FALL 2020 - Purdue Agriculture

��

F A L L 2 0 2 0

��

� � � � ��

��

We are delighted to present this edition of our Purdue Animal Sciences newsletter with a focus on our meat science program. We have highlighted faculty, staff and alumni who have contributed greatly to this important segment of our

LETTER FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD

includes robust online learning experiences for students who won’t be on campus this fall due to COVID-19 risks, as well as highly interactive residential experiences, including hands-on experience with animals, for those who choose to return. So, while we may operate differently this fall, we are committed to providing the high-quality, rigorous and relevant learning experience that our students expect and deserve.

As a closing note, I am now in my 10th year as head of Purdue Animal Sciences, and have served more than 18 years as a department head at two land-grant universities. Thus, I believe it is time for a new energy and leadership to facilitate the department’s success into the future. Earlier this year I asked Dean Karen Plaut to consider a transition of leadership for the Department and the search for a new head is now underway. I will be stepping out of this role in a few months.

I am proud of the many accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students during my time here. Through their outstanding efforts and with your great support, we have continued the strong legacy of Purdue Animal Sciences and added some new milestones. Those milestones include setting new records for student enrollment and graduate placement, adding our first endowed faculty chair, and realizing a decades-long dream of moving into new state-of-the-art facilities, which came to fruition in 2018 with the opening of the Hobart and Russell Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences and the Land O’Lakes, Inc. Center for Experiential Learning.

I feel very privileged to have served an outstanding department and a world-class college during such a rich and exciting time. And I’m especially thankful for your outstanding support and advocacy along the way.

Best regards and Boiler Up!

Alan MathewProfessor and Head

discipline through their outstanding teaching, extension and research. And, of course, we have many other stories to share and people to celebrate within these pages.

This letter would have had a very different focus if written just a few short months ago. However, as I write this we are in the midst of changes and challenges related to COVID-19. And we know our students, stakeholders and friends have also been impacted. Our faculty and staff have been working overtime since March, developing new ways to deliver courses, advise students remotely, and continue extension and research programs.

The staff at the Animal Sciences Research and Education Center (ASREC) likewise have developed new operating procedures to ensure the safety of the staff and the well-being of our animals. Through their hard work, we’ve been able to maintain all herds and flocks at our animal units and have continued normal production. So as the campus opens again, we are well positioned to meet the upcoming research, extension and teaching needs that rely on our ASREC animal resources.

Our faculty and staff instructors are working to transition courses to a “hybrid” delivery model that

EDITORIALProduced by the Department of Agricultural Communication

Editor: Megan Kuhn, Dean’s Office Writers: Nancy Alexander, Emma Ea Ambrose, Chad Campbell, Abby Leeds, Hannah Walker Designer: Lauren Coghlan Photographers: Tom Campbell, Charles Jischke

TEAM

ALUMNI UPDATE4

6

10

12

13

14

16

19

18

MEAT SCIENCE PROGRAM

EXTENSION PROFILES

FACULTY FOCUS

AWARDS AND HONORS

BY THE NUMBERS

STUDENT CLUB PROFILE

HONORING A LEGACY

OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS

4 PURDUE UNIVERSITY

JESS JANSSEN • B.S. ANIMAL SCIENCES, 2018 Memories from Purdue: Jess Janssen was comfortable at Purdue before she became a student. Her mother Cheri Janssen is a program specialist for Purdue Pesticide Programs. “The majority of my classes ended up being in Lilly Hall, where my mother’s office is.”

Janssen participated in the Pathway to Purdue program, which allows Ivy Tech students to co-enroll at Purdue in preparation for an undergraduate degree in the College of Agriculture.

At Purdue, Janssen was involved in Block and Bridle Club, the ASREC Swine Unit and Collegiate FFA. Her fondest memories include study abroad trips to Costa Rica and Ireland.

ROSS JABAAY • B.S. ANIMAL SCIENCES, 1968; M.S. ANIMAL SCIENCES, 1973 Memories from Purdue: “I was not an outstanding undergraduate student,” recalls Ross Jabaay. “Despite that, my advisors, Dave Pfendler and Hobe Jones, had a huge impact on my studies, as well as prepared me for a career.”

Purdue continued to shape Jabaay’s life, as it was where he met his wife, Judy. The two celebrated 50 years of marriage in June.

Jabaay graduated during the Vietnam War. Expecting to be drafted, he joined the Air Force Veterinary Corps. His primary mission was food inspection and sanitation of base retail and food service facilities.

After the war, Jabaay returned to Purdue for graduate school. “I chose the field of meat science because of the military experience and because it was

MAX JUDGE • B.S. AGRICULTURE, 1954; PH.D. ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY, 1962 Memories from Purdue: Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Judge served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1954 to 1956. Judge earned his master’s degree at The Ohio State University, returned to Purdue in 1958 and began instructing classes.

