Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars

The Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars 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.

Program Advisor

Dr. Kacie McCarthy
kacie.mccarthy@unl.edu / 402-472-6074

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 Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars 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.

19 - 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: Jim MacDonald

AECN 235: Introduction to Commodity Marketing

Operation and use of agricultural commodity markets and institutions as applied to enterprise and firm risk management. Cash; futures and futures option markets; basis; hedging; price discovery; fundamental analysis; and risk management strategies.

AECN 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.

Instructors: Bryan Reiling and Kacie McCarthy

ASCI 350: Agriculture, the Environment and Science in the Media

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: Ruth Taylor

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: Jim MacDonald

ASCI 482: Beef Industry Scholars – National Beef Industry Policy

Attend the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association annual meeting. Discuss and dissect issues from the NCBA convention researching the pros and cons of current and proposed policy.

Instructor: Brad Lubben

Select two elective courses from the following:

ASCI 310: Fresh Meats

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

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.

ASCI 455: Beef Cow-Calf Management

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

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.

*Beef industry internship required

Undergraduate Catalog Listing