Another Successful Midwest ASAS Meeting for K-State Animal Sciences and Industry

The Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry was well represented earlier this spring at the 2026 Midwest Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), held March 8-11 in Omaha, Nebraska. The yearly meeting brings together animal science industry professionals, faculty, and students from across the region, showcasing their excellence through research, academic competition, and professional development.

Students from Kansas State University earned top honors in the Academic Quadrathlon, an intense competition designed to test knowledge and practical skills in animal science. The K-State team secured first place in both the lab practicum and quiz bowl events, leading to an overall first-place finish.

Dr. Morgan Zumbaugh, assistant professor and research coordinator in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, emphasized the value of the Academic Quadrathlon experience for undergraduate participants.

“The opportunity to take undergraduate students to the Midwest ASAS meeting to participate in the Academic Quadrathlon is a unique experience that both challenges and excites winners of our local competition,” she said. “Each year, they not only compete against other universities but also receive strong support from K-State faculty at the meeting.”

In addition to team success, K-State students were recognized in several individual research competitions. In the undergraduate student oral competition, Paige Soper earned second place for her presentation examining the effect of in-feed antibiotics on the need for injectable treatments in finishing pigs.

Graduate students also achieved top distinctions. In the master’s division, Sierra Collier received first place for her research evaluating increasing trypsin inhibitor levels on nursery pig growth performance, fecal dry matter, and nutrient digestibility. In the doctoral division, Ty Kim earned first place for his work investigating caloric efficiency as a method to estimate soybean meal net energy in nursery pigs. Walter Friesen placed second for his research on standardized ileal digestibility of crude protein and amino acids in various grains fed to growing pigs.

“Each year, the Midwest ASAS meeting is an exciting opportunity for K-State graduate and undergraduate students to showcase their hard work,” said Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and state extension leader in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. “We are very proud of the award recognition our students received for their high-quality research and presentation skills.”

The continued success of K-State students at the Midwest ASAS meeting reflects the strength of the university’s animal sciences and industry program and its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and student development