Sara Mastellar, assistant professor in Ohio State ATI's Agricultural and Engineering Technologies Division, has been elected vice-chair of the executive committee of the National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics (NAEAA). Founded in 2007, NAEAA is a non-profit professional organization representing individuals from public and private institutions and the equine industry that strive to educate undergraduates within an equine academic program. The core belief of the organization is that there is educational and societal value in the equine disciplines of study. The mission is to strengthen post-secondary equine academic programs, provide networking opportunities, and facilitate increased cooperation and information sharing among our members.
Mastellar has been an assistant professor at Ohio State ATI since 2017. She is originally from New York state, where she grew up keeping horses on her parents’ dairy farm and participating in Pony Club and 4-H. She earned a BPS in management specializing in Equine Business Management from Cazenovia College, where she also rode on the Intercollegiate Dressage Association team. She then earned her PhD in equine nutrition at the University of Kentucky. After her graduate work she spent three years as the equine instructor at South Dakota State University. In addition to her degrees, she has earned a Graduate Certificate in College Teaching & Learning from the University of Kentucky and completed teaching professional development certificates at both South Dakota and Ohio state universities. She teaches a number of equine courses, including Introduction to Horse Science, Basic Horsemanship, Equine Marketing, and Horse Judging and Evaluation. She also serves as academic advisor to approximately 30 students majoring in horse science or horse production and management.