Inside Ag | Summer 2023
In This Issue
- News from the College of Ag
- Announcements and Awards
- Upcoming Events
- Recent Publications
- Contact Us
News from the College of Ag
- PSPP assistant professor Jennifer Lachowiec was recognized for teaching excellence by early-career faculty at the Joint Western Directors meeting last month. You can read more about Dr. Lachowiec and the award she received here.
- Tommy Bass, MSU Extension livestock environment associate specialist, is part of a collaboration to bring a USDA regional food business center to Montana. Read about the partnership here.
- Rachel McBride, a junior animal science major, is the recipient of an MSU Cameron Presidential Scholarship. Rachel is treasurer of the Pre-Veterinary Club and works with SPAY Montana to help provide low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for animals. As a student in the honors seminar, the Art and Science of Medicine in Society, she researched the interconnectedness of human and veterinary medicine, and how they can work together to improve both fields. You can read more about Rachel and the rest of this year's Cameron Presidential Scholars here.
- Associate professor Frank Stewart in the MBI department was named one of the 2023 Simons Investigators in Aquatic Microbial Ecology, which includes $1.7 million in funding to advance ongoing research into low-oxygen aquatic systems. You can read more about his research here.
Announcements and Awards
College of Ag Research Needs Assessment
This summer, the College of Agriculture and MAES are seeking your opinion on research needs in the state, and we want your feedback! Please take the time to fill out this short survey and share it with producers and constituents so we can do the best possible job of shaping future investments to the needs of our stakeholders.
Recent Awards
- PhD alum Dr. Vinicius Ferreira received the 2022 Jean Theodore Lacordaire Prize from the Coleopterists Society.The Lacordaire Prize is awarded annually for the best published paper based upon a PhD dissertation on the biology and evolution of beetles. Dr. Ferreira's winning paper was published in the Journal Insect Systematics and Diversity. He completed his dissertation in MSU's PSPP department in 2021 and is currently finishing a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc at the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen. This is the second time an MSU dissertation has received this award.
- Alex Trauner, a recent master’s graduate in Animal and Range Sciences, placed first in the equine reproduction section of the graduate student competition at the Equine Science Society Symposium in Texas for her thesis "Late gestation maternal overnutrition alters gene expression and histomorphology in neonatal foal testes.”
- Matt Conrad, a recent master’s graduate in Animal and Range Sciences, presented his thesis "Clodronate Use in Yearling Exercising Horses on Endocrine Regulation of Bone Growth and Development" at the Equine Science Society Symposium in Grapevine, Texas.
- LRES faculty Tracy Sterling and Bob Peterson were recognized for their long histories of research and discovery at last month's Western Directors Joint Meeting! Dr. Sterling and Dr. Peterson are part of the ongoing project "Agrochemical Impacts on Human and Environmental Health: Mechanisms and Mitigation," which includes faculty nationwide and has conducted research for nearly 70 years. Researchers in that group have produced over 100 publications and secured more than $5 million in collaborative grant funding. Congratulations and thank you for your excellent work, Drs. Sterling and Peterson!
Further Announcements
The USDA and NIH have open applications for grant reviewers. You can find more information here for the USDA and here for the NIH.
Upcoming Events
2023 Research Center Field Days
Summer field day season isn't over yet! Please join us at one of the upcoming field days across the state.
- Tuesday, July 11, 8:00 a.m. Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney
- Thursday, July 13, 11:00 a.m. Northwestern Agricultural Research Center, Creston
- Wednesday, July 19, 8:00 a.m. Post Farm, Bozeman
- Thursday, July 27, 20234:30 p.m. Western Agricultural Research Center, Corvallis
More Events
- The 406 Grazing Academy was held June 6-8 in Anaconda. Attendees learned about rangeland health assessment and utilization and heard from ranchers who shared their grazing strategies and lessons learned. The field day was a collaboration between MT DNRC Rangeland Resources Program, MSU Extension, MT Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative and the MSU Dan Scott Ranch Management Program.
- The Department of Animal & Range Sciences held its first Peaks and Potentials workshop this year. The workshop, “Who let the Cows Out? Modern Animal Science,” introduced campers to animal and range sciences, including genetics, animal breeding, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, and technology applications in studying domestic animals and wildlife. The course was coordinated by associate professor Jennifer Thomson and graduate student Nate Schaff, with graduate student Matt Conrad helping with instruction.
Recent Publications
You can find a full list of recent publications from MSU's Library and Office of Sponsored Programs here.
For current and upcoming funding opportunities, check out the MSU Office of Research and Economic Development database here.