.P., M.C. Sousa and J.E. Rowell. 2002. Characterization of estrous behavior in muskox cows. Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science 53: 387-389.   Shipka, M.P., G.L. Finstad, T.F. Nichols and S.P. Ford. 2001. Bull introduction hastens the onset of the breeding season in reindeer cows. Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science 52:429-432.   Lopez, H., T.D. Bunch, K.E. Panter and M.P. Shipka. 2000. Estrogen concentrations in milk and plasma in relation to estrus and ovulation in dairy cows. Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science 51:367-370.   Shipka, M.P. 2000. A note on silent ovulation identified by using radiotelemetry for estrous detection. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 66: 153-159.