Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars

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

(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

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(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

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

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

(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

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(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

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

Instructor: Ty Schmidt

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

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

Instructor: Brad Lubben

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

Instructor: Ty Schmidt

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

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

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

Instructor: Kacie McCarthy

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

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

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

Instructor: Tina Barrett

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

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

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

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