“I taught the first meat science course at Purdue and was given the opportunity to develop our program.”

“We could see things that happened out in the world as a result of our research. When I was on leave in the Netherlands, we had a country-wide effect on the kind of pork they produced.”

Judge found that Dutch farmers were raising stress-susceptible pigs whose

ALUMNI UPDATE

5COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

From a young age, Janssen expected her career would involve cattle. A summer internship in South Dakota with the American Angus Association seemed to confirm that path.

Today: “I knew I wanted to go to grad school, I just didn’t know what I wanted to learn,” she recalls. During her internship, Janssen heard about South Dakota State University (SDSU) and found she had a connection. “Stacy Zuelly, my meat science professor, was at SDSU before she came to Purdue.”

Zuelly introduced Janssen to Amanda Blair, a Purdue alumna working with beef cattle research at SDSU. Janssen is currently a graduate research assistant at SDSU pursuing her master’s degree.

Recently, an opportunity to work with Turner Enterprises, Inc. shifted Janssen’s focus from cattle to bison meat quality. “My thinking had always been cattle, but I happened to be in the right place at the perfect time. I’m now entertaining the

idea of a Ph.D. and would like to continue my work with bison.”

Advice to current students: “Don’t be narrow-minded to the point where you can’t see beyond a specific path. If I did that, I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much out of my experiences.”

related to the livestock industry. Max Judge was my major professor and he ignited my passion for the meat industry.” In the field, Jabaay worked with ingredient suppliers, equipment suppliers and design engineers on new and

modified processing lines to improve the quality of products. He served on the American Meat Institute Scientific Advisory Committee for almost 40 years. During this time, the

industry faced several issues, including questions about the safety of sodium nitrite in the 1970s and the emergence of E. coli O157:h7 and Listeria monocytogenes as major food pathogens in the 1990s. Jabaay credits his experience at Purdue for preparing him to counter these industry-defining threats.

Today: “I am really enjoying retirement. It is great to have more time to spend with my family.” Jabaay is restoring a 1958 John Deere 620 tractor and participates in tractor rides across Iowa with his three grandsons.

Advice to current students: Consider internship programs. “You can learn far more about whether you fit the culture of a company during an internship than you can ever learn in a job interview.”

endocrine responses negatively impacted muscle formation. Pigs of that genetic strain are no longer raised in the Netherlands. His team’s research had further applications, including a study of the post-mortem changes in pig muscle. The findings

were used by McDonald’s in the development of the McRib. Judge served as interim head of the Department of Animal Sciences for portions of 1985 and 1986. In 1995, Judge

retired from Purdue.

Today: Judge resides with his wife Phyll Ann near one of their three daughters and his son-in-law on a horse farm in Virginia. Judge wrote several books, including “The Bronco Girl,” a biography of his daughter, who trains and rides the

Denver Broncos’ mascot, Thunder. Thanks to a fundraiser led by Ross Jabaay, Judge was recently recognized with a named space in Purdue’s Land

O’ Lakes, Inc. Center for Experiential Learning, the Max Judge Classroom for Meat Science and Muscle Biology.

Advice to current students: “If you’ve grown up managing animals, whether it was on a farm or living in a city with a dog, think in terms of how that experience could lead you into an education in science.”

6 PURDUE UNIVERSITY

MEAT SCIENCE PROGRAM EMBODIES THE MISSION OF A LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONBy Emma Ea Ambrose

MEAT SCIENCE PROGRAM


“I came into Purdue as a pre-med student,” Mariah Huge (pronounced Hu-GEE), a 2020 animal sciences graduate, says. “After the first semester at Purdue, however, I went home and told my mom I wanted to study in the meat science program. I had found my calling.”

Huge grew up on a 200-acre Indiana farm that produced livestock, was a 10-year 4-H member, showed cattle and pigs and was involved in her father’s work as a meat judge, which took him across the state. Despite this, she never considered taking her interest in livestock and meat beyond the farmyard and her upbringing until she began exploring programs within the College of Agriculture’s animal sciences department.

In the meat science program, Huge discovered the perfect marriage of applied and hard sciences, paired with the ability to help people, which was what initially drew her to pre-med. Meat science, she says, has the potential to improve the livelihoods of farmers, butchers and animals while also meeting consumer demands.

“I have learned so many professional and life skills through the labs and hands-on activities,” Huge says. “I also worked at the Butcher Block, so I’ve handled everything from essential paperwork, to selling meat to carving up carcasses.”

Huge recently began a job at the JBS Beef Plant in Pennsylvania in quality control, a position she feels prepared for thanks to her diversity of experiences at Purdue.

For Brad Kim and Stacy Zuelly, associate and assistant animal sciences professors, respectively, Huge is exactly the success story they’d envisioned when they were both brought in seven years ago to help with the meat science program.

