FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — The Arkansas Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta held its annual student competition in March at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center.

Encompassing students from across the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, the competition is a chance for students to present their research in a competitive setting.

The competition consists of both oral and poster presentations in three separate categories: Undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. Students do not have to be members of Gamma Sigma Delta to enter the competition. This year there were a total of 70 student abstracts entered, which is up from last year. Dr. Ken Coffey, president of Gamma Sigma Delta, stated that he was very impressed with the participation and the quality of work in this year’s competition.

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture department of animal science swept both the oral and poster presentations in the Undergraduate categories. In the oral: Claire Crews placed first. She presented “Isoflupredone acetate as ancillary therapy for bovine respiratory disease in high-risk stocker calves.” Rachel Cummins presented her work on the “Palatability of teff grass by horses,” and she placed second. In third place, Lensey Watson’s work was focused on “Hair shedding scores relating to maternal traits and productivity in beef cattle.”

In the poster competition Taylor Drane won top honors with her work on “Magnesium bioavailability from dolomitic limestone using ram lambs;” while Kelsey Basinger placed second with her research on the “Application ‘tenderstretch’ and ‘tendercut’ to goat carcasses.”

Elizabeth Backes, an animal science doctoral candidate, won third place in the Ph.D. poster category. She presented “Grazing and feedlot performance, and carcass quality measurements of beef cattle surgically castrated at different stages of maturity with or without analgesia.”

The awards were presented at Gamma Sigma Delta’s annual meeting on April 11 in Hembree Auditorium.

Gamma Sigma Delta is the international honor society of agriculture. The purpose of Gamma Sigma Delta is to promote scholarship and scholarly activities in agriculture. The local chapter supports the student competition; provides scholarships for undergraduate students; and recognizes excellence in research, teaching and extension education through faculty awards.