Undergraduate Student News
2024 Presidential Award of Excellence
Katlyn Davis was awarded the Presidential Award of Excellence in the Spring of 2024. This award is granted to undergraduate students in their final year of study who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, strong extracurricular involvement, and/or service to and involvement in their respective school or college. Students selected for this award exemplify the very best of UGA’s undergraduate student body.
In the Spring of 2024, Katlyn Davis was a 4th year Animal and Dairy Science and Animal Biosciences double major with a minor in Dairy Science. She comes from a rural background in Effingham County, Georgia where her family raises a variety of livestock including goats and commercial beef cattle. Throughout school, Katlyn has been involved in several extracurriculars, including serving Georgia FFA as a state officer and being an active member and officer in several CAES clubs, including Block and Bridle, Cattlemen’s Association, and Young Farmers and Ranchers. Katlyn has recently started her studies at UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine and intends on serving rural producers in Georgia as a Food Animal Veterinarian.
CAES Undergraduate Research Symposium Winner
Sophie Dupont: First Place Oral A: Topic: Characterizing the Relationship between Mammary Ultrasound imaging and Mastitic infections in Dairy Heifers
BIO: Sophie Dupont is a senior majoring in Animal and Dairy Science with a minor in Dairy Science. She shared her passion for the dairy industry with others as the president of the UGA Dairy Science Club, and the first Vice President for the undergraduate student division of the American Dairy Science Association. Sophie has been employed at the UGA Teaching Dairy for the past three years, in addition to conducting her research there. Sophie plans to pursue a master's degree in Animal and Dairy Science with Dr. Jillian Bohlen.
CAES Undergraduate Research Symposium Winner
Abigail Laury: First-Tie Poster B Presentation- A Novel Neuroprotective Agent Limits Tissue Damage and Promotes Recovery in a Piglet Traumatic Brain Injury Model
BIO: I am a fourth-year Animal Biosciences major from Atlanta, Georgia. I have been working under Dr. Holly Kinder and Dr. Franklin West in the Animal and Dairy Science Department for about a year now. Their lab focuses on neural therapies in conjunction with the Regenerative Bioscience Program. It's been an amazing experience to participate in meaningful studies and gain such valuable mentorship under the CAES graduate students and professors. I plan to continue my education in a Master's Program after graduation and hopefully continue research as a Ph.D. student in the future!
Claire Gabriel was selected as a member of the 2024-2025 Georgia Collegiate Beef Ambassador Team.
BIO: Claire is a second-year student majoring in Animal Bioscience. She grew up on a beef cattle farm in Oglethorpe County. Her passion for animals and understanding that they were meant for food production has cemented her plans to study food-animal veterinary medicine.
Meat Judging Team
The 2024 UGA Intercollegiate meat judging team is gearing up for another semester of competing and representing our department at several contests this fall! They will be traveling to three contests this fall which include Beef Empire Days (Garden City, KS) in September, American Royal (Omaha, NE) in early October, and High Plains Contest (Friona, TX) in late October. Be sure to wish the MeatDawgs as they hit the road to finish up their season! Team members are Axel Harrell, Stephanie Youngblood, Sara Thomas, and Emma Grace McConnell.
CAES Undergraduate Research Symposium Winners
Julia Brooks: Second Place in Oral A Presentation-Topic: Effects of Transitioning from High-Concentrate Diets to an Endophyte-Free Tall Fescue Mixed Hay on Beef Cattle Performance and E. coli Shedding
BIO: I am a fourth-year, animal biosciences major in the Animal and Dairy Science Department of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). I am a Food Animal Veterinary Incentive Program (FAVIP) scholar with plans to attend UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine upon graduation to become a food animal veterinarian. I have greatly enjoyed participating in research as an undergraduate student, especially with my recent project: “Effects of Transitioning from High-Concentrate Diets to an Endophyte-Free Tall Fescue Mixed Hay on Beef Cattle Performance and E. coli Shedding.” This project analyzed the effects of transitioning cattle from a high-concentrate diet to a roughage diet on the rumen and gut microbial community structure, E. coli fecal shedding, and animal performance. Participating in undergraduate research and the CAES undergraduate research symposium has been a great experience where I have been able to apply knowledge learned so far in a real-world setting. The skills I have gained from this opportunity are some that cannot be acquired in a classroom and will tremendously benefit myself as I pursue my career goals. I would like to thank my mentors, Dr. Todd Callaway and Andrea Osorio-Doblado. I cannot thank them enough as they have poured so much of their time and knowledge contributing not only to my growth as a student, but also in my professional and personal development. Lastly, I would like to thank the CAES for the support of research initiatives and organizing of the CAES research symposium.
