Thomas Omara-Alwala, Ph.D.

Principle Investigator, Cooperative Research Programs

Professor, Department of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

Lincoln University

206 Founders Hall,
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Tel: (573) 681-5121

Fax: (573) 681-5944
Email: omarat@lincolnu.edu

EDUCATION

Ph.D. - Biological Sciences, 1986. University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Nutrition; Aquaculture; Purslane; Lipids.

Current Research Projects

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION IN MISSOURI: DEVELOPING A LEAST-COST DIET TO PRODUCE BLUEGILL FINGERLINGS.

The objectives of this project are:

1. To evaluate selected commercial feeds on the U.S market for their efficacy in the production of
bluegill post larvae in water recycled Aquaculture system.

2.      To determine the weaning period of bluegill post larvae in a water recycled Aquaculture system.
3.     To develop physically stable, nutritionally balanced and palatable least cost-cost diets containing
          different percentages of distillers’ grains with solubles (DGS) to produce bluegill fingerlings in a water
          recycled Aquaculture system.
  3.1.   To determine the effects of formulated least-cost diets containing different percentages of DGS on
          the growth performance of bluegill fingerlings in a water recycled Aquaculture system.
3.2    To determine the effects of formulated least-cost diets containing different percentages of DGS on
          the fatty acid quality of the bluegill fingerlings in a water recycled Aquaculture system.

TEACHING

AGR 200 Current Topics in Agriculture and Natural Resources Introduction to Animal Science
AGR 201A Introduction to Animal Science
AGR 303A Principles of Nutrition
AGR 360A Fundamentals of Aquaculture
AGR 401 Agriculture Seminar
AGR 408A Applied Animal Nutrition
AGR 408L Applied Animal Nutrition Lab
AGR 421A Fish Nutrition
BIO 103 Principles of Biology
BIO 104L Principles of Biology Laboratory
BIO 404 Research in Biology
BIO 409 Critical Examination of Scientific Writing

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Ezekwe, M.O., T. R. Omara-Alwala and T. Mebrahtu. Nutritive Characterization of Purslane
Accessions as Influenced by Planting Date. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 54:183-191, 1999.

Elmi, A. A., T. Mebrahtu, T. R. Omara-Alwala and M. Ezekwe. Environmental Effects on Yield and
Agronomic Traits of Purslane (Portulaca Spp.). Virginia Journal of Science. 48(3) (1997):203-210.

T. R. Omara-Alwala. Missouri Aquaculture: Opportunity Unlimited. Missouri State Department of
Agriculture. 1616 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65102. (1996):105p.

T. R. Omara-Alwala and T. Mebrahtu, M. O. Ezekwe, R. R. Hollowell, and A. Elmi. Evaluation of
Purslane Seeds from Different Geographical Locations for Oil Contents and Fatty Acid Quality.
INFORM 4(4) (1993):507.

T. R. Omara-Alwala, T. Mebrahtu and D. E. Prior. Lipid Composition of Selected Strains of Channel
Catfish Farm-Raised by Different Aquacultural Methods. Virginia Journal of Science. 40(3)
(1989):171-176.

T. R. Omara-Alwala and T. Mebrahtu. Evaluation of Four Cuphea Species for Total Lipids and Fatty
Acids. INFORM 1(4) (1990):301.

T. R. Omara-Alwala, T. Mebrahtu, D. E. Prior and M. O. Ezekwe. Omega-Three Fatty Acids in
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 68(3) (1991):
198-199.

T. R. Omara-Alwala, Huei-Mei Chen, Yoshito Ito, Kenneth Simpson and Samuel Meyers.
Carotenoid Pigment and Fatty Acid Analyses of Crawfish Extracts. The Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry. 33 (1985):260-3.

T. R. Omara-Alwala, and D. L. Price. Aquaculture Potential in The Gambia. World Aquaculture
Society. 23(1) (1992): 73-75.

Ezekwe, M. O. and T. R. Omara-Alwala. The Influence of B-Adrenergic Agonist Salbutamol on
Growth Performance and Body Composition of Channel Catfish. Journal of Animal Science.
70(1) (1992):210.

T. R. Omara-Alwala and Debra E. Prior. Essentiality of Supplemental Feeding in Freshwater Shrimp
Culture Under Excavated Fish Pond Conditions. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 22(3)
(1991):45A.

T. R. Omara-Alwala, M. D. Jackson and S. E. Collins. Simplified Methods for the Micro-Analysis of
Human Milk Fat. Federal Proceedings 46(3) (1987):896.

Jensen, R. G., C. J. Lammi-Keefe, T. R. Omara-Alwala, M. B. Jackson, S. E. Collins and
A. M. Ferris. Improved Separation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Human Milk. Federation
Proceedings 46 (3) (1987):896.