Kim was tasked with strengthening the discipline’s research program and Zuelly with creating Extension partnerships to provide education to Hoosiers and hands-on experiences for students. Zuelly says the meat science program embodies the three pillars of a land-grant institution: research, education and Extension.

“In many ways, this program is a prime example of the intersection of those three missions,” Zuelly says. “We have forward facing curriculum, which engages the public and industry, and we have our research program, which informs a lot of the outreach and education we do. And, at every level, we have student involvement, which I’m really proud of.”

Zuelly is perhaps best known for running her BBQ Boot Camp for the past three and a half years. It’s a consumer-based program that offers workshops to discuss and educate the public

Mariah Huge

8 PURDUE UNIVERSITY

about cut selection, cooking techniques, rubs and marinades. The boot camp is offered through Extension offices and has also traveled to state fairs in Indiana and Michigan.

The best way to teach science, Zuelly adds, is through people’s stomachs. “You can feed them meat while also feeding them science,” Zuelly says. “It’s really a

win-win.” Much of what Zuelly teaches in the classroom and through Extension is informed

by research happening in the department, especially the work taking place in Kim’s lab. Zuelly adds that her courses evolve to incorporate best practices uncovered in his

research, from dry aging practices to tumbling meat to improve tenderness.

In Kim’s lab, you will find the merger of hard and applied sciences that so appealed to Huge and many other students in the program.

“You have to have a solid understanding of biology, chemistry and biochemistry to do this research,” Kim explains. “You must have that foundation, but at the end of the day you are applying these principles to the real world.”

Kim’s work looks at understanding the underlying biochemistry of meat and how that impacts its flavor, juiciness, marbling and color. He also focuses on applying newly developed technologies in industry settings and how to extract important functional ingredients, like proteins and amino acids, to create novel products.

All of Kim’s work focuses on bringing more value to the product for the producer and enhancing consumer satisfaction. Jacob Tuell, a graduate student of Kim’s, says this is one of the most satisfying aspects of working in meat science research.

“It’s unusual in lab research to always be able to discern and observe a direct benefit, but you can see that when you help people make value-added products,” Tuell continues. He adds that the real-world applications make it easy to involve a wide spectrum of students.

“Meat science is a field where it’s easy for undergraduates to get involved with research because the concepts are not that abstract. It’s not difficult to grasp the concept of designing meat to be more tender and flavorful.”

At the end of the day you are applying these

principles to the real world.

Stacey Zuelly


In the seven years Zuelly and Kim have worked together, they have sent a number of undergraduate teams to national conferences and competitions where their work has met with great acclaim and bolstered the reputation of the program.

“Undergraduates are the core, the essential element of the program,” Kim says. “And we have been very successful in training them and affording them a variety of opportunities.”

One of the key opportunities the program offers is the chance to work with the Boilermaker Butcher Block, like Huge did throughout her tenure at Purdue. Blaine Brown, Butcher Block manager, says it’s a selling point for many students.

“Students working with the Butcher Block have the opportunity to gain an enhanced understanding of the physical anatomy of animals, in living and carcass form, physical qualities of meat, point of sale systems and the stability of different meat products,” Brown continues.

For students like Huge, it was also a great way to understand the burden of responsibility on meat producers and processers in terms of quality control and food safety while supported by faculty and students in the program. It is a component of her education that she credits with affording her more personal and professional confidence.

“I worked at the Butcher Block for most of my time at Purdue,” Huge explains. “I collaborated with Blaine and worked my way up to being a lead. It made me feel like I’d accomplished something major that I was allowed to take the lead on harvesting days, for example. Because of this I know I’m prepared for my next step.”

Ultimately, Zuelly says, this is the goal of the program — to provide students with the experience they need while facilitating the partnership of different program areas to advance the field and offer students the best chance at success.

“I’m proud of how we’ve grown over the last several years,” Zuelly says. “We have more students graduating and going into research or industry positions than in the past 20 years. I am proud of our students. They are a reflection of the program and our commitment to the field.”

Brad Kim

10 PURDUE UNIVERSITY

COLLABORATION KEY TO SUCCESS FOR BOERMAN Jackie Boerman, assistant professor of animal sciences, is no stranger to the dairy industry with experience and knowledge gained from dairies across the United States and the world.

“I really enjoy developing ideas, executing them and then learning throughout the entire process to better understand the dairy cow,” says Boerman.

Boerman concentrates her Purdue Extension efforts in three areas — commercial farm work related to nutrition and management, applied research conducted at ASREC and better utilization of farm data. She values collaboration with researchers and Extension personnel in different departments at the university and outside of Purdue.

Boerman and graduate student Tabitha (Steckler) Hurst recently authored the Purdue Extension publication “Lung Ultrasound Scoring: A Way to Visually Detect Lung Damage.” Respiratory disease is a costly leading cause of illness in dairy calves, but can be difficult to diagnose on-farm. Steckler and Boerman took new lung scanning technology to an Indiana commercial dairy farm to study how lung damage affects calf’s growth and productivity.

