1. Assistant Professor – Meat Science
Email Addresserika.eckhardt@wsu.edu
LocationClark Hall 133
Phone509-335-5059

Biography

Meat Science

The research in my lab aims to improve meat quality and yield while investigating the impact that various dietary supplements and environmental stressors have on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue deposition. With training in muscle biology and beef cattle feedlot operation, my work combines both molecular and applied applications to provide an in-depth view as to what is happening pre- and post-harvest.

I grew up on an acreage in rural Southeast Nebraska where my experiences in 4-H/FFA and grandparents’ farming operation led to a life-long passion for the meat industry. After receiving dual Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Wyoming (Animal Science & Agricultural Business) and competing on their meat judging team, I went on to complete my Ph.D. in Bovine Muscle Biology from Michigan State University investigating the impact of heat stress on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue deposition.

Ultimately, my mission is to contribute meaningful and industry-relevant research that addresses the needs of the producers and packers of Washington and bring students hands-on experiences outside of the classroom setting.

Specific Research Areas

  • Investigating the impact of environmental stressors on meat quality and carcass characteristics.
  • Pre-harvest nutrient supplementation impact on production efficiency and meat quality and yield. Discovering potential utilization as a nutritional mitigator to alleviate negative effects of environmental stressors.

Selected publications

  1. Kang, D., E. P. Eckhardt, S. Field, J. Laporta, and J. Kim, D. 2026. Prenatal heat stress programs skeletal muscle metabolism and myogenesis in dairy heifers. Meat Muscle Biol. 10 doi: 10.22175/mmb.20990.
  2. Eckhardt, E., A. Luttman, J. R. Daddam, B. H. Keng, W. Kim, C. Gondro, and J. Kim 2025. Characterization of transcriptomic and proteomic changes in bovine myocytes subject to temporal heat stress. J. Therm. Biol. 132 doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2025.104246.
  3. Eckhardt, E. P., W. Kim, J. Jaborek, A. J. Garmyn, D. Kang, and J. Kim. 2024. Evaluation of guanidinoacetic acid supplementation on finishing beef steer growth performance, skeletal muscle cellular response, and carcass characteristics. J. Anim. Sci.:skae337. doi: 10.1093/jas/skae337
  4. Smith, Z. K., E. Eckhardt, W. S. Kim, A. C. Baio Menezes, W. C. Rusche, and J. Kim. 2023. Temperature fluctuations modulate molecular mechanisms in skeletal muscle and influence growth potential in beef steers. J. Anim. Sci. 101. doi:10.1093/jas/skad343

Complete Publications List (ORCID)