Meet the ADS Ambassadors
Jewell Allen: ADS Major Meat Production route: 3rd year; Meat Lab employee for 2.5 years; Block & Bridle, Sigma Alpha, 2025 Meats Judging Team, Summer job with Brian & Rochelle Sapp with Fat Back Pig Project
Sydney Creech: PreVet/ABio major: 3rd year; Worked at J. Phil Campbell Farm; FAVIP Program; Sigma Alpha, 24-25 VP Block & Bridle
Jenna Hargett: PreVet/ABio major: 3rd year; Worked at Dairy, 23-24 Vice President for Dairy Science Club; Ticket Co-Chairman for 24 Rodeo, Study Abroad in Uruguay 24, Equine Research with
Duberstein, Raising 15 mo Elsie for Guide Dog Foundation, 24-25 VP for UGA Cattlemen's Association
Leah McCarthy: RB Major: 4th year; Chair of Academic Affairs Regenerative Bioscience Undergraduate Society, Peer Learning Assistant and Education Research Assistant in Dr. West’s Animal Biotechnology class, Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Stice Lab
Summer Conference Highlights
American Dairy Science Association Meeting, June 2024 West Palm Beach, FL
Seven undergraduate members of the UGA Dairy Science Club attended the American Dairy Science Association Meeting, June 2024 in West Palm Beach, FL.
Undergraduate Accomplishments:
3rd Outstanding Chapter in the nation
2nd place website (https://ugadsc.wixsite.com/ugadsc)
Sophie Dupont won 1st with her Dairy Foods national presentation titled “Vitamin D deficiencies in low-income Women and Children: How proposed USDA cuts to dairy availability through WIC could contribute to a growing nutritional issue”
Katarina Glassman won 3rd with her Original Research national presentation titled “Evaluating The Use Of Infrared Thermal Imaging Of The Eye As A Non-Invasive, Rapid Diagnostic Tool To Assess Body Temperature In Calves“
Katarina Glassman is the newly elected 2nd VP to the national organization for 2024-2025
American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meats Conference, June 2024, Oklahoma City, OK
The Stelzleni Lab and Meat Science Program had 8 undergraduates that traveled and competed in the Undergraduate Meat Science Quiz Bowl (coached by Clint Lee), Processed Meat Judging Contest, and Iron Chef Contest:
Emma Grace McConnell (2024 Meat Judging Team)
Stephanie Youngblood (2024 Meat Judging Team)
Lily Norton (2023 Meat Judging Team, BS 2024)
Madi Welch (2023 Meat Judging Team) – People’s Choice Dish Iron Chef Contest
Kloie Varnadoe – Chicken Division Winning Team Iron Chef Contest
Mattie Jane Mashburn
Robert “Hank” Dejarnette (BS 2024)
Annabelle Jermane (BS 2024) – Seafood Division Winning Team Iron Chef Contest
Madi Welch – 2023 Meat Judging Team
-Started term (24-25) as East Region Director Student Board of Directors AMSA
ADS/RBC Research Symposium
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POSTER PRESENTATION WINNERS
1st Place – Adeeba Fatima, Undergraduate, Mentor: Dr. Lohitash Karumbaiah
Sex and Age-Specific Transcriptomic Regulation of Brain Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Enzymes
2nd Place – Grady Cheek & Jayden Hallman, Undergraduate, Mentor: Dr. Romdhane Rekaya
Image Acquisition Guidance for the Assessment of Horn Fly Abundance in Beef Cattle
3rd Place – Sathya Dillibabu, Undergraduate, Mentor: Dr. Hong-Xiang Liu
Distribution of Taste Papillae and Taste Buds in Cattle Tongue