While in the early stages of development, Boerman is looking forward to a new Extension research project that will integrate multiple data sources generated on farms to better predict health, productivity and well-being of dairy cattle.

“We have to convey the things that we are learning at Purdue University through our research and get that information in the toolbox of people who are on farm, assisting or making the daily management decisions.”

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL WELFARE “Poultry are the most numerous of farm animals produced worldwide. However, concern for poultry welfare falls below that of other farm animals,” says Marisa Erasmus, assistant professor of animal sciences.

Erasmus addresses this disparity between poultry production and animal welfare in her research and development of Purdue Extension programs. Her current extension programs focus on three overarching problems: behavioral and welfare issues of poultry, using animal-based indicators to evaluate animal welfare and providing educational resources so consumers can learn about animal welfare.

As consumers demand more transparency about food production, the agriculture industry has an opportunity to explain how food is grown using sustainable and ethical methods. Erasmus embodies this transparency in her engagement with consumers through an animal welfare educational exhibit that has been featured at the Indiana State Fair and Purdue’s Spring Fest.

The exhibit shows consumers how producers care for common farm animals and the importance of animal well-being for animal production. After visiting the exhibit, consumers reported increased knowledge of animal welfare and planned to use the information in their daily lives.

For more information about Purdue Extension programs led by Erasmus:

Erasmus Lab Website: ag.purdue.edu/ansc/erasmus/ Erasmus Lab Email: [email protected]

JACKIE BOERMAN WELFAREDAIRY MARISA ERASMUS

EXTENSION PROFILES


TECHNOLOGY CHANGES MEAN NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTHDistance Education Coordinator Phil Reid manages the technology that delivers educational and outreach programs from Animal Sciences to audiences well beyond the Purdue campus.

Since joining the department in 2001, Reid’s skills have grown along with ever-changing communication strategies — from building websites to engaging audiences through interactive videography, blogging and online streaming. From a state-of-the-art studio in Creighton Hall, Reid produces The Beef Roundtable webcast and the podcasts Ag Law Today, Dairy Digest, and Sheep and Goat Topics, among others.

Reid wakes up between 3 and 4 a.m. to sift through clipping services and write the daily Beef Blog. For an audience around the world, coffee and the blog go hand in hand in the mornings — especially during uncertain times.

The application of technology was tested as never before this spring. Although the department had experience with online classes, the coronavirus outbreak demanded that faculty transition quickly to virtual classrooms. “The announcement came out on Tuesday, and Wednesday morning I had a line at my office,” Reid says.

For his own course, ANSC 493, Livestock Media Production, Reid was challenged to teach the basics of photo editing online instead of in a 20-seat computer lab.

The self-confessed “gadget guy” has equipment at home that mirrors his on-campus office. This proved essential to getting critical, timely information to diverse audiences, like well-vetted guidelines to stakeholders involved in buying and selling livestock during the pandemic.

“My dad was a herdsman,” Reid adds. “He always said, ‘You don’t go to work; you wake up every day and it’s around you.’”

HIGH-QUALITY EGGS AND EDUCATION Personalized and collaborative educational programs with a chance to gain insight from industry partners is what many producers want in professional development courses.

Darrin Karcher, associate professor of animal sciences, answered this need in the poultry industry with the development of Purdue Extension’s Shell Egg Academy (SEA), an educational program training workers on egg quality, food safety and the correlation between the two.

“Purdue Extension programs leverage our ability to actively engage with the community and stakeholders, find needs, research and develop programs to meet those needs, and deliver programs in a way that is forward-thinking and adaptable in addressing possible future problems,” says Karcher.

The SEA covers topics for table egg producers in two courses — live hen production and egg processing. It is the first program to focus on tying food safety to the live production aspect of producing eggs and the downstream effects in egg processing.

The course also provides participants opportunities to interact with state and federal regulatory agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

Karcher is also partnering with USDA AMS and ARS to produce a serires of egg sanitation processing videos hosted on Purdue Extension’s YouTube channel at puext.in/cleaneggs.

The series will include modules for training commercial egg industry production and processing employees as well as state and federal regulatory employees on pre-operation sanitation expectations.

POULTRYDARRIN KARCHER


Dr. Tilford (Tip) Cline made a lasting impact on his students, colleagues and the swine industry during his 40-plus year career in the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University.

Cline, an emeritus professor of animal sciences, died in February, but some of his former students are working to ensure his legacy lives on through an endowment in his honor that would continue to benefit students interested in animal nutrition.

“The response has been amazing from both former students that were positively impacted by Dr. Cline as well as the swine nutrition industry that valued his impact over the years,” says Dwight Armstrong, former CEO of National FFA, global vice president of Provimi and president of Akey. “Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals and companies have stepped forward to support this endowment in record numbers.”

