Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program

2023 Beef Scholars

Abigayle Warm

The Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program minor is open to all students on campus with the goal to develop graduates who will be future leaders of the beef industry. It combines learning opportunities provided by Nebraska beef industry leaders and University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty. The program was renamed the Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program in March of 2023 in honor of Ron and Carol Krutsinger.

What You'll Learn

  • Understand issues that affect beef production and have the ability to develop solutions to beef industry problems.
  • Understand the interactions of the animal, plant and social sciences affecting beef production and management.
  • Develop a unique network with leaders in the beef industry.
  • Have exceptional oral and written communication skills.
  • Have exceptional leadership skills.
  • Have outstanding technical knowledge in at least 1 area of expertise (beef production economics, beef feedlot engineering, live beef animal and carcass evaluation, beef nutrition, beef animal physiology, meat science, genetic improvement of beef cattle, beef products, pre-veterinary animal science, range and forage science, or more).

The Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program minor is inherently multidisciplinary and actively engages faculty from Animal Science, Agricultural Economics, and Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication (ALEC). It provides networking opportunities with state and national beef leaders, travel opportunities to the NCBA Convention and the Nebraska Cattlemen Convention, and students help plan the Beef Industry Tour and Beef Industry Summit.

20 - 21
Credit Hour Minor

15 - 20
Students Graduate Per Year

1
of a Kind Program, Unique to UNL

Course Descriptions

Required Courses:

ASCI 181: Beef Industry Scholars – Freshman Seminar

Introduction to the Nebraska and United States beef industry. Discussion of issues by invited beef industry leaders and on-site visits of industry organizations.

Instructor: James MacDonald

AECN 225: Agribusiness Entrepreneurship in Food Products Marketing -OR- AECN 235: Introduction to Commodity Marketing

(225) Marketing strategies and entrepreneurship ventures throughout a food systems channel from producers of agricultural commodities to processors of food products and the final consumer. Entrepreneurship studies dealing with food processors, wholesaling, retailing and food service firms. Create strategic marketing plan to introduce a new food product into a retail consumer market.

Instructor: Kathleen Brooks

-OR-

(235) This course focuses on the foundations of commodity markets. It discusses how markets were created, how commodities are traded from producers to final consumers, the role of transportation and storage, among other topics. It provides a broad and detailed discussion of economic theories behind markets, how they work in practice, and the current state of these markets in the world.

Instructor: Fabio Mattos

ASCI 281: Beef Industry Scholars – Issues

Nebraska beef industry and supporting organizations (Nebraska Cattlemen and the Nebraska Beef Council). Tours, attending meetings, and discussion of issues by invited beef industry leaders.

Instructor: Andrea Watson

ASCI 311E: Beef Industry Study Tour

Identify beef cattle related enterprises that represent the breadth of the cattle industry. Prioritize these enterprises as candidates for inclusion in the summer tour.

Instructor: Bryan Reiling & Kacie McCarthy

ALEC 207: Communicating Science with Public Audiences -OR- ALEC 350: Agriculture, the Environment and Science in the Media

(207) Concepts and techniques of strategic communication, with a special focus on issues involving food, agricultural production, environmental sustainability, and natural resources. Skills and theory essential for relating to public audiences and other stakeholders.

Instructor: Heather Akin

-OR-

(350) How agriculture, the environment, and science are covered in media by news media outlets. Use of framing theory as a foundation to understand why messages are crafted in certain ways, how and why news media portray topics and issues using certain metaphors and story lines. Creation of effective media messages related to topics using framing, how to handle and respond to media requests, and interact with members of the media.

Instructor: Taylor Ruth

ASCI 381: Beef Industry Scholars – Practicum

Financial risk management, beef processing, animal health, and related emerging issues.

Instructor: Ty Schmidt

ASCI 481: Beef Industry Scholars – Beef Summit

Identification of a major issue confronting the Nebraska beef industry. Organize a Nebraska summit meeting to discuss and bring the identified issue to resolution.

