What is your position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
I serve as a regional beef systems assistant extension educator in 8 counties in Eastern Nebraska and am located out of the Eastern Nebraska Research Extension and Education Center near Mead. Along with this, I am also a Ph.D. student in the Animal Science Department and studying Ruminant Nutrition and Grazing Systems.
What drew you to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?
The prestige of the university and more specifically the Animal Science Department piqued my interest in this position as I was finishing my Master's of Science in Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. I had never considered moving to Nebraska before finding the position. However, my interest in beef production only made sense to lead me to the 'Beef State.'
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
The thing I enjoy most about working in education is learning from such intelligent colleagues that educate me about every facet of beef production from pre-conception until the final product reaches the consumer's plate. Being around these folks motivates me, to sharpen my skills to become the best cattleman/nutritionist I can be. I also enjoy the aspect of perpetual learning. In my role, I am able to be involved in research and continue to learn more about specific subjects and answer questions that help to improve beef production and persistently work with producers for the betterment of their production systems. I have always been curious as to how biological systems function and striving to make them more efficient appeals to me and fits in well with my position in the university system.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I consider my pursuit of growing my career as a ruminant nutritionist to be my greatest achievement. Growing up it was always a pipedream to take this career path, but I never knew how to make it possible. I have been blessed with opportunities within the field and having the ability to take them even when it was a blind leap of faith.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
People would probably be surprised that I enjoy cooking for my family and friends, especially large groups. Growing up, if I was not out doing something around the farm with my Dad and Grandpa or playing sports, I could be found helping my Mom and Grandma prepare meals for everyone. My favorite kind of cooking involves being outdoors, and I most enjoy making crawfish/seafood boils and of course cooking/smoking beef.
What is your life like outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and being outdoors. In the summertime, my favorite place to be is near the water, be that a lake, river, pool, or beach. During the winter months, I enjoy bird hunting with my friends and watching the dogs work, flushing and retrieving birds, and also ice fishing when the opportunity presents itself. When I am not enjoying an outdoor activity, I enjoy listening to music and adding to my vinyl record collection, and reading books, usually about history or biographies.