In addition to his teaching and swine research, Cline was also a charter member of the Midwest Swine Nutrition Conference and served as its chair for the first 15 years. In 1998, he received the American Society of Animal Science Fellow Award for Teaching.

Armstrong, who earned his master’s degree and a Ph.D. in animal science from Purdue in 1973 and 1975, respectively, considered Cline both a mentor and a valued friend.

“His leadership and guidance during my Ph.D. program were key to the future career I enjoyed in the field of animal nutrition,” Armstrong says. “Tip and his family were also friends and helped my wife and me through some challenging

HONORING A LEGACY

FORMER STUDENTS SPEARHEAD ENDOWMENT IN HONOR OF DR. TIP CLINE

times while we were at Purdue.” Cline’s support of his graduate

students extended well past their years at Purdue. Armstrong notes some of his favorite memories of Cline revolve around the celebration dinners he and his family hosted at their home after key events.

“I fondly remember the dinners he held to honor the 50th wedding anniversary of

His leadership and guidance during my Ph.D. program were

key to [my] future career.Marcia and Alfredo Andrade and my honorary doctorate,” Armstrong says. “He invited people important to each of us to help commemorate these important events. Tip was the ultimate host to celebrate others.”

Armstrong and Gary Cromwell, professor of animal sciences at University of Kentucky, are spearheading the efforts to raise $50,000 to fully fund the endowment in Cline’s honor. While they have had a tremendous response with commitments from individuals and companies, their fundraising efforts continue.

If you would like to support the Dr. Tilford (Tip) Cline endowment, contact April Shepherd, director of development for Purdue College of Agriculture, at [email protected] or 765-494-7435.

These students were recognized for their accomplishments at the virtual 2020 Purdue College of Agriculture Spring Awards Program.


OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS

GRACE SHOWALTER • SENIOR

Hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Degree: B.S. in animal sciences

MADELINE MILBURN • SOPHOMORE

Hometown: Noblesville, Indiana


DORIA GILBERG • JUNIOR

Hometown: Middleburg, Virginia


SARA TONISSEN • FRESHMAN

Hometown: Olmsted Falls, Ohio


with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration and minors in biology and computer and information technology

Involvement: Block and Bridle Club, student chapter of the Wildlife Society, American Sign Language Club, Association of Information Technology

Post-graduation Plans: To attend the University of Glasgow for veterinary school.

What does an ANSC degree mean to you? “To me, it means a solid foundation for success. The faculty and staff truly care about your success and provide you with opportunities to enhance skills and become a powerful difference maker.”

biosciences with minors in management and Spanish

Involvement: Peer advisor for animal sciences, Animal Sciences Ambassador, Purdue Equine Assisted Programs Club vice president, Israel Council, Purdue Dance Marathon

Post-graduation plans: To attend Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine to pursue a DVM/MPH (Masters in Public Health) dual degree.

What advice do you have for an incoming student? “Be excited to follow new paths, change your career goals, or start a new hobby. Trust the process, and then never look back.”

with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration

Involvement: Animal science peer advisor, Dairy Club campus promotions co-chair, Pre-Veterinary Medical Association social chair, Higher Ground Dance Company member/choreographer, Columbian Park Zoo volunteer

Career Goal: To practice mixed animal medicine or pursue further training in zoological medicine.

What advice do you have for an incoming student? “Put yourself outside of your comfort zone. Purdue has so many opportunities for you to discover, so don't hold yourself back because you fear the unknown.”

with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration

Involvement: Volunteers around the World fundraising co-chair, A Cause for Paws, Gamma Phi Beta sorority

Career Goal: To become a small animal veterinarian and open a veterinary clinic with grooming and boarding services.

What is your favorite aspect of Purdue ANSC? “The students come from everywhere and this creates a diverse environment that allows us to share and hear ideas that we could not find anywhere else.”

LUIZBRITO

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY FOCUS

During his PhD program at the University of Guelph (Canada), Luiz Brito spent a year in New Zealand developing genetic tools to improve meat quality in sheep. Last summer, Brito, who joined the animal sciences faculty at Purdue in August 2018 as assistant professor of quantitative genetics and genomics, attended an international conference where sheep breeding companies showed the substantial genetic progress they had achieved in a short time using the methods that he helped to develop.

The researcher was thrilled to see his work bridging science and application. “We are working for the food-producing sector,” he says. “One of the ways to feed a growing population is to improve the productive efficiency of our animals. We are developing research that will have applicability to farmers and enable them to produce better quality food in the face of climate change conditions, with exemplary welfare for animals and lower prices for consumers.”

Toward these objectives, Brito’s lab at Purdue uses quantitative genetics, genomics and systems biology to genetically improve livestock species. “Our primary goal is to enhance animal welfare and behavior and adaptation to challenging environments by integrating their genomic information combined with large-scale phenotyping,” he explains. (Phenotype refers to physical traits influenced by both genetic code and

environmental factors.) By understanding the genetic basis underlying the phenotypic variability in such traits as response to heat stress, temperament, food allergy response and certain diseases, he can help producers breed more resilient animals.

