Animal Sciences and Industry Students Showcase Research at Annual Symposiums
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Each year, students within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry engage in a wide range of impactful research projects at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Keith Bolsen Graduate Research Symposium and the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium provide valuable opportunities for students to present their work while engaging with faculty, researchers, industry professionals, and peers.
The inaugural Keith Bolsen Graduate Research Symposium was held May 7 at the Stanley Stout Center. The event began with remarks from Ashley Hartman and Mark Young, who shared insights on professional development, career pathways, and opportunities available to students following graduate school. Throughout the day, M.S. and Ph.D. students from across the department presented their research through oral and poster presentations.
Top presenters in each category were recognized with the following awards:
Ph.D. Oral Presentations
1st Place — Rebecca Finchum
2nd Place — Jessica Smallfield
M.S. Oral Presentations
1st Place — Sierra Collier
2nd Place — Elaine Cockroft
Poster Presentations
1st Place — Sydney Heins
2nd Place — Lauren Thompson
During the symposium, the Larry Corah Outstanding M.S. Student and Outstanding Ph.D. Student Awards were also presented, recognizing exceptional achievement, dedication, and contributions to research and the animal science industry.
Nominees:
Sierra Collier
Caleigh Iwanski
Chesney Effling — Outstanding M.S. Student Awardee
Linnea Rimmer
Matthew Kinghorn
Ty Kim — Outstanding Ph.D. Student Awardee
On May 8, the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at Leadership Studies at Kansas State University. The symposium highlighted the outstanding research efforts of undergraduate students across the department, with a total of 44 research posters presented. Research topics represented a wide range of disciplines within animal and food sciences, including ruminant nutrition, meat science, reproductive physiology, small ruminant health, muscle biology, swine nutrition, and food safety.
The event provided students with the opportunity to present their research findings, engage with faculty and peers, and further develop their scientific communication skills.
In recognition of exceptional research and presentation performance, six scholarships were awarded to outstanding undergraduate researchers:
Ethan Staley — Independent Research Award (Mentor: Dr. Kelsey Bentley)
Kaleb Liggett — Ruminant Nutrition (Mentor: Dr. Mindy King)
Camryn DeVore — Muscle Biology (Mentor: Dr. Morgan Zumbaugh)
Hallie McDermeit — Small Ruminant Health (Mentor: Dr. Kelsey Bentley)
Schuyler Rose — Swine Nutrition (Mentor: Dr. Katelyn Gaffield)
Amara Johnson — Reproductive Physiology (Mentor: Dr. Nicholas Dias)
Special thanks are extended to the Dr. Mark & Kim Young Undergraduate Research Fund for their unwavering support of undergraduate research and scholarship opportunities within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry.
Our department wants to congratulate our graduate and undergraduate students on their success in their research this year. We appreciate the persistence and commitment to the animal science industry, and we cannot wait to see the impact each one of these students will have in their future.