Graduate Students Recognized in Animal Science Paul Noland Award Competition

Graduate students in the Department of Animal Science recently took the spotlight during the annual Dr. Paul Noland Graduate Student Award Competition, an event showcasing emerging research and recognizing excellence in graduate scholarships, with Jacy Riddle and Cameron Catrett claiming top honors.

Seven students presented their current work with projects spanning animal health, beef production, sustainability and innovative technology.

The competition evaluates students in three areas: research abstract, oral presentation and curriculum vitae, but awards only one master's and one doctoral student with a travel stipend to support participation in regional or national scientific conferences. Riddle won the master's degree division contest while Catrett claimed the Ph.D. category title.

Catrett presented research exploring the intersection of beef science and sustainability through the dry-aging process. Her project examined how incorporating brewery waste byproducts, such as recycled grains left over from beer production, may influence the final characteristics of dry-aged beef strip steaks.

Dry-aging is known for enhancing tenderness and flavor, and this work investigated whether these byproducts could affect steak attributes including texture, appearance and overall eating quality, while also highlighting the potential for repurposing food-industry waste streams in ways that reduce environmental impact.

"This award represents far more than individual achievement," Cameron said. "It reflects the collective efforts of mentors who challenged me to think critically, collaborators who shared their expertise generously, and institutions who value innovation and scientific rigor. The research presented examined the Impact of Brew Waste Inclusion on Dry-Aged Steak quality and flavor attributes. The goal of this project is to recapture value from alcohol production waste products and examine brew waste viability as a novel food ingredient. I am especially grateful for the guidance and encouragement that made this work possible, as well as the opportunity to contribute, however modestly, to a field that continues to address critical challenges in food systems."

Riddle's research addresses an important livestock health concern: parasite management in newly weaned beef calves. Her study compared the effectiveness of a generic injectable dewormer to the pioneer, name-brand version using a fecal egg count reduction test, a standard method for measuring how well treatments reduce internal parasite loads.

The research offers practical insight for beef producers into real-world dewormer performance and may help support informed decision making for parasite management strategies in beef production systems.

"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to present at this year's Dr. Paul Noland Competition and share some research that I was able to be a part of," Riddle said. "Winning this award is very meaningful to me, as it represents Dr. Noland's impact on the animal science industry and community and encourages me to pursue a career that makes a lasting difference."

In addition to the winning presentations, graduate students shared research ranging from early detection methods for bovine respiratory disease to advances in probiotic gut health and the use of explainable machine learning to identify pathogenic bacteria through genome sequencing.

Other presenters included Robin Cheek, Ziyu Liu and Rushikesh Lagad. Other M.S. presenters were Bella Becerra and Peyton Arnold.

The Dr. Paul Noland Graduate Student Award Competition continues to serve as an important platform for developing graduate researchers and supporting the next generation of leaders in animal science.

The award commemorates the legacy of Paul R. Noland, an emeritus professor of animal science at the U of A. After receiving his doctoral degree in 1951 from Cornell University, he joined the U of A faculty. Noland served as department head of animal science from 1988-94, when he retired. In 2015, at the age of 91, Noland passed away.

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