Kristen E. Govoni

Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Professor

Dr. Kristen Govoni serves as the Associate Dean of Academic Programs in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) and the Director of the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture (RHSA). She provides college-wide leadership for undergraduate education, academic affairs, and advising in CAHNR which includes over 2,300 students, 17 majors, and 23 minors. She works closely with the leadership team to promote implementation of CAHNR’s strategic vision in all aspects of undergraduate education and facilitates opportunities for life transforming education for all students.

Dr. Govoni is an internationally recognized scholar in animal growth, metabolism, and fetal programming, with 55 peer-reviewed publications, 100 abstracts, and over $7.4 million in research and teaching grants as PI or Co-PI. She is also a dedicated mentor, having guided 35 graduate students and more than 100 undergraduate students.

Education

  • Ph.D., Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 2003
  • M.S., Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 2002
  • B.S., Animal Science, University of Connecticut, 1998

Research

Dr. Govoni’s research focuses on understanding growth and development at the cellular level to identify methods to improve animal health and efficiency of production. Her laboratory uses a sheep model to determine the effects of poor maternal nutrition on pre- and post-natal development with an emphasis on impacts on liver development, metabolism, and epigenetic regulation.

Research Areas / Expertise

  • Growth Physiology
  • Metabolism
  • Fetal Programming

Selected Publications

  1. Tillquist, N. M., Govoni, K. E., Zinn, S. A., & Reed, S. A. (2025). Poor maternal nutrition during gestation in sheep alters key hormonal systems involved in energy homeostasis and appetite in the offspring. Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 91, Article 106907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2024.106907
  2. Tillquist, N. M., Reed, S. A., Reiter, A. S., Kawaida, M. Y., Lee, E. C., Zinn, S. A., & Govoni, K. E. (2024). Effects of poor maternal diet during gestation are detected in F2 offspring. Translational Animal Science, 8, txae055. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae055
  3. Tillquist, N. M., Reed, S. A., Kawaida, M. Y., Reiter, A. S., Smith, B. I., Jang, H., Lee, J.-Y., Lee, E. C., Zinn, S. A., & Govoni, K. E. (2023). Restricted- and over-feeding during gestation decreases growth of offspring throughout maturity. Translational Animal Science, 7(1), txad061. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txad061
  4. Smith, B. I., & Govoni, K. E. (2022). Use of Agriculturally Important Animals as Models in Biomedical Research. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1354, 315–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85686-1_16
  5. Smith, B. I., Liefeld, A., Vásquez-Hidalgo, M. A., Vonnahme, K. A., Grazul-Bilska, A. T., Swanson, K. C., Mishra, N., Reed, S. A., Zinn, S. A., & Govoni, K. E. (2021). Mid- to late-gestational maternal nutrient restriction followed by realimentation alters development and lipid composition of liver and skeletal muscles in ovine fetuses. Journal of Animal Science, 99(12). https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab299

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, USDA Northeast Region (2023)
  • Distinguished Service Award, ASAS/ADSA Northeast (2021)
  • The Presidential M1 Mentorship Award, University of Connecticut (2020)
  • Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award, Connecticut Science Center (2019)
  • Donald M. Kinsman Award for Excellence in CANR/RHSA Undergraduate Teaching by Junior Faculty, University of Connecticut (2014)
  • Young Scientist Award for Research, ASAS/ADSA Northeast (2013)

Outreach and Service

Under her leadership, the Office of Academic Programs (OAP) supports academic advising for CAHNR students in Storrs and all regional campuses, oversees assessment and accreditation of CAHNR undergraduate programs, coordinates undergraduate student-focused CAHNR events and ceremonies, including commencement, scholars awards ceremony, open house events, new student orientation and teaching workshops, supports faculty training related to academic programs, teaching approaches, advising, and student success, and manages selection and awarding over $1 million in scholarships to students annually. Dr. Govoni represents UConn to the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Academic Program Section and serves on the board of directors.

Professional Profiles

Kristen Govoni
Contact Information
Emailkristen.govoni@uconn.edu
Phone(860) 486-2480
Vitae Govoni CV_May 2026