Kansas State University

K-State hosted Dairy Days on Wednesday, February, 19 in Whiteside, Kansas and on Thursday, February 20 in Seneca. The program featured speakers from K-State, Central Milk Market Administrator, Midwest Dairy Association and the Kansas Dairy Association and Dairy Commission. This annual event seeks to provide producers and allied dairy industry professionals with an update of current research being conducted at K-State as well as addressing current production and management issues of dairy farms. Several of the graduate students presented research findings from various projects. The program was well attended in both locations despite the weather. Thirty-six braved the weather for the meeting at Whiteside and 42 were in attendance in Seneca.

2025 Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon

Students, faculty, and staff gathered at the K-State Alumni Center last Thursday evening for the final events, meal, and presentation of awards for the 2025 Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon. Thank you to the continued generosity of Joseph Ebert, who is the event sponsor and has been a Spokesman for the event for more than 20 years. Thirteen teams totaling 51 students competed.

 “0% Vegan”, consisting of Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, August Hulse, and Hayden Lott, was the champion overall team and will represent K-State at the Midwest American Society of Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon competition in Omaha, Nebraska, March 9-12, 2025.

Event photos can be found at: Academic Quadrathlon Photos.

Champion 2025 K-State Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon Team

L to R:  Mr. Joe Ebert, sponsor; Champion AQ Team “0% Vegan” – “0% Vegan.” Team members are Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, August Hulse and Hayden Lott.

Overall

1. 0% Vegan (Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, Hayden Lott, and August Hulse)
2. Concentrated on Gradients…ding! (Carson Corwin, Ethan Christy, Tom Koontz, and Logan Mitchell)
3. Animal Sciences Anonymous (Callahan Riewald, Abbi Mahurin, Molly Brown, and Layne Johnson)
4. G’s Presidential Cabinet (Bevan Gradig, Kit Farren, Cheyenne Higbie, Lauren Potter)
5. Cows by 90 (Emma Brewer, Meghan Garren, Zoe Sullivan, and Sadie Arnold)

Written Exam

1. 0% Vegan (Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, Hayden Lott, and August Hulse)
2. Concentrated on Gradients…ding! (Carson Corwin, Ethan Christy, Tom Koontz, and Logan Mitchell)
3. COWabunga (Channing Cannon-Lass, Michaela Clark-Stapel, Marwah Aql, and Emma Burmaster)

Lab Practical

1. 0% Vegan (Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, Hayden Lott, and August Hulse)
2. Concentrated on Gradients…ding! (Carson Corwin, Ethan Christy, Tom Koontz, and Logan Mitchell)
3. Animal Sciences Anonymous (Callahan Riewald, Abbi Mahurin, Molly Brown, and Layne Johnson)

Oral Presentation

1. Concentrated on Gradients…ding! (Carson Corwin, Ethan Christy, Tom Koontz, and Logan Mitchell)
2. Animal Sciences Anonymous (Callahan Riewald, Abbi Mahurin, Molly Brown, and Layne Johnson)
3. Cows by 90 (Emma Brewer, Meghan Garren, Zoe Sullivan, and Sadie Arnold)

Quiz Bowl

1. 0% Vegan (Katrina Turner, Elaine Cockroft, Hayden Lott, and August Hulse)
2. Concentrated on Gradients…ding! (Carson Corwin, Ethan Christy, Tom Koontz, and Logan Mitchell)
3. G’s Presidential Cabinet (Bevan Gradig, Kit Farran, Cheyenne Higbie, Lauren Potter)

Special thanks as well to event chairs Dr. Nicholas Dias, Dr. Tim Rozell, and Dr. David Grieger as well as Dr. Jessie Vipham, IT support from Tim Carson, special assistance from graduate students Dani Stock, Elizabeth Dressler, Lauren Frink, Linnea Rimmer, Sidney Munk, Chanae Parker, and Cassia Gruis and past AQ champions Sierra Collier, Sydney Rohlman, Macie Weigand as well as the many, many faculty, staff, and graduate students who managed lab practicum stations, served as first-round oral presentation judges, graded the written exam, and helped organize and run the event in various ways. Your time and work toward making the AQ a success for our students is valued.

Thanks also to guest oral presentation judges at “Finals Night” Mr. Joe Ebert (event sponsor), as well as LMIC Board members and spouses Craig and Amy Good, Lori Fink, Justin Janssen, and Mary Janssen.

– Morgan Zumbaugh, Academic Quadrathlon Coordinator

• Judging Reunion: Mark your calendars for April 12, 2025, as we bring back the K-State Judging Team Reunion! Join us for a day of celebration, kicking off with a golf tournament and wrapping up with an evening banquet honoring the success of the 2024 teams. Register now: https://www.asi.k-state.edu/events/judging-reunion/
• Kansas 4-H Discovery Days 2025 will be held June 4-6, with more than 200 youth coming to K-State. Campus partners are needed to submit session proposals. Please complete your submissions by March 1. Submit your session here.
• Legacy Sale: Check out this year’s offering. We look forward to hosting this year’s Legacy Sale on Friday, March 7. You can check it out online at:
  asi.ksu.edu/legacysale
• Save the Date: Mark your calendars for the 112th Cattlemen’s Day hosted at the National Guard Armory on March 7, 2025. Registration details and the event schedule can be viewed here.
• UPCOMING DEFENSE:
  • Mariana Paredes defends “Use of qualitative and quantitative microbial data to determine if turkey pre-chill and post-chill sampling are predictive of Salmonella enterica contamination in ground turkey” on Monday, March 24 at 1 p.m. in 201 Wayne Franklin Student Leadership Conference Room.
  • Sidney Munk – Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. in Call Hall 205.
  • Jessica Smallfield – Friday, April 4 at 10:30 a.m. in Call Hall 226.
• UPCOMING SEMINARS
  • Meat Science – Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Weber 111
    • February 26 – Chanae Parker – Journal Club – Loss of Myostation Alters Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation TCA Cycle Activity, and ATP Production in Skeletal Muscle
    • March 5 – Sam Stickley – Journal Club – Impacts of Stepwise Aging/Freezing Process and Repeated Freezing on Meat Quality, Physicochemical and Biochemical Properties, and Sensory Attributes of Beef Loins
  • Monogastic Seminar – Wednesday 12:30 p.m. in Call Hall 140
    • March 5 – Cooper McAuley – Effect of phytase super dosing e in nursery diets
  • Ruminant Nutrition, Growth, and Management Seminar – Monday at 4:30 p.m. in Call Hall 205.  
    • March 3 – Cole Ellis – Effects of Experior^® Feedlot Cattle Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Native Pastures
    • March 10 – Jonn Frey – Comparative Diet Selection by Cattle, Sheep, and Goats Grazing/Browsing Native Pastures
  • Animal Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Seminar – 
    • March 11 – Muhammad Ajmal –https://ksu.zoom.us/j/97112401692?pwd=FlP2BlWSJDablovYpb5bZPGpb9S3jx.1Meeting ID: 971 1240 1692
      Passcode: 701782

  OPEN POSITIONS:

  Professor (Assistant/Associate/Full) Position(s): 

  None at this time.

  Unclassified Staff Position(s):

  • Research Technician – Kansas Artificial Breeding Services Unit (KABSU) – To apply, go to https://careers.k-state.edu/jobs/research-technician-manhattan-kansas-united-states-4600d43f-6c43-44c2-9512-3efc3c86ace7
    

  University Support Staff Position(s):

  None at this time.

  Department Student Employment Position(s):

  https://www.asi.k-state.edu/studentsuccess/student_employment/
  If you are interested in adding a job to this page, please email Emily Grund.

  Professional Opportunities(s):

  • Michigan State University, Swine Management Faculty Position – View here.
  • North Dakota State University, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist – Assistant Professor – View here.
  • Colorado State University, Director of Equine Sciences and Wagonhound Land and Livestock Chair – View here.
  • Clemson University, Department Chair – View here.

Photo cutline: The 2025-2026 Henry C. Gardiner Scholars were awarded to (left to right): Kenedy DeVoe, Justin, Texas; Elizabeth Schafer, Owaneco, Illinois; Lauren Wolter, Aviston, Illinois; Skyler Ward, New Paris, Ohio; Weston Schrader, Wells, Kansas; Cambree Schmaltz, Bayard, Nebraska.

Henry C. Gardiner scholarships have been awarded to elite undergraduates since 2012. This year, 28 applicants competed for six scholarships. The applicants represent diverse interests throughout animal science and industry, production agriculture and the beef industry.

The applicants are academically elite undergraduates enrolled at K-State planning to continue careers in agriculture. In addition to written applications, applicants compete in an intense, in-person interview with a panel of K-State faculty and industry leaders. Academic excellence, work ethic, community service, written and verbal communication skills and future goals are considered. Dr. Dave Nichols, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Animal Sciences and Industry, and a faculty representative on the selection committee since 2012, recently offered, “The Henry Gardiner Scholarships are the largest scholarships we give in the department. The students that have received the scholarships are the who’s-who in their collegiate endeavors and have become young industry leaders. It is a strong selection process, but the rewards are phenomenal.”

The 2025-2026 Henry C. Gardiner Scholars are Kenedy DeVoe, Justin, Texas; Elizabeth Schafer, Owaneco, Illinois; Lauren Wolter, Aviston, Illinois; Skyler Ward, New Paris, Ohio; Weston Schrader, Wells, Kansas; and Cambree Schmaltz, Bayard, Nebraska.

When asked to comment on the Henry C. Gardiner scholarship winners, Mark Gardiner said, “As agriculture is challenged to provide viable options for the next generation of decision makers, these students are embracing the challenge by taking advantage of every opportunity. Their curiosity, critical thinking, community service and extensive resumes, even before they launch their careers, is remarkable. Henry Gardiner believed in hard work. But he also believed in curiosity, lifetime learning and using those skills to improve, leaving his sphere better than he found it. The 2025-2026 Henry Gardiner scholars are examples of his perpetual pursuit for excellence.”

The Henry C. Gardiner Scholarship is made possible through the generous contributions of Gardiner customers, friends and family continuing the legacy of Henry Gardiner. To date,
60 undergraduate students have received $286,500 in scholarships.

Gardiner Angus Ranch is a family-owned ranching operation that produces registered and commercial Angus cattle. The original ranch was homesteaded near Ashland, Kansas, in 1885 by Henry Gardiner’s grandfather. Today, the ranch encompasses more than 48,000 acres. The Gardiner operation sells approximately 2,500 bulls and 2,000 registered and commercial females each year. One hundred percent of the sale offering each year is the result of artificial insemination or embryo transfer.

Gardiner Angus Ranch is a founding member of U.S. Premium Beef, the producer-owned limited liability corporation with minority ownership in National Beef, the nation’s fourth largest beef processing company. By providing access to a proven, value-added processing system through GAR delivery rights, Gardiner Angus Ranch customers have received more than $15.2 million in premiums and dividends.

More information can be found at www.gardinerangus.com.

• Congratulations to Larissa, #KSUASI graduate student, for receiving the Stahly/Peo Outstanding Graduate Student in Swine Nutrition Award from the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section. She will be presented with her award during the 2025 ASAS Midwest Section Meeting in March. Congratulations, Larissa!
  Read more about Larissa’s award by visiting, https://www.asas.org/sections/midwest-section/awards.
• Legacy Sale: Check out this year’s offering. We look forward to hosting this year’s Legacy Sale on Friday, March 7. You can check it out online at:
  asi.ksu.edu/legacysale
• COA Town Hall: The upcoming Faculty and Staff Town Hall Meeting has been rescheduled to March 3^rd. The town hall meeting will be held in Waters Hall 137 on March 3^rd from 10 – 11 a.m., it is also accessible via Zoom (with pre-registration). The Town Hall was originally slated to be held this Wednesday in the same location.
• Save the Date: Gamma Sigma Delta is an agriculture honor society committed to promoting excellence in scholarship, research, and service. In collaboration with the College of Agriculture, the society hosts an Undergraduate Research Showcase every spring semester. The 2025 Gamma Sigma Delta Undergraduate Research Showcase will be held on Friday, April 18, 2025, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. in Hale 181. Undergraduate students interested in participating should apply by April 7, 2025, following the instructions in the attached document. For more information, please contact Jessie Vipham at jessiev@ksu.edu
• Save the Date: Mark your calendars for the 112th Cattlemen’s Day hosted at the National Guard Armory on March 7, 2025. Registration details and the event schedule can be viewed here.
• Save the Date: Mark your calendars for the ASI Graduate Student Research Symposium that will be held on Thursday, May 8 at the Stanley Stout Center. The ASI Graduate Research Symposium is a great opportunity for graduate students to showcase and present their research with ASI peer graduate students and faculty members, get feedback, and better prepare for the conferences held in the summer. Your participation is key to the success of this event. A “Call for abstracts” email will be shared closer to the event date.

• UPCOMING DEFENSE:
  • Mariana Paredes defends “Use of qualitative and quantitative microbial data to determine if turkey pre-chill and post-chill sampling are predictive of Salmonella enterica contamination in ground turkey” on Monday, March 24 at 1 p.m. in 201 Wayne Franklin Student Leadership Conference Room.
  • Sidney Munk – Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. in Call Hall 205.
  • Jessica Smallfield – Friday, April 4 at 10:30 a.m. in Call Hall 226.
• UPCOMING SEMINARS
  • Meat Science – Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Weber 111
    • February 19 – Sara Here – Seminar – Bos Indicus in the Global Market: A Cash Cow
    • February 26 – Chanae Parker – Journal Club – Loss of Myostation Alters Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation TCA Cycle Activity, and ATP Production in Skeletal Muscle
  • Monogastic Seminar – Wednesday 12:30 p.m. in Call Hall 140
    • March 5 – Cooper McAuley – Effect of phytase super dosing e in nursery diets
  • Ruminant Nutrition, Growth, and Management Seminar – 
    • February 24 – Carlee Salisbury –Dietary Factors Influencing Populations of Ruminal Protozoa
    • March 3 – Cole Ellis – Effects of Experior^® Feedlot Cattle Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Native Pastures
  • Animal Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Seminar – 
    • March 11 – Muhammad Ajmal –https://ksu.zoom.us/j/97112401692?pwd=FlP2BlWSJDablovYpb5bZPGpb9S3jx.1Meeting ID: 971 1240 1692
      Passcode: 701782

  OPEN POSITIONS:

  Professor (Assistant/Associate/Full) Position(s): 

  None at this time.

  Unclassified Staff Position(s):

  • Research Technician – Kansas Artificial Breeding Services Unit (KABSU) – To apply, go to https://careers.k-state.edu/jobs/research-technician-manhattan-kansas-united-states-4600d43f-6c43-44c2-9512-3efc3c86ace7
    

  University Support Staff Position(s):

  None at this time.

  Department Student Employment Position(s):

  https://www.asi.k-state.edu/studentsuccess/student_employment/
  If you are interested in adding a job to this page, please email Emily Grund.

  Professional Opportunities(s):

  • None at this time. 

The Department of Animal Sciences & Industry participated in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention from February 4-6. This event provided a valuable opportunity to connect with industry professionals, alumni, and prospective undergraduate and graduate students. We appreciate everyone who contributed to the success of our booth space.

During the event, Downey Ranch was recognized as national winners of the 2024 Environmental Stewardship Award. Congratulations to Joe and Barb on this honor.

View event photos here.
View event videos here.

The 2025 KSU Swine Profitability Conference was hosted February 4 at the Stanley Stout Center.  The event was attended by more than 135 swine producers, allied industry representatives, faculty and students.  Featured speakers included Dr. Glynn Tonsor, K-State professor in Agricultural Economics, Dr. Lisa Tokach, Abilene Animal Hospital, Michele Walter and family, Keesecker Ag and 3MK Pork LLC, Brian Burke, president of John Stewart and Associates and Dr. Bradley Wolter, Windy Hill Meadows and the former CEO of The Maschoffs. The speakers highlighted the current status of the US swine industry, provided insights for business decisions and discussed future opportunities for swine farmers.