Farney Awarded Outstanding Young Extension Specialist Award at Midwest ASAS

Dr. Jaymelynn Farney, K-State ASI associate professor and extension specialist, and other K-State students and alumni were recognized for excellence.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The annual American Society of Animal Science Midwest Meeting was hosted March 12-15 in Madison, Wisconsin. Several current and former Kansas State University (K-State) Animal Sciences and Industry (ASI) faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students received awards.

Dr. Jaymelynn Farney received the Outstanding Young Extension Specialist Award, which recognizes an extension specialist for their outstanding extension educational programs in animal science. She grew up on a cattle operation in New Mexico and received her bachelor’s and doctorate from Kansas State University and master’s from Oklahoma State University. Farney joined K-State as a Beef Systems Extension Specialist in 2012. Her extension and research programs have focused on the integration of cattle within cropping systems, nutrition, supplements, and forages. She developed a podcast, “Dr. J’s Beef” with 97 episodes and 18,000 downloads. She has authored 25 peer reviewed extension and research publications, 27 abstracts and 40 proceedings/research reports, 75 media interviews, 52 newsletter articles and more than 193 invited talks, and generated more than $600,000 to support research and extension efforts.

“The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Jaymelynn Farney as part of our faculty,” says Dr. Mike Day, K-State ASI department head. “Her programs focused on nutrition, supplements and forages are impactful to increasing cattle producer productivity. She connects to the beef industry in a unique way through her podcast, presentations and interviews. This award is well deserved by Jaymelynn.”

K-State undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students were recognized at the meeting as well. Elizabeth Fisher, K-State ASI senior, won second place in the undergraduate poster competition with her presentation titled, “Effects of microencapsulated zinc oxide on nursery pig growth performance and intestinal morphology.” Elizabeth completed her research with Dr. Cassie Jones and Payton Dahmer.

 

Ty Kim, KSU ASI graduate student in swine nutrition, won second place in the master’s presentation competition with his presentation titled, “Determining the phosphorus release curve for Sunphase HT phytase from 250 to 2,000 FTU/kg in nursery pig diets.” Ty is originally from Georgia and received his bachelor’s from K-State in 2022 and is currently working on a master’s degree.

 

Abigail Jenkins, KSU ASI doctorate student in swine nutrition, placed third in the master’s presentation competition representing North Carolina State. Her presentation was titled, “Biological and management factors affecting colostrum intake and pre-weaning survival in piglets.”

 

 

Katelyn Gaffield, KSU ASI doctorate student in swine nutrition, won the presentation competition with her presentation titled, “Determining the phosphorus release curve for Smizyme TS G5 2,500 phytase from 500 to 2,500 FTU/kg in nursery pig diets.”

 

 

 

Zhong-xing “Johnson” Rao received the Animal Science Young Scholar Award. He joined the K-State Applied Swine Nutrition team in August 2018 for his master’s and is currently working on his doctorate.

 

 

 

Three K-State ASI alumni were recognized during the meeting as well. Dr. Madison (Madie) Wensley received the Stahly/Peo Outstanding Graduate student award. The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding research, extension and teaching efforts of a Midwest graduate student in the area of swine nutrition. She received her bachelor’s from Michigan State University and her master’s and doctorate from K-State.

 

Dr. Hyatt Frobose was the recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Agribusiness Award, which recognizes those who have demonstrated significant effect on the products and/or services marketed by their employer along with demonstrating leadership relative to scientific matters in the animal science industry beyond their employer. He completed his bachelor’s (2009), master’s (2012) and doctorate (2016) all at K-State. Hyatt currently serves as the JYGA Tech USA Commercial Director and Nutritionist, where he directs market presence of Gestal brand feeding systems for sows. He oversees nutritional and management support for customers in 27 countries impacting more than 1 million sows.

 

Dr. Chad B. Paulk was awarded the Outstanding Young Researcher Award. Paulk received his master’s (2011) and doctorate (2014) with the K-State Applied Swine Nutrition Team. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Feed Science and Management in the Department of Grain Science and Industry at K-State. His research uses a multidisciplinary approach to enhance monogastric nutrition through research focused on feed manufacturing, applied research and feed safety.

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The Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry department serves students, livestock producers and the animal and food industries through teaching, research and education. The K-State ASI department prepares students for careers in the animal and food industries. The curriculum includes the study of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, behavior, meat science, food science with production, management, and agribusiness skills. For more about the K-State's ASI department visit asi.ksu.edu.