Animals that are less stressed live longer, produce more or grow faster, and have fewer health problems, Brito notes. His work focuses primarily on beef cattle, dairy cattle and swine. But another component of his research involves improving the performance of the so-called minor species in smallholder production systems and developing countries — “minor” not for their importance but because they are less studied, he notes. Such animals include sheep and goats, ducks, alpacas and buffalo.

Brito became interested in genetics while growing up on a livestock breeding farm in Brazil. He recalls being fascinated by the idea of crossing guineafowls and being able to predict the color of the progeny. As a university student, “I learned that with genetics we can make progress that’s permanent and cumulative over generations, which is very rewarding,” he says.

Brito received a 2020 seed grant from AgSEED (Agricultural Science and Extension for Economic Development), the college’s competitive internal grant program. He, ANSC dairy specialist Jackie Boerman, and their USDA collaborators are using data from one of the world’s largest precision dairy farms, in Plymouth, Indiana, to envision a “precision genomic index” that could assess animal welfare, behavior, health and productive efficiency, as well as to genetically identify and breed cows that are more suitable to precision dairy farming conditions.

AgSEED funding “provides us with the opportunity to give back to the Indiana community by doing research directly applicable to Indiana dairy producers,” he says. “It enables researchers to try projects in cutting-edge areas. “We can look if there is potential and collect data so we can apply for larger, federal grants.”

The first-time faculty member says the department provides the infrastructure and support he needs to be successful. From his lab, he’s keeping his eye on applicability and outreach. “I want to show the producers and general public that genetics and genomics aren’t scary,” he adds. “We’re just selecting the best mating animals for the best outcomes. That will have major applications for livestock producers and for the community as a whole.”

LUIZ BRITO WORKS TO BRIDGE SCIENCE AND APPLICATION

14

TIM

JOHNSON


TIM JOHNSON EXPLORES THE ANIMAL MICROBIOME

Tim Johnson, assistant professor of animal sciences, is part of a team developing a sensor that could rapidly tell producers not only which of their beef cattle or dairy cows have bovine respiratory disease (BRD), but also the antibiotic to most effectively treat it. At the core of the project is Johnson’s research on animal microbiomes — the complex community of microbes that inhabit a single environment, like a livestock animal’s respiratory tract.

Through a Purdue-sponsored program that supports collaboration among researchers across agriculture and engineering, Johnson teamed up with Mohit Verma, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and senior research engineer Aaron Ault. Initially supported with a Purdue seed grant, their partnership won a larger USDA grant and support from major producers that is enabling Johnson to study the respiratory microbiome in cattle across the country.

Members of the team, Jackie Boerman, assistant professor of animal sciences, and Jon Schoonmaker, associate professor of animal sciences, will go to large farms in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Indiana; establish relationship with farmers in each area; and collect nasal samples from 200 healthy and sick dairy cows and beef cattle in each region. “This project is a win-win for me as a researcher and for the industry,” Johnson says. “It’s both a description of the antibiotic resistance problem and a solution to it.” Johnson’s team will develop bioassays to determine the antibiotic resistance of BRD pathogens as well as characterizing the nasal microbiome in sick and healthy animals.

Johnson’s Animal Microbiome Laboratory at Purdue conducts research to improve nutrition and health in cattle, swine and poultry. The work relies extensively on DNA sequencing. By combining newer genetic sequencing and established quantitative processes, Johnson studies the genes of the pathogens themselves to determine what makes animals more susceptible or resistant.

BRD is the costliest disease in cattle, requiring antibiotic treatment based on a combination of past experience and a best guess. This approach is often unsuccessful, because producers have to treat sick animals multiple times, while the pathogens simultaneously become more resistant and the antibiotics less effective. With the new sensor, “our goal is to give producers more information in the amount of time they need it so they’re able to effectively treat their animals with a positive outcome the first time,” Johnson says.

Doing so decreases the use of antibiotics, which should lead to animals having less antibiotic-resistant bacteria, he adds. That in turn means savings for farmers, safer manure, reduced environmental impact and improved animal welfare — “all the benefits that come along with animals being healthy.”

Since coming to Purdue in August 2017, Johnson has tapped several university programs to position his lab as a resource in this changing environment. One is the College of Agriculture’s competitive internal grant program, AgSEED (Agricultural Science and Extension for Economic Development).

“Say you’ve got this idea that you’re really interested in,” he says, acknowledging that researchers’ ideas usually outpace their time or money. “You need the freedom to start working on it, and to challenge your students to start working on the problem. You need to have some indication that your project is going to be successful before a larger funder is going to give you the time of day.”

