Dr. Alison Crane grew up with horses, cattle and goats on a small horse farm in Warrior, Alabama. In addition to assisting her father shoe horses, she participated in barrel racing and team roping during her youth. Alison's interest in agriculture grew through her father's business, and also working for a Brangus ranch and large animal veterinarian in North Alabama. She attended high school at the Alabama School of Fine Arts where she was dance major. She graduated with her bachelor's in Animal Science (minor: chemistry and religion) from Berry College in 2012 where she was a supervisor at the cattle unit and managed the sheep unit for two years. She obtained her M.S. in 2014, and her Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition and Reproductive Physiology from North Dakota State University in 2017.
Dr. Crane has been working as the State Sheep and Meat Goat Extension Specialist for Kansas State University with a 70% Extension and 30% Teaching appointment since 2017. Her duties include developing and leading extension, teaching and applied research programs in sheep and meat goat production and management; overseeing the K-State Sheep and Meat Goat Center; and teaching undergraduate sheep and meat goat science, advising undergraduate and graduate students and coaching the collegiate wool judging team. Her goals include increasing production and efficiency in goats and sheep across the Midwest and throughout the country by conducting applied nutrition, reproduction and management research, in addition to providing information and education to producers. She is a member of the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), an Affiliate Member and Director of the American Goat Federation (AGF) and a member of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS).