2024 Animal Science Graduate Student Scholarships and Awards Event

The Department of Animal Science held their 2024 Graduate Student Awards Ceremony on May 3, 2024. Faculty, staff, and donors helped recognize the accomplishments of the department’s graduate students. Over the last 5 years, across the four majors the department has maintained 65-80 M.S. and Ph.D. students. These graduates are trained in varying aspects of basic and applied sciences with graduate degrees in four majors that include Animal Breeding and Genetics, Animal Physiology, Animal Science and Meat Science. Minors are also offered in Animal Breeding and Genetics and in Meat Science.

 

The 2024 Department of Animal Science Graduate Award for Outstanding Teaching was awarded to Dalton Humphrey.  Dalton grew up in Eaton Rapids, Michigan raising and showing hogs. Dalton was part of the Western Illinois University livestock judging team and interned at Carthage Innovative Swine Solutions before starting his graduate program at Iowa State University. He completed his MS degree with Dr. Greiner in 2021 focusing on the impact of enzymes and acids on odor emissions in grow-finish pigs. He is currently working on his PhD under Dr. Greiner and is focused on branch chain amino acid requirements in nursery pigs and lactating sows. Dalton has served as a National Pork Board Scholar and is an author on 11 manuscripts, 14 abstracts, 1 proceeding and 1 popular press article. He has also been a co-investigator on multiple grants and has taught in multiple undergraduate courses during his graduate tenure. Dalton plans to pursue a career in academia.

 

The 2024 Department of Animal Science Graduate Student Excellence Award was awarded to Logan Johnson. Logan is from Rosholt, South Dakota. He has a BS in Food Science from South Dakota State University and a Master of Science in Meat Science from ISU. Logan is a very generous and effective mentor for Animal Science graduate and undergraduate students (and a great mentor to his major professor!). He is an innovative researcher who expanded the Lonergan lab’s capabilities in proteomic and metabolomic applications and established effective machine-learning models to predict meat quality. Logan is the primary author of five published manuscripts and co-author of seven published manuscripts. He is the author or co-author of fifteen conference abstracts. Logan defended his dissertation in April and completed a graduate certificate in Data-Driven Food, Energy, and Water Decision Making (part of an NSF program). 

Logan has been a highly effective teacher in the meat science program where he was a teaching assistant on three occasions for Animal Science 360. He also coached the ISU Intercollegiate Meat Science Quiz bowl team in 2020. Logan Johnson is a well-rounded scholar, showcasing excellence in both research and teaching. His exceptional contributions have significantly elevated departmental research and teaching endeavors during his graduate career. 


 

The Iowa State University Graduate College Research Excellence Award is to recognize graduate students for outstanding research accomplishments as documented in their theses and dissertations. For 2023-2024, Logan Johnson and Dalton Humphrey were recognized with this award.

Similarly, the Iowa State University Graduate College Teaching Excellence Award is given to recognize and encourage outstanding teaching achievement by graduate students. William Taylor and Annika Parks were recognized for this award in 2023-2024.

 


The following scholarships were awarded to current graduate students in the Department of Animal Science:

Duane and Shirley Acker International Fellowship - to foster international experiences for graduate students

Alexandra Else-Keller
Alexandra Else-Keller
Caitlyn Wileman
Caitlyn Wileman

 

John Airy Endowed Graduate Scholarshipfor significant research accomplishment related to beef cattle breeding and management

Emma Rients
Emma Rients
Sarah Phelps
Sarah Phelps
Fazhir Kayondo
Fazhir Kayondo

 

Arthur and Muriel Anderson Scholarshipfor excellence in academic performance and interest in swine science

Mubashrah Mahmood
Mubashrah Mahmood

 

Charles H. and Inez M. Callahan Memorial Scholarshipfor excellence in academic performance and outstanding leadership in extracurricular activities relating to poultry 

Kayla Elmore

 

Lauren L. Christian Graduate Fellowshipfor excellence in academic performance and outstanding leadership in extracurricular activities relating to swine

Alexandra Else-Keller
Alexandra Else-Keller
Chloe Hagen
Chloe Hagen

Dr. and Mrs. M.E. Ensminger Scholarshipfor excellence in academic performance, character and leadership

Tapiwa Magwaba
Tapiwa Magwaba
Mubashrah Mahmood
Mubashrah Mahmood

Dr. Gene Freeman Animal Breeding and Genetics Graduate Student Travel Scholarshipfor excellence in academic performance and an interest in working with cattle

Andrea Nunez
Andrea Nunez

William Riley Gillette Graduate Scholarship in Animal Sciencein recognition of academic performance in the Department of Animal Science

Yureni Carvajal
Yureni Carvajal
Kayla Miller
Kayla Miller
Mitch Nisley
Mitch Nisley

Robert E. and Dorothy B. Rust Graduate Scholarship in Meat Sciencein recognition of excellence in academic performance and demonstrated active interest in applied meat processing or allied industry

Yureni Carvajal
Yureni Carvajal

Vaughn and Meg Speer Graduate Awardto provide graduate students in monogastric nutrition with a unique training/education experience

Caitlyn Wileman
Caitlyn Wileman

Thomas Sutherland Graduate Award for Excellencefor excellence in academic performance and significant accomplishment in research relative to tenure in the graduate program

Dalton Humphrey
Dalton Humphrey

David and Jacqueline Topel Scholarship in Meat Sciencefor excellence in academic performance, leadership and involvement in campus activities, and promise of a career related to the meat industry

Elias Perez
Elias Perez

Harold and Esther G. Wilcke Scholarshipfor significant research related to the nutritional requirements of domestic animals or poultry

Lizzy Due
Lizzy Due

Esther and Richard Willham Graduate Scholarship in Animal Sciencein recognition of out-of-the-ordinary creativity in graduate student education

Mubashrah Mahmood
Mubashrah Mahmood

Iowa Poultry Association Scholarship in Honor of Tom J. Zaniosfor excellence in academic performance and interest in the poultry industry

Kayla Elmore

 


The full program from the award’s ceremony can be found here: 2024 Grad Awards Ceremony.pdf

The greatest accomplishments from the department’s graduate programs have been the training of graduate students that are highly sought after in animal science, academia, science related fields and allied industries. Other accomplishments include scholarly outputs of peer-reviewed original research, fact sheets, patents, webinars and popular press articles generated by these students. If you are interested in contributing to graduate student scholarships, please visit the Iowa State University Foundation website.