Ethan Woodyard

Ethan Woodyard joined the faculty at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in July of 2025. He serves as an assistant research professor in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences and the Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS). Woodyard graduated from Mississippi State University in May of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture with a Science concentration and a minor in Foreign Languages, concentrating in Chinese. He earned his PhD in Veterinary Medical Research at MSU CVM in May of 2025.

Woodyard’s primary research interests include the systematics and life cycles of parasites of aquacultured and ornamental fishes as well as many game and wildlife species. His publication record spans a broad range of parasite groups ranging from myxozoans to coccidia, trematodes, and pentastomids. These in turn come from a breadth of hosts including owls, alligators, piscivorous birds, catfish, and various game and ornamental fishes to name a few. Continuing this trend into his current role, Woodyard contributes to the missions of MSU CVM and GCAHFS through diagnostic consultations for parasite identification, dissemination of research derived from these cases, and development of lecture and laboratory materials as permitted.

In addition to essential collaboration with MSU CVM and GCAHFS faculty and staff, these labor-intensive projects have relied heavily on undergraduate, master’s, PhD, DVM, and DVM/PhD students Woodyard has mentored in his years at MSU CVM – first as an undergraduate then a PhD student, and now as an assistant research professor.

Woodyard is certified as an Associate Fisheries Professional through the American Fisheries Society and an Associate Wildlife Biologist through the Wildlife Society. He is also a member by nomination of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group.