Animal Science Spring 2024 Newsletter
Spring 2024 Newsletter
From the chair
As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, we would like to highlight some of the exceptional accomplishments and work completed by our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the department during this last quarter. Throughout the summer, faculty will be traveling across the globe to present at research conferences and find regeneration through professional development opportunities. Before we know it, the new class of Aggies will be joining us this fall. As we look forward to a new year, we will also be taking time this summer to highlight our Class of 2024 graduates. Be on the lookout for our special Scholarship and Graduation Newsletter coming in Early Summer.
Go Ags!
Liu appointed as CLEAR Center Director of Swine Research
The CLEAR Center at UC Davis recently appointed a new director of swine research to spearhead the advancement and exploration of swine sustainability. Dr. Yanhong Liu is an associate professor of animal nutrition in the animal science department with a focus on improving swine health through nutrition-based research to increase food production safety worldwide. The Center will be funding several research projects for swine relating to antimicrobial resistance, gene-editing, reducing methane and more. The UC Davis CLEAR Center also co-hosted the State of the Science Summit: Reducing Methane from Animal Agriculture on May 21 and 22, with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Mienaltowski, Tucker, and Vahmani honored with excellence in advising and mentoring
Associate Professor Mike Mienaltowski was selected as the Faculty Advisor recipient of the 2024 Eleanor and Harry Walker Academic Advising Award. Mienaltowski was recognized for his outstanding contributions to Academic Advising and student success in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A student nominator said, “I cannot image what my undergraduate career might have looked like without Dr. Mienaltowski’s guidance and mentorship.”
Congratulations, Dr. Mienaltowski!
Professor Cassandra Tucker was selected as one of the recipients of the 2024 Graduate Studies Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentoring Award. This is a very important campus award and recognition of outstanding mentoring to graduate students and postdocs. Dr. Tucker was recognized for mentorship of her lab group but also for being the Lead Faculty Advisor for many years for the Animal Behavior Graduate Group.
Congratulations, Dr. Tucker!
Assistant Professor Payam Vahmani received the 2024 Undergraduate Honor Program Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentoring. Recipients of this special award are nominated by UHP students. Dr. Vahmani was recognized for his strong commitment to student mentorship and student success.
Congratulations, Dr. Vahmani!
Gross Awarded Aggie Climate Action for Equity Grant for Pistachio Shell Waste Project
Aquaculture Specialist Jackson Gross’ was recently recognized with an Aggie Climate Action for Equity Grant for his Pistachio Shell Waste project which taps into California’s pistachio shell waste and contributes to create sustainable soils for the $4.25B potting soil and growing media market. This innovation reduces waste, curbs emissions, and aligns with climate action, offering a strategic advantage in both local and global agricultural markets. The soil exemplifies the synergy of economic and environmental stewardship, while combating climate impacts and leading the charge toward sustainable California agriculture.
Teaching Highlight: Bringing life to ANS 142 Companion Animal Care and Management
Animal Biology Graduate Student Nicole Bonfiglio brought her companion guinea pigs Walter and Philbert to Kristin Kellett’s ANS142 Companion Animal Care & Management class during Winter quarter. The students were treated to a joint lecture on guinea pig physiology, husbandry, and enrichment while they got practical experience handling the boars. In addition to the guinea pigs, Kellet has prioritized the integration of herpetology and exotic companion animal curriculum into the ANS142 course because non-traditional/ exotic pets are becoming more popular with Gen Z and millennials. During a series of lectures on reptile physiology, husbandry, and medicine, senior level AnimalScience students had the opportunity to observe and handle their instructor’s animals: an Australian blue-tongued skink, an African fat-tailed gecko, and acorn snake. Kristin’s students also had the opportunity to study the care and management of common invertebrate species kept as pets such as tarantulas and scorpions.
Larson receives Bradford–Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award
The Bradford-Rominger award recognizes and honors individuals who exhibit the leadership, work ethic and integrity epitomized by the late Eric Bradford, a livestock geneticist who gave 50 years of service to UC Davis, and the late Charlie Rominger, a fifth-generation Yolo County farmer and land preservationist. Dr. Stephanie Larson has spent more than 40 years working for UC Cooperative Extension to address opportunities and issues that California ranchers face in their agricultural businesses. Her interdisciplinary approach to issues facing livestock producers, rangeland owners and managers, and the public aims to maintain and increase the sustainability of agriculture systems and the environment, with a particular focus on ecosystem services in counties under threat from encroachment by urban development.
Alumni reconnect at California Animal Nutrition Conference
Faculty along with many UC Davis Alumni were in attendance at the 2024 California Animal Nutrition Conference in early May. AIumnus Gustavo Cruz shared a special moment that happened at the conference, where six graduates from the Animal Science Department met and shared stories and fond memories of their time in Davis.
Pictured are: Stacy Tsang, Gabriela Acetoze, Gustavo Cruz, Grace Cun, Kara Ortega and Jill Soderstrom
Do you know an alumni we should spotlight in our newsletter?
Let us know by filling out our Alumni Spotlight.
Animal Science Facility Spotlight
— UC Davis Meat Lab —
Job "Well Done” for UC Davis Meat Lab and students
The UC Davis Meat Lab hosted the California Association of Meat Processors Convention and Cured Meat Show February 23-25, 2024. UC Davis Meat Lab manager, Caleb Sehnert said the convention was one of the biggest conventions to date with 27 plants and nearly 200 total in attendance. The Meat Lab prepared a tri-tip lunch for Saturday and showcased the new rollstock machine and semi-new portion slicer in a seminar. In the Cured Meat Show the UC Davis Meat Lab won the Norm Eggen Collegiate High point cup and is the seventh time UC Davis has won the Eggen Cup in the ten years it has been awarded. Students Alexis Mendoza and Nader Shehadeh also won Champion and Reserve Champion (respectively) in the college Snack Stick class.
UC Davis Swine Facility farrows first litters from new genetics
In March, the first full group of the Topigs Norsvin Z- Linegilts from South Dakota received in June 2023 farrowed. The litters averaged more than 14 piglets born per sow and the facility reported weaning more than 12 piglets per litter. Litter numbers improved into April with the average of piglets born alive surpassing 15 piglets. This acquisition continues to be very exciting for the swine unit by providing industry relevant animals for teaching and research.
Young Cattlemen's Host First Annual Dinner Dance
The UC Davis Young Cattlemen’s hosted an End of the Year Dinner and Dance Fundraiser. The event was held Saturday, June 1, 2024 at the California Agriculture Museum and was a sold out success! More from the event will be published in our special summer edition.
UC Davis Horse Barn to host 31st Annual Production Sale
Mark your calendars for the 2024 UC Davis Horse Barn Production Sale. Each year, the sale showcases horses and mules who were bred and foaled at UC Davis, and trained by the UC Davis Horse Barn Production Interns. For more information, visit the sale website.
Graduate Student Round-up
ABOVE LEFT: PhD student Anderson Tate-Montenegro (GGE), at one of his field sites, was recently awarded a Society for Conservation Biology Graduate Research Fellowship.
ABOVE RIGHT: Lauren Kovanda from Yanhong Liu’s lab has selected as 2024 Midwest Animal Science Young Scholar.
Dr. Ann Holmes (PhD, Graduate Group of Ecology) is now a research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and recently published one of her dissertation chapters, “Evaluating environmental DNA detection of a rare fish in turbid water using field and experimental approaches” in PeerJ. https://peerj.com/articles/16453/