Meet our Technology Team
Scott Snyder, Ph.D.
Director of Nutrition & Quality
Team Member Since 2018
As Director of Nutrition & Quality Assurance, Scott oversees nutrition, formulation and quality of all Zeigler products produced at our U.S. facilities, as well as our global partner facilities. He also plays a leading role in new product development and product improvement. Scott holds a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology from the University of Idaho, an M.S. in Aquaculture from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and a B.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. His prior work included employment at large integrated catfish and trout producers, where his practical experience has given him a unique perspective on the value of high-quality aquaculture feeds.
Leandro Castro, Ph.D.
Senior Research Manager
Team Member Since 2017
Connect on LinkedIn
As Senior Research Manager, Leandro overseas our research projects and testing facilities located in Pennsylvania and at the Zeigler Aquaculture Research Center in Florida (Z-ARC). With 20 years of experience in aquaculture, Leandro has worked in shrimp operations, feed manufacturing, and academia, bringing ideas from each of these disciplines to support client needs. Leandro holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Tropical Marine Sciences from Universidade Federal do Ceará, in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Christa Rice, M.Sc.
Animal Nutritionist
Team Member Since 2018
Connect on LinkedIn
As Animal Nutritionist, Christa oversees animal nutrient requirements and feed formulations. She interacts with customers regarding feed requirements and manages ingredient selection, feed performance, and product quality to assure customer and regulatory needs are met. She is also involved in various phases of new product development. Christa holds an M.S. degree in Animal Science from University of Tennessee and B.S. degree in Animal and Food Science from the University of Delaware.
Tim Markey
Senior Technical Advisor
Team Member Since 1979
Connect on LinkedIn
Tim is the Senior Technical Advisor at Zeigler. With over 40 years of experience, Tim works closely with technical and sales personnel to strengthen Zeigler’s leadership in the industry. He began work with the company in 1979 after graduating from Shippensburg University with a B.A. in Biology. Since then, he has served a variety of roles in Nutrition, Quality, and R&D, and most recently as Director of Nutrition & Quality. Tim was a part of the team that developed the first shrimp grower and hatchery feeds at Zeigler, and he also participated in the establishment of Zeigler’s feed mill technology program.
Peter Van Wyk, M.Sc.
Senior Technical Advisor
Team Member Since 2014
Connect on LinkedIn
As the Global Technical Sales Manager, Peter directs Zeigler’s customer field trial program and provides technical support to clients. Peter previously served as R&D Technical Manager and was responsible for managing the company’s research center in Florida (Z-ARC). He has over 40 years of experience in aquaculture, working throughout Latin America and Asia. He has pioneered work on shrimp production in high-intensity, low-salinity recirculating systems. Peter holds an B.S. in Marine Biology from UC Santa Barbara and an M.S. in Aquaculture from Auburn.
Brittany Ploof
Lab Manager, Z-ARC
Team Member Since 2018
Brittany is Lab Manager at the Zeigler Aquaculture Research Center in Florida (Z-ARC). She coordinates all in-house animal trials and is responsible for maintaining daily operations at Z-ARC. Brittany graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a B.S degree in Marine Biology.
Morgan Prescott
Senior Research Biologist
Team Member Since 2024
Morgan conducts animal research trials at ZARC and is responsible for systems management, data collection, and preparation of research trial reports. She oversees laboratory procedures and training of lab technicians. Morgan holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Pittsburg.
Jennifer Doherty
R&D Lab Coordinator
Team Member Since 2018
As R&D Coordinator, Jennifer conducts research activities for new product development and product improvement. She also contributes to product benchmarking and manufacturing process improvement. Jennifer holds a B.S. degree in Marine Science from Stony Brook University.