From curiosity to care. 🧠🐖
NC State doctoral student Alexa Gormley is studying how targeted nutritional supplements can reduce weaning stress in piglets—bridging hands-on experience with research that matters to the swine industry.
https://cals.ncsu.edu/news/feeding-curiosity-for-better-swine-nutrition/
🏆 On November 7th, students from across Animal Science came together to complete in the NC State Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon Competition. The students completed 1) a team based written exam, 2) a team presentation, 3) a quiz bowl style question session, and 4) hands-on practicum stations. The 1st place team will travel to Rogers, AR to compete at the Southern Section ASAS Meeting in January: Ian Hunnell, Seth Hall, Victoria Smith, and Natalie Prior. Thank you to all participants, Animal Science Club, and graduate student, faculty, and staff volunteers who helped put on the contest. 🐮🐷🐑🐐🐴
🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃
Our department celebrated with our second annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Congratulations to the winners:
🥇: Enchanted Forest Witch Hut by Nayeli Ruiz
🥈: Amazing Grazing by Reedy Creek Equine Farm
🥉: Glimmergourd Cottage by Taylor Burrell
👻 People’s Choice: The Pumkin King by Casey Parson
🎉 Congratulations to our Animal Science awardees recognized at the 2025 CALS Alumni Awards Ceremony on September 5! 🎉
We’re proud to celebrate the accomplishments of:
🐖 Dr. Ray McKinnie – Outstanding Alumni
🧪 Dr. Yanbin Shen – Outstanding Young Alumni
🍠 Pender Sharp – Outstanding Alumni, Agricultural Institute graduate in Livestock Management & Technology
🌱 Preston Cave – Outstanding Young Alumni, Agricultural Institute graduate in Livestock Management & Technology
Thank you for representing the Department of Animal Science with excellence and distinction! 🐺
✨ This week, the Department of Animal Science hosted an Academic Career Panel as part of our Seminar Series! Students and faculty had the opportunity to hear valuable insights and career advice from our distinguished panelists:
👩🎓 Maria Boggess
👩🏫 Dr. Suzanne Leonard
👩🔬 Dr. Kimberly Ange van Heugten
👨🔬 Dr. Jack Odle
A huge thank you to our panelists for sharing their experiences and guidance on navigating academic careers!
In August, we wrapped up the 4th year of the ASSURE (Animal Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) program, and what an incredible summer it was! Ten driven Animal Science students from under-resourced backgrounds spent 12 immersive weeks exploring the world of food animal research and Extension. Each Scholar worked hands-on in research labs, collected and analyzed real-world data, supported Extension activities, networked with industry professionals, and toured food animal companies and state labs across the region. Beyond the lab, they sharpened their professional skills through leadership and career development workshops, fine-tuned their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and explored graduate school pathways. The summer culminated in each Scholar presenting their original research at the NC State Summer Research Symposium. More than just research, this experience was about building connections—with professors, industry mentors, and each other—and discovering what’s possible in the field of animal science. 🔬 🧬
🎓 HAPPY FDOC ! 🎓
Our graduate students (and faculty/staff!) got a little creative today to kick off the new academic year! We hope that everyone has a successful fall semester, and Go Pack! 🐺
💡Summer Student Spotlight: Taylor Burrell 💡
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Taylor’s research is focused on maximizing efficiency in raising dairy and crossbred calves. Previous to this summer, she focused her research on the nutritional and weaning management of calves raised on automated milk feeders. Starting this past spring, Taylor concentrated on nutritional management of dairy x beef crossbred calves after weaning.
Outside of research, Taylor helps with extension events, such as dairy cattle shows, quiz bowl and skillathon, and learning clinics.
💡Summer Student Spotlight 💡: Alexa Gormley
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Alexa’s research is focused on investigating nutritional interventions to mitigate the negative effects of weaning stress on intestinal health in nursery pigs. More specifically, she has historically worked with yeast-based postbiotics, and her most recent project (this summer) utilized milk oligosaccharides as a source of prebiotics. 🐷🧫🔬
Alexa is a member of the 2024 Real Pork Scholars cohort and traveled to World Pork Expo as a part of that program. Scholars participated in professional development seminars and media training while at WPX. Alexa is also the ANS Dept Graduate Peer Mentor!
The van Heugten Lab has been busy this summer! Recently, members of the lab group have been working with Izadora Kuneff on her PhD trial, which seeks to evaluate the effects of protease inclusion under different levels of trypsin inhibitors on the growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics of grow-finishing pigs. 🐷
While this trial has been taking place at the NCSU Clayton Research Facility, a new member joined the team- Licorice! Licorice is a Black Rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus), who helps around the farm through natural, integrative pest management, keeping the mice population down. 🐍
