Mark Edwards, PhD; Associate Professor, Comparative Nutrition; heads the equine nutrition program for the Animal Science Department. Edwards has extensive experience in animal nutrition, having worked for the likes of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Before coming to Cal Poly, Edwards serves as supervising animal nutritionist for the Smithsonian’s 400-species collection. Prior to that, he spent over a decade as a chief nutritionist for the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Miami University in Ohio and his Ph.D. in animal science and comparative animal nutrition from Michigan State University, and has since published numerous articles on primate nutrition and nutrition.