This year in Fort Worth, American Society of Animal Science Southern Section student competitions took the form of "3-minute theses." Presentations were limited to three minutes with one static (no animation) PowerPoint slide.

During the allotted time, the student had to convey the significance, methodology, results and implications of the study. Students were also evaluated on the flow of the presentation, their effectiveness to engage the audience, and their ability to communicate their research to a general audience.

In the undergraduate student competition, Zena Hicks, working with Jason Apple in the Department of Animal Science, placed third with her research, titled "Lean Percentage, Storage Times, and Griddle Temperature Affect Raw and Cooked Visual and Instrumental Color and Cooking Loss in Fresh Ground Beef Patties."

In addition to presenting in the 3-minute thesis competition, Zena presented her research in a more technical 12 minute format in the Meats Section of the meeting.

Hick's research project was funded by the Arkansas Beef Council.

(Source: American Society of Animal Science, Taking Stock, Feb. 6 2018)