Mueller, Maci

Assistant Professor
242 Weber
Manhattan, KS 66506
muellermaci@ksu.edu

Area(s) of Specialization

Animal Genomics & Biotechnology (with a focus on Gene Editing); Animal Breeding & Genetics

Publications

Education

B.S. Animal Science, University of Nebraska, 2016
M.S. Animal Biology, University of California-Davis, 2019
Ph.D. Animal Biology, University of California-Davis, 2023

Bio Brief

Dr. Maci Mueller is an assistant professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics in the Animal Sciences and Industry Department. Mueller is originally from Princeton, Nebraska, where she was actively involved in her family’s first-generation seedstock operation, Lienetics Angus Ranch. This experience was instrumental in developing her career goal of becoming an animal geneticist.

She earned her B.S. in animal science with a political science minor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then her M.S. and Ph.D. in animal biology from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). During her graduate career, Mueller was recognized for her academic achievements, research accomplishments, and outreach efforts. She was honored with the prestigious American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Agri-King Outstanding Animal Science Graduate Student Award in 2022 and received the W.D. Farr – National Cattlemen’s Foundation Scholarship in 2021.

Mueller’s appointment is 70% teaching and 30% research. She will be teaching Genetics (ASI 500) and her research will focus on the application of genetic-based biotechnology, such as gene editing, to improve livestock production. Gene editing is a molecular tool that allows livestock breeders to precisely add, delete, or replace letters in the genetic code to influence a specific trait of interest in as little as one generation. Her goal is to enhance animal health and welfare while improving production efficiency, by leveraging the potential of genetic-based biotechnologies. Additionally, Mueller is passionate about effective science communication and is driven to provide research and education to expand the availability and application of genetic-based biotechnologies in livestock production systems.

Maci, her husband, Kale, and their son, Titus, live in Manhattan.