Biography

Dr. Townson was born and raised in Michigan, where he attended Michigan State University and received his B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry. A variety of job- and summer-related experiences before, during and after his time at Michigan State led him to complete the M.S. degree in Veterinary Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, characterizing ovulation and luteal function in the mare under the mentorship of O.J. Ginther. From there, he completed his Ph.D. in Dairy Science at The Ohio State University, investigating the regulation of the bovine corpus luteum, with Joy L. Pate as his research advisor. Postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan and the Reproductive Sciences Program followed, where Dr. Townson, working alongside P. Landis Keyes, published ground-breaking work about chemokines and immune cell recruitment in the ovary. Dr. Townson then moved to New Hampshire as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire where he progressed through the ranks to become Professor. More recently, Dr. Townson served as Chair in the Department of Animal & Veterinary Sciences at the University of Vermont for 6 years before moving back to the seacoast, rejoining the ranks of the faculty, and becoming Professor of Reproductive Physiology in the Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences here at the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Townson and his spouse, Lisa (also at URI), have 3 grown children, Kyle, Clint, and Kelsey. For hobbies, Dr. Townson enjoys working around the house with Lisa, hiking and beach walks with their two dogs, Zoey and Angus, exploring new places and restaurants, and the possibilities of taking up golf and tennis again, along with other adventures (e.g., biking, kayaking).