Student Beef Research

Kaitlyn Dozler

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Dozler’s virtual fencing research aims to benefit ag and natural resources

University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student Kaitlyn Dozler is researching the acute stress response of cattle to virtual fencing and potential ways virtual fencing can be used for specific rangeland management practices.

Kaitlyn Dozler on the plains with words saying "precisino technology bridging the gap between agriculture and natural resources"

Blog: Precision Technology Bridging the Gap Between Agriculture and Natural Resources

My story began six years ago when I arrived at the University of Nebraska as a freshman, unsure of my path for the next four years. I had to choose between majoring in Animal Science or Fisheries and Wildlife.

Amanda Mueller

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Mueller’s research aims to minimize the impacts of cheatgrass

University of Nebraska-Lincoln master’s student Miranda Mueller is researching the effectiveness of herbicides on cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass.

Mueller's interest in rangelands grows into invasive species research

Blog: Mueller's interest in rangelands grows into invasive species research

by Miranda Mueller

When I started college as an undergraduate at UNL, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life or what a career might look like for me. I was majoring in Animal Science and knew I loved the beef industry, so I wanted to work with beef cattle, but the specifics behind that were unknown for me.

Jacob VanDress stands with a shovel in front of a fire

Nebraska Beef Innovators: VanDress continues work in rangeland production

University of Nebraska-Lincoln recent graduate Jacob VanDress is continuing his work in improving rangelands and forage production.

Dave Sandahl holds a bird

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Sandahl’s research supports regenerative ranching

Husker researcher Dave Sandahl’s work aims to increase awareness of the benefits of regenerative ranching.

Mackenzie Batt

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Batt’s research finds genetic mutation impacting well-being and meat quality

University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student Mackenzie Batt’s research found a mutation in cattle that causes exercise intolerance and poor meat quality.

Mackenzie Batt studies beef genetics in a lab

Blog: Nebraska team identifies new genetic defect impacting cattle morbidity and meat quality

By Mackenzie Batt

Cattle have long been a cornerstone of agriculture, providing us with milk, meat, and various other products that nourish and sustain our communities. Ensuring the cattle’s health and optimal muscle development is vital when producing high-quality beef. However, various genetic conditions can disrupt muscle metabolism, affecting animals’ well-being and the quality of the meat they produce.

Drew Lakamp

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Lakamp’s research aims to use cattle genetics and microbiome information to make performance predictions

University of Nebraska-Lincoln doctorate candidate Drew Lakamp is researching if an animal’s genetics impact its microbiome. This information could be used to predict cattle performance and help reduce diseases in cattle through genetic selection.

Drew Lakamp with words saying "genetic insights into combating pinkeye: harnessing calf microbiomes for heritable resistance"

Blog: Genetic Insights into Combatting Pinkeye: Harnessing Calf Microbiomes for Heritable Resistance

By Drew Lakamp

As an industry, we’ve tried to prevent pinkeye with vaccines and ear tags and several other solutions, but everything has had variable success so far.

Marina Guynn

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Marina Guynn starts internship at UNL’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory

Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture alum Marina Guynn is a new intern at Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL). Guynn is from Kiowa, Colorado, and has an associate’s degree in livestock management.

Morgan Marquardt

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Marquardt’s research aims to define and evaluate the relationship between cattle handler skill level and safety

University of Nebraska—Lincoln graduate student Morgan Marquardt is researching how to define cattle handler skill level and evaluate whether there is a relationship between handler skill level and handler safety.  

Morgan Marquardt with her dog

Blog: Pursuing a better understanding of handler skill level: Where passion meets purpose

by Morgan Marquardt

There is something innately rewarding about the relationship between animals and those who care for them every day. Those who have experienced it get it. To many, including me, living alongside animals just feels “right.” This bond, often referred to in the literature as the human-animal relationship, has permeated nearly every part of my life. I delight in the relationships with the animals in my life, and I find joy in seeing the beauty in these relationships for others.

Marcus McCaskill with a research poster

Nebraska Beef Innovators: Marcus McCaskill’s research aims to reduce the impact of pinkeye in cattle

University of Nebraska-Lincoln student Marcus McCaskill wants to make pinkeye in cattle a thing of the past. The disease is more than an inconvenience—it costs the beef industry millions of dollars annually.

Anna Schmit holds a Nebraska diploma


Nebraska Beef Innovators: Anna Schmit's research on pinkeye in cattle could lead to an improved vaccine

University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student Anna Schmit hopes her research on pinkeye leads to an improved vaccine.

Rachel Reith

UNL contributes to the identification of new genetic defects in cattle

University of Nebraska — Lincoln researchers have recently identified two new genetic mutations, delayed blindness in Herefords, and bovine familial convulsions and ataxia (BFCA) in Angus cattle.