Instructor: James MacDonald

ASCI 482: Beef Industry Scholars – National Beef Industry Policy

Discuss and dissect issues from the NCBA convention researching the pros and cons of current and proposed policy.

Instructor: Brad Lubben

Select one course from two of the following subject areas:

Animal Science
ASCI 310: Fresh Meats

Fresh meat from beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. Characteristics of muscle, meat technology, preservation, merchandising concepts, and markets.

Instructor: Ty Schmidt

ASCI 370: Animal Welfare

In-depth exploration of the issues involved in animal use. The historical, biological, ethical, and social aspects of human/animal interactions in Western culture.

Instructor: Ruth Woiwode

ASCI 410: Processed Meats

Science and technology of modern meat processing. Utilization of meat, non-meat ingredients, and processing techniques and their impact on processed meat characteristics. Laboratory provides hands-on application with the preparation, development, and evaluation of processed meats products.

Instructor: Gary Sullivan

ASCI 455: Beef Cow-Calf Management

Integrated management specific to the beef cow-calf enterprise necessary to achieve biologic and economic efficiency.

Instructor: Kacie McCarthy

ASCI 457: Beef Feedlot Management

Advanced preparation in the feeding of cattle for slaughter. Emphasis on the nutrition and management of feedlot cattle and related health and economic considerations. Covers the beef cow-calf production.

Instructor: Galen Erickson


Agricultural Economics
AECN 220: International Agricultural Trade

Introduction to the foundational concepts and applications of international trade with a strong focus on agriculture and food markets. Establish basic literacy in international trade with applications to agricultural commodity and affiliated markets and policy issues such as tariff-rate quotas and phytosanitary regulations unique to agriculture.

Instructor: John Beghin

AECN 301: Farm Accounting, Analysis, and Tax Management

Business record systems for farming and ranching. Financial statements; income tax and decision making; farm business and enterprise analysis.

Instructor: Tina Barrett

AECN 401: Advanced Farm Management and Linear Programming

The role of budgeting and linear programming in analyzing farm organization problems, theory of linear programming, linear program design, and analysis of linear programmed solutions to farm organization problems. Includes goal programming, multiple objective programming, risk programming, and financial modeling.

Instructor: Jay Parsons

AECN 452: Agricultural Finance

Principles and concepts of financial management of farm and agribusiness firms developed. Various strategies for acquiring and using capital resources by the individual firm explored. Institutions providing the sources of agricultural credit are individually studied.

Instructor: Jeffrey Stokes


Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication
ALEC 407: Supervisory Leadership

Knowledge and theoretical basis for practicing supervisors in a changing workplace where supervisors have increasing responsibilities due to the flattening or organizational structures, solving supervisory challenges in organizing and planning, problem solving and decision making, performance appraisal and leading a diverse workforce.

Instructor: Susan Burton

ALEC 455: Dynamics of Effective Leadership in Groups & Teams

Explore foundational knowledge of team and group dynamics theory and its relationship to the practice of leadership in organizations and communities. Development of leadership, followership, and teamwork skills in small groups and teams. Focus on team and group decision making, problem solving, and creativity, peer assessment, and evaluation using real-world situations and contexts. Critically apply team and group dynamic theories and research to leadership in organizations and communities.

Instructor: Marianne Lorensen

*Beef industry internship required

Undergraduate Catalog Listing
picture of Kacie McCarthy

Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program Advisor

Dr. Kacie McCarthy is the Beef Cow-Calf Extension Specialist in the Animal Science Department. Her role in the department includes teaching Beef Cow-Calf Management, leading the Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholar program, and coordinating the Ranch Management Internship program. She is interested in research and Extension programs related to reproduction and nutrition interactions. She is currently involved with Extension and research programs investigating heifer and bull supplementation and development strategies as well as implementation of applied reproductive strategies.

Contact Dr. Kacie McCarthy

How to declare the minor?
Students would work with their academic advisor or their college's advising center to declare the Krutsinger Beef Industry Scholars Program minor.

Beyond the Classroom

With Animal Science, there are plenty of ways to get experience related to your major beyond the traditional classroom setting.