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K-State Today

December 14, 2016

Animal sciences and industry students participate in undergraduate research symposium

Submitted by Angie Denton

Animal Sciences and Industry Undergraduate Research Symposium participants from left: Maria Ruiz, Kaylea Nemechek  and Madison Moniz. Second row: Chloe Creager, Sydney Buller, Emily Ingram and Keith Mentnech. Back row: Elisa Trigo, Austin McDaniel and Kel

Ten undergraduate students presented posters during the Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Undergraduate Research Symposium Dec. 12. The symposium, in Weber Hall on the K-State campus, highlighted undergraduate research projects for the fall 2016 semester.

The following students participated in the symposium:

• Sydney Buller presented "Methods in Applied Ethology: Measuring stress in dairy calves." Mentor: Lindsey Hulbert. 

• Chloe Creager presented "Effects of feeding alternative sources of protein on growth performance and carcass characteristics of late finishing pigs." Mentors: Jose Soto and Annie Clark. 

• Emily Ingram presented "Evaluation of Elarom-F Plus in nursery diets with or without the inclusion of high zinc oxide levels and/or antibiotics." Mentors: Hayden Williams and Annie Clark. 

• Austin McDaniel presented "Efficacy of chlorinated nanobubble solutions to control shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella spp., and non-pathogenic surrogate E. coli in chilled pure solutions." Mentors: Amanda Wilder and Randy Phebus. 

• Keith Mentnech presented "Camelina Seed and its effect on avian wildlife species." Mentor: R. Scott Beyer.

• Madison Moniz presented "Effects of sodium and chloride on nursery pig growth performance." Mentor: Dwight Shawk and Annie Clark. 

• Kaylea Nemechek presented "Effects of increasing chloride concentrations for 15 to 25 pound nursery pigs." Mentors: Dwight Shawk and Annie Clark. 

• Maria Ruiz presented "Methods in Applied Ethology: Determining baseline activity of pigs in individually housed laboratory environment." Mentor: Lindsey Hulbert. 

• Kelli Schrag presented "The influence of casein on equine fiber digestion." Mentors: Katie Jordan and James Lattimer.

• Elisa Trigo presented "Assessing the impact of the molasses-based block process on the ability to increase trace mineral bioavailability in beef cattle production." Mentor: Jim Drouillard. 


Three students will present research at regional or national meetings:

• Amanda Kathrens, "Do bacterial species contained in commercial probiotic products, an antibiotic alternative, carry antimicrobial resistance?" Mentors: T. G. Nagaraja and Raghu Amachawadi.

• Gage Nichols, "Validation of individual computerized sow feeding systems in lactation." Mentors: Kiah Gourley and Annie Clark.

• MaRyka Smith, "Development of a silver methenamine masson trichrome (SMMT) stain for use in sheep kidneys." Mentor: Sally Davis.

Undergraduates interested in learning more about the animal sciences and industry research program, or those interested in sponsoring the program, can contact Cassie Jones, coordinator of undergraduate research, at 785-532-5289 or jonesc@k-state.edu.