Two graduate students have been presented with W.D. Farr Scholarships for the 2016-17 school year by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Each $12,000 award recognizes superior achievement in academics and leadership, and will allow the students to further their study in fields that benefit the cattle and beef industry.
The recipients are:
Brittney Bullard of Wellington, Colo., a Ph.D. candidate in meat science at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on pathogen reduction in beef systems and improving beef quality. She hopes to continue W.D. Farr’s legacy of beef industry improvement throughout her graduate work and her professional career.
Bullard grew up in Santa Maria, Calif., and was active in 4-H showing beef cattle and other livestock. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from Cal Poly and her Master of Science degree in animal sciences from Colorado State University.
Megan Webb of Brookings, S.D., a Ph.D. candidate in meat science at South Dakota State University. Webb’s dissertation addresses consumer responses to beef production methods, with the goal of gaining economic, marketing and consumer messaging techniques to improve brand differentiation.
Webb’s involvement in the beef industry began on her family’s Angus operation in Burlington, W.V., which has become vertically integrated. She remains involved in the operation, assisting with processing plans and youth FFA projects. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and her Master of Science degree from Colorado State University. In her career, Webb hopes to combine science and practical applications in both pre-harvest cattle production management and consumer decision making to drive economic success for the industry.