So far, the approach is working. Johnson also credits his animal sciences colleagues for their support in his first faculty position. “I think the department is focused on developing solutions to animal producers’ problems and eager to incorporate microbiome research into their research programs,” he says. “And they’re looking to help junior faculty to have successful careers.”


AWARDS AND HONORS

FACULTY

2019 USDA National Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching - Teaching and Student Engagement AwardElizabeth Karcher

Purdue COA, Ag Research and Graduate Education 2020 Dreamer AwardShawn Donkin

University Faculty ScholarCandace Croney

Outstanding Service Award, Midwest Poultry ConsortiumGreg Fraley

Outstanding Producer Award, Indiana Forage CouncilRon Lemenager and the Lemenager Cattle Company

STAFF

Purdue COA, Outstanding Service to Students AwardSteve Hendress

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Young and Upcoming Leader in Farm Journal's Pork magazineMorgan Thayer

Lallemand Forward Scholarship - Masters Recipient and Targeting Excellence Scholarship (ADSA)Conor McCabe

Targeting Excellence Scholarship (ADSA)Tabitha Steckler

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Outstanding ANSC SeniorGrace Showalter

Outstanding ANSC JuniorDoria Gilberg

Outstanding ANSC SophomoreMadeline Milburn

Outstanding ANSC FreshmanSara Tonissen

First Team All-American Honors, WrestlingChristian Brunner

Purdue COA, Outstanding JuniorDoria Gilberg

Purdue COA, Outstanding FreshmanSara Tonissen

GRADUATE STUDENTS (CONT.)Targeting Excellence Scholarship (ADSA)Rebecca Klopp

Purdue COA, Dr. Dagnachew Yirgou Endowment Travel AwardAmanda Botelho Alvarenga

2019 PUCESA, Student in Extension AwardDanielle Marks

Animal Sciences: Foundation for Food and Agriculture FellowLinda Beckett

LEGEND

ADSA – American Dairy Science AssociationCOA – College of Agriculture

PUCESA – Purdue University Cooperative Extension Specialists Association


NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING TEACHER CONNECTS WITH STUDENTS

PROMOTIONS

Assistant Professor to Associate ProfessorBrianna GaskillDarrin KarcherElizabeth Karcher

Associate Professor to ProfessorKola AjuwonScott Radcliffe

RETIREMENTS

Pat Jonas, administrative assistant

DEATHS

Tilford (Tip) Cline, Professor Emeritus, 40 years service, February 2020

George Thrasher, Assistant Professor 1958-1959, March 2020

BOOK-HARMON LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Bob Book and Bud Harmon established the Book-Harmon Leadership Program in Animal Sciences to enhance efforts to provide and promote leadership in animal agriculture.

Book-Harmon Leadership Fellows2020 Spring – Jolena Waddell, Tarleton State University2019 Fall – Anna Dilger, University of Illinois

Book-Harmon Leadership AwardConor McCabe

Elizabeth Karcher, an associate professor of animal sciences, was recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) with the National Teaching and Student Engagement award in late 2019.

“Liz exemplifies the very best among educators in our discipline,” says Alan Mathew, department head and professor of animal sciences. “Her high success as a teacher can be attributed to a fundamental trait: she truly cares about her students, and most especially their success in learning.”

Karcher has taught over 1,900 students across 46 course offerings since 2008. Her research program largely focuses on K-12 and first-year students, as well as new students with limited agricultural backgrounds.

“The majority of our first-year students hope to practice small animal medicine after graduation,” says Karcher. “They come to Purdue with this goal, but they are not always aware of other career opportunities in animal sciences.”

Karcher relates to such students because she was once just like them. Karcher grew up without an agricultural background, but she wanted to work in a lab to pave her way to veterinary school.

“That was my plan until I started working in a dairy nutrition lab during my undergraduate program at Penn State University. My undergraduate research experience opened my eyes to graduate school and the opportunities beyond just veterinary medicine.”


STUDENT CLUB PROFILE

As winter transitions into spring, campus usually comes to life with activities. End-of-the-year banquets, final club meetings, Ag Week and Spring Fest fill the calendars of students and faculty. However, this year looked quite different as the campus transitioned to remote learning due to COVID-19.

Campus organizations and clubs needed to get creative when it came to our favorite spring activities. Purdue Animal Sciences clubs were no exception and our department’s faculty, staff and students worked tirelessly to make the best of the situation. Technology played a key role in helping our organizations remain connected this spring.

The officer team of the Purdue Dairy Club utilized the mobile app, GroupMe, to stay in contact with members. The club held officer elections virtually with interviews via Zoom and members voted virtually for the slate of officers. One of the club’s goals is to reach Purdue students and others outside of their group to engage in a conversation around the importance of dairy and dairy producers. When campus closed, they turned to their

already established social media platforms to continue this effort.

