Graduate Students at GSL

Joslyn Beard milking a cow

Joslyn Beard, PhD student, is working with Travis Mulliniks and Dustin Yates. Her PhD research investigates the mechanisms that define metabolic flexibility and energetics in young range cows during lactation. Joslyn is originally from Las Cruces, NM, and received her BS and MS degrees from New Mexico State University. She is also serving as an instructor at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

Tasha King, PhD student, is working with Travis Mulliniks and Jim MacDonald. Her PhD research is focused on supplementation strategies to increase energy and amino acid utilization and reproduction in young range cows. Tasha is originally from Bronson, Iowa, and received her BS degree from Northwest Missouri State University and MS degree from UNL. She is also serving as an instructor at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

Tara Harms, MS Student, is working with Mitch Stephenson and Jerry Volesky. Her MS research is focused on management strategies to improve the grazing and hay use of Sandhills meadows. These management strategies involve early-season burning and grazing and grazing at different intensities in the fall and winter. Tara is originally from Dodge, Nebraska, and received her BS degree from UNL in Animal Science and Grazing Livestock Systems.

Rob Ziegler, MS student, is working with Travis Mulliniks and Jim MacDonald. His MS research focuses on management and supplementation strategies to increase cow/calf efficiency in the Sandhills. Rob is originally from Green Lane, Pennsylvania, and received his BS degree from the University of Wyoming. Rob also serves as an animal science student representative for the IANR graduate committee.

Interns at GSL

We have had the opportunity to have Hannah Watson intern with the ranch crew this summer. Hannah is a junior in the Department of Animal Science with a specialty in Production Management and a minor in Beef Industry Scholars. Hannah graduated from McPherson County High School in Tryon, Nebraska in May of 2017, then started her BS degree at UNL in August of 2017.

Awards

Joslyn Beard, PhD student with Travis Mulliniks and Dustin Yates, won 1st place in the Applied Science Competition at the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science Meeting with her paper entitled “The effect of damage on heifer progeny performance and longevity”.

Tasha King, PhD student with Travis Mulliniks and Jim MacDonald, won 2nd place in the Graduate Student 3 Minute Video talking about her research on the effect of harvest methods on corn residue quality at the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science Meeting.

Joslyn Beard, PhD student with Travis Mulliniks and Dustin Yates, won 3rd place in the Graduate Student 3 Minute Video talking about her research on metabolic flexibility and fatty acid mobilization in range beef cows.

a cow with a calf