Dr. Vaughn Holder received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Pretoria in 2004. In 2005, he completed a research internship at Alltech’s North American Bioscience Center in Nicholasville, Kentucky, where his research focused on the effects of various yeast culture strains on the growth of select rumen microorganisms in vitro. In 2007, Holder received his master’s degree in ruminant nutrition and microbiology from the University of Pretoria. He then returned to the U.S. for his Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition, which he received from the University of Kentucky in 2012.

In August 2012, Holder joined Alltech in a postdoctoral traineeship position with a focus on advanced technical support in ruminant protein nutrition. In October 2013, Holder was transferred to Alltech’s South African offices in Stellenbosch as national research and technical director. In 2015, Holder returned to Alltech’s research headquarters in Nicholasville, where he now heads global nutritional research in beef species.