Curt Weller Co-Chair
Curt Weller is a professor of food science and biological systems engineering and head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to becoming department chair, he taught classes in both food science and biological systems engineering and conducted research in areas including modeling heat transfer in meat and meat products; development of grain sorghum lipids as nutraceuticals and developing value-added processing of agricultural commodities.
Jim MacDonald Co-Chair
Jim MacDonald is a professor of ruminant nutrition in UNL’s Animal Science Department. His research interests include beef cattle production systems, alternative feeds, forage utilization, cow/calf production, yearling stocker cattle production, feedlot production and integrated beef cattle and cropping systems. He teaches a variety of animal science courses, including in the department’s for-credit feedlot management internship program.
Hiep Vu
Hiep Vu is an associate professor of animal science and respiratory disease virologist at UNL. Dr. Vu and members of his lab study two important swine viruses — porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and influenza A virus of swine.
Kacie McCarthy
Kacie McCarthy joined the Department of Animal Science as an assistant professor and extension beef cow-calf specialist in January of 2020. Her role in the department includes teaching Beef Cow-Calf Management, leading the Nebraska Beef Industry Scholar program, and coordinating the Ranch Management Internship program.
Amy Desaulniers
Amy Desaulniers is an assistant professor within the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (SVMBS) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Dr. Desaulniers earned her Ph.D. in 2018 from UNL in the area of reproductive physiology and endocrinology. She served as an assistant professor at the University of Central Missouri for three years before returning to UNL to join the faculty within the SVMBS in 2021.
Jesse Fulton
Jesse Fulton an Extension Educator on the beef systems team and the director of the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program (BQA). Fulton manages the Nebraska BQA training network of extension educators and veterinarians across the state, making sure they have the materials to complete a successful BQA training. He also works to plan and schedule BQA trainings, as well as other educational events, across the state.
Caitlin Ross
Caitlin Ross is a graduate student in the Department of Animal Science studying physiology.
Jack Klosterman
Jack Klosterman is the vice president of Grass Valley Farms, Inc., which comprises a feedyard, cow/calf pairs and row crops, near David City, Nebraska.
Jennifer Dush
Jennifer Dush is the administrative associate for the Department of Animal Science. She supports the department head, as well as supervises the office associates in the department.