Source: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS submitted to
ILLINOIS BEEF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND INDUSTRY EXPOSURE FELLOWSHIP (I-BELIEF)
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1028159
Grant No.
2022-68018-36613
Project No.
ILLU-538-654
Proposal No.
2021-10408
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
A7401
Project Start Date
Apr 1, 2022
Project End Date
Mar 31, 2027
Grant Year
2022
Project Director
McCann, J.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
URBANA,IL 61801
Performing Department
Animal Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The objective of the I-BELIEF program is to train economically disadvantaged and female undergraduate students through experiential learning in beef cattle research and Extension to address the Farm Bill priority area of animal health and production and animal products. This program also addresses the priority area of agriculture economics and rural communities by equipping students for career success in beef cattle and animal feed industries based in rural areas. Undergraduate students from the four Illinois universities with agricultures programs will function as a cohort during the twelvemonth-program. The I-BELIEF program will train students in the design and hands-on conducting of hypothesis-driven research through academic planning and training sessions and a ten-week summer research fellowship in the Beef Cattle Research Program of the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, and Western Illinois University. The Summer Launch Event immediately prior to the research experience includes training on the scientific method, experimental design, the responsible conduct of research and research ethics, cohort building, and leadership development. The Summer Capstone Event will provide fellows with direct access to leading beef industry professionals and focus on career-oriented communication skills. In the late fall, fellows will participate in a scientific writing workshop to hone their research results in an abstract. Fellows will develop verbal communication skills by presenting their research findings in undergraduate research competition at scientific meeting the following spring. The I-BELIEF program will inspire underrepresented students to attend graduate school and address the next generation of complex problems facing the beef industry and global food security of protein foods.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
30233101010100%
Knowledge Area
302 - Nutrient Utilization in Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3310 - Beef cattle, live animal;

Field Of Science
1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
1) Conduct experiential beef cattle research andExtension projects to address problems related to beef cattle nutrition, reproduction, or management.2) Develop students' critical thinking and communication ability related to their research or Extension project and career goals.3) Enhance understanding of beef industry careers and develop a career action plan to achieve fellows' desired career path.
Project Methods
We will conduct a twelve-month fellowship program that provides support and continuity in student training for careers in beef cattle nutrition, management, and Extension. Students will arrive at UIUC for an initial threeday Summer Launch Event in mid-May with thefaculty mentors and the Research Specialist Mentors (Objective 2). One day will focus exclusively on leadership training and team development. Another day will focus on many facets of beef cattle research and Extension with the primary goal to develop the foundational knowledge to understand and properly execute research projects. The highlight of the I-BELIEF program is the ten-week experiential learning research at one of fivebeef cattle research facilities in Illinois (Objective !). Each fellow's research experience will be unique and driven by the individual project's objectives and necessary methodology. All fellows will attend the IBA Summer Conference in July. The goal for the fellows at this conference is to network with industry stakeholders and cattle producers from across the state to shape their career interests. At the conclusion of the summer experiential learning research (secondweek of August), all students will spend threedays at the UIUC main campus. This Summer Capstone Event will serve as an opportunity to recap their summer experience and prepare for future research activities of the program. In November, all students will spend one day and a half on campus at UIUC for an intensive abstract writing workshop. In March of the following year, students will attend the Midwest Section ASAS meeting in Omaha, Nebraska and make an oral or poster presentation to a panel of faculty judges (Objective1). Fellows will continue to assist in the research on a project-dependent basis and ultimately be a co-author on the journal publication. Students may also present research results at producer field days or campus undergraduate research events.

Progress 04/01/22 to 03/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The I-BELIEF program serves undergraduate students studying animal science from institutions in Illinois and nearby states. The institutions include but are not limited tothe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Western Illinois University,Illinois State University, and Southern Illinois University by their involvement in the program. The program seeks toincorporate and mentor females, minorities, and students from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds and communities. Changes/Problems:One student that was selected to participate initally accepted the offer. However, this student later determined they would be unable to participate. Consequently, it was too late to identify another student to participate. Additionally, rapidly rising inflation made travel, hotel, and food expenditures more expense than budgeted prior to the award of the grant. Budgetary adjustments may be required later in the grant to account for these impacts. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The entirety of the I-BELIEF program focuses on preparing students for graduate school in the field of ruminant nutrition. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results have been disseminated on an annual basis during the lifetime of the grant at the Midwest Animal Science Meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In year oneof the most current I-BELIEF grant, 6students successfully completed their year-long experience at UIUC that included conducting their own research experiment related to beef cattle nutrition, writing a scientific abstract, and presenting their research findings at the Midwest Animal Science meetings. In the process, students experienced many opportunities to enhance their critical thinking and communication capacity as they interacted with a wide variety of beef industry professionals. During multiple steps in the program, the students evaluated their career goals and informed them by what they had learned about the beef industry. In the 4 years of the I-BELIEF program, twenty students successfully completed their year-long experience that included conducting their own research experiment related to beef cattle nutrition, writing a scientific abstract, and presenting their research findings at the Midwest Animal Science meetings. In the process, students experienced many opportunities to enhance their critical thinking and communication capacity as they interacted with a wide variety of beef industry professionals. During multiple steps in the program, the students evaluated their career goals and informed them by what they had learned about the beef industry. All twenty of the participating students finished their undergraduate degrees in animal science. Fourteen of the students (70%) completed or are near completion of a graduate program in animal science, veterinary medicine, or related field. Five students that did not pursue a graduate degree are currently employeed in the beef cattle industry or related livestock science field.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Hernandez, E. L., H. I. Duncan, J. C. McCann, and D. W. Shike. 2023. Effects of birth body weight classification on heifer growth, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, and grazing performance. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Silver, J., L. M. Pugh, W. T. Meteer, J. C. McCann, and D. W. Shike. 2023. Effects of creep feeding duration on rumen fermentation characteristics using an ex vivo model. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Grey, K., E. L. Hernandez, K. P. Ewing, J. C. McCann, and D. W. Shike. 2023. Validation of rising plate meter for predicting herbage mass in tall-fescue pastures. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Drayer, S. J., J. C. McCann, D. W. Shike, and W. T. Meteer. 2023. Alternative housing for beef cow/calf producers: A survey of management practices and health concerns. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Schwager, J., Z. T. Buessing, B. Hannon, M. Murphy, D. W. Shike, and J. C. McCann. 2023. Effects of programmed compensatory gain on feedlot steer behavior. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jensen, V., H. F. Linder, M. Cecava, J. C. McCann. 2023. The effects of a novel brewers yeast product on ruminal fiber fermentation in vitro. Midwest ASAS Meeting. March 13-15