On Milk Monday, the kick-off for Purdue College of Agriculture’s Virtual Ag Week in April, the club shared dairy facts across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Kylei Klein, a member of the Purdue Dairy Club and the Ag Week planning committee, created a video sharing information and fun facts about the dairy industry. The video featured Klein and two-week-old Bonnie, a Holstein calf from Klein’s family farm.

“Even though we aren’t on campus, we didn’t want that to stop us from sharing our love and passion for the cows, the farming families, and dairy as a whole,” says Klein, a senior from Cambridge City, Indiana majoring in agricultural education.

The Purdue Unhurried Club, a faith-based animal science networking club, also took strides to continue club activities while learning virtually. Their April meeting, held on Zoom, featured guest speaker Mike Banks, a poultry specialist at Ridley Inc.

Banks shared a message titled “Finding Peace in Times of Uncertainty” to inspire club members. In his message, Banks shared his personal background as well as an uplifting message encouraging club members to remain strong and courageous during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having to meet for our Unhurried discussions through Zoom was definitely a different experience, but regardless of how we met, I am very thankful to have industry professionals who are so willing to speak with us, both on personal and professional levels, even throughout these circumstances,” says Unhurried Club member Mallory Minnick, a junior from Logansport, Indiana majoring in animal sciences with a concentration in animal agribusiness.

Despite the transition to remote learning and the cancellation of in-person events, Purdue Animal Sciences clubs and organizations demonstrated their resilience and dedication to their organizations. While not able to gather in-person, the Purdue community continues to gather virtually to share ideas, encouragement and the Boilermaker spirit.

“We all wish that we could be back on campus,” Klein says, “but as Boilermakers, we all have enough grit and innovation to make anything happen from anywhere!”

PURDUE ANSC CLUBS STAY CONNECTED WHILE NOT ON CAMPUSBy Hannah Walker

Kylei Klein and Bonnie, a Holstein calf from Klein's family farm.

685

74

5.8 109

93

19

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

GRADUATE STUDENTS

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES

MILLION DOLLARS OF GRANTS AND CONTRACTS AWARDED

THOUSAND DOLLARS OF SCHOLARSHIPS

162 STUDENTS GRADUATED 88.5% FEMALE

82% INDIANA RESIDENTS15% OUT-OF-STATE (NON-INTERNATIONAL)

2% INTERNATIONAL 9.7% UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES

57% FEMALE 36% INDIANA RESIDENTS

26% OUT-OF-STATE (NON-INTERNATIONAL)38% INTERNATIONAL

35% UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES

122 NEW EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS, VIDEOS, WORKSHOPS AND LEARNING EVENTS41,574 DIRECT CONTACTS AT EXTENSION PROGRAMS AND LEARNING EVENTS

39% STUDENTS WITH STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE 68% STUDENTS WITH INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE 95% GRADUATES EMPLOYED OR CONTINUING EDUCATION AFTER GRADUATION38% CONTINUING EDUCATION

BYTHE

NUMBERS

Greg Fraley joined the Department of Animal Sciences in January as an associate professor and the Terry and Sandra Tucker Family Endowed Chair of Poultry

Greg Fraley, Victoria Tetel (senior and future animal

sciences master's student in Fraley's lab), and Brooke Van

Wyk (senior, biology and pre-veterinary medicine

at Hope College)

Science. Fraley received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Washington State University at Pullman and came to Purdue after a 15-year career on the faculty of the biology department at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

The chair is named in recognition of a $1 million gift from the Tuckers, which will be matched through the College of Agriculture Endowed Chair Challenge Matching Gift Program to create a $2 million endowment.

“I am excited to continue my research at Purdue on reproductive physiology and welfare of ducks while expanding my research here to include other poultry species,” says Fraley. “In particular, I am very enthusiastic about collaborations I have begun here with Extension specialists, engineers, computer scientists, ecologists, wildlife biologists and veterinarians to revolutionize our understanding of poultry management and welfare in order to move the industry into the future.”

Fraley specializes in how environmental changes can alter brain chemistry and gene expression that regulates feeding, growth and reproduction, specifically in regards to poultry. He thinks of his research as from bench top to table top where he translates behavioral neuroendocrinology to a better understanding of the birds’ needs in a commercial barn.

“I also look forward to continuing to prepare the next generation of scientists by training undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs,” he adds.

Fraley is originally from Baltimore City, Maryland and eventually moved to Baltimore County, where he enjoyed many years working on beef farms and raising poultry.

Fraley and his wife, Susan Fraley, DVM, moved to Indiana where Susan began working at Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. The move included their two basset hounds and two cats. The Fraleys are also avid birders.

270 S. Russell Street West Lafayette, IN 47907 USAag.purdue.edu/ansc

CONNECT WITH US! @PurdueANSC PurdueANSC

Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

FALL 2020 - Purdue Agriculture

Documents

Transcript of FALL 2020 - Purdue Agriculture