It was another successful year for the Animal Sciences department, not one without challenges, but rather one where the hard work of the students, staff, faculty and our valued supporters prevailed.
Our department witnessed a significant recovery in our undergraduate student enrollment numbers, an important accomplishment post-COVID.
We were fortunate to receive WA State resources in the form of $10 million dollars to make long-overdue repairs and improvements at our Knott Dairy Center.
Our Meat Judging team won a national championship in their inaugural return and our Dairy Challenge team competed and placed regionally and nationally.
Our Student Swine Co-op and Cooperative University Dairy Students organizations had great participation and provided unquestionably valuable learning opportunities for those students under the watchful guidance of the faculty advisors.
Animal Sciences faculty were awarded several competitive grants, creating graduate student and undergraduate student research training opportunities.
The fact that for the most part cattle prices were good in 2023 translated into good news for our beef unit.
Our aquaculture facilities were improved and our Meat lab, Feed Mill, and Cattle Feeding lab had investments in them as essential facilities to our land-grant mission.
Our students were the recipients of scholarships and support from our alumni, industry, and supporters allowing us the privilege to prepare them for animal science-related careers, a responsibility and privilege that we do not take lightly. The future of our program is bright, our students, staff, and faculty are even brighter. Thank you to each and every one of you that have supported my opportunity and privilege to be a part of this amazing department, college, and institution.
GO COUGS!!!