Graduate and undergraduate students representing the Iowa State University Department of Animal Science participated in a number of student activities at the recent 75th Annual American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference held in Des Moines, Iowa. Students successfully participated in numerous activities including the Iron Chef Product Development Competition, the Processed Meats Contest, and the RMC Quiz Bowl Competition. In addition to competing, students enjoyed networking, reciprocation sessions, and learning with faculty and students from universities across the nation as well as industry professionals.

Craig Morris’s time at Iowa State has played a foundational role in his success today. Graduating in 1992 with his degree in Animal Science and a Pre-Veterinarian distinction, Morris says the things he learned while pursuing his undergraduate degree did a phenomenal job preparing him for his future career.

Morris grew up in his family’s meat company and wanted to be a chef, but after a push from his mom and a visit from an Iowa State recruiter, he decided to attend college and become a veterinarian. However, that quickly changed. After taking Animal Science 270 – Foods of Animal Origin and getting to know Professor F.C. Parrish, Morris got the urge to get started in meat science and has been in the protein business ever since.

The Department of Animal Science held their 2022 Graduate Student Awards Ceremony on May 6, 2022. 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.

Tanner Volkmann will be a new addition to the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University as the manager of the new Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility upon his graduation. Volkmann is a current Iowa State animal science student, scheduled to graduate with with his B.S in May of 2022. The Stanley Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility is the latest cutting-edge research facility and is set to open in the summer of 2022. This facility was made possible by the Iowa turkey industry and allied partners.

Dr. Juan Steibel is joining Iowa State University in August 2022, as a Professor in the Department of Animal Science. Steibel will serve as the Lush Chair for Animal Breeding and Genetics, a position honoring Jay Lush. Lush was a prolific researcher, graduate mentor and outreach educator during his career as a professor of animal breeding in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University from 1930 to 1966.

Steibel was most recently a Professor in the Departments of Animal Sciences and Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. He brings extensive research experience in developing and applying statistical and computational methods to analyze genetic, molecular, and phenotypic data to make better selection decisions in animal production systems.

The meat judging team returned home after a successful week of meat judging contests. Traveling with the team were coach and meat science graduate student Caroline Downey (Putnam, IL) and meat science graduate student Kayla Hospodarsky (Cedar Rapids). The team is also assisted by coach and program coordinator Dr. Sherry Olsen.