Volume 22, No. 1; August/September 2006

Dr. Jeannette A. Moore, Undergraduate Coordinator, 117 Polk Hall - 515-3028
Dr. Roger L. McCraw, Department Head, 123 Polk Hall - 515-2755

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Undergraduate Coordinator's Office
• Food Animal Scholars Program
• Food Animal Scholars Fall Forum
• Email
  
• Graduate School
  
• Important Dates to Remember
• What Our Students Did This Summer
• Additional Information
• Clubs
• Animal Science Club
• Collegiate Horseman's Association
• Companion Animal Club
• Dairy Science Club
• Equestrian Club
• Pre-Veterinary Medical Association
• Rodeo Club
• Opportunities
• CALS Career Services
• Fellowships
• Alltech

UNDERGRADUATE COORDINATOR'S OFFICE

Welcome, or welcome back! We now have 565 baccalaureate and associate degree students advised in Animal Science. All students have an Academic Advisor who is here to help answer any questions they may have. Please contact your advisor any time you need help, but also keep in mind that it is the student's responsibility (not the advisor's) to ensure that all graduation requirements are met. If you are not sure who your advisor is, see Dee Pryse in 117 Polk (baccalaureate students) or Alease Hancock in 107 Patterson (associate degree students).

Graduating? If you are finishing your B.S. degree in December, you should already have turned in your "Application for Degree Card." If you have not, please see Dee Pryse in 117 Polk immediately to pick up your card. If you are completing your degree in May, you will submit the forms after you meet with your advisor in October.

Continuing Students: Be sure to check your online "degree audit" during the first week of class each semester. This will alert you to any potential problems if courses you are enrolled in aren't showing up in the correct "slot" on your Degree Audit.

Need forms? Room 117 Polk (Dr. Moore's office) is the place to pick up schedule revision forms, off-campus learning experience forms, Animal Science minor forms, and others. If you need to late-add a course, stop by room 117 to get the form. We also have copies of the Animal Science curricula forms along with lists of Humanities & Social Science electives, ABC electives, and much more.

Following is information about our clubs. The Animal Science Club is for students interested in livestock and horse activities; the Collegiate Horseman's Association is for those interested in horses; the Companion Animal Club is about pets (primarily dogs and cats); the Rodeo Club is for people interested in rodeo events; and the Dairy Science Club is for students interested in the dairy field. No experience is necessary, so please feel free to attend meetings for any of these clubs!

The Pre-Veterinary Medical Association is interdepartmental, and information on their meetings and events is also on the following pages.

The Equestrian Club and Equestrian Team are both part of intramural sports. Information about meetings and activities can be found at http://www.ncsueq.com/.

Pass/Fail warning: If you change a required course to pass/fail (credit only), it can only count as a Free Elective and you will need to take the class over for a letter grade. Only PE and Free Electives can be taken pass/fail!

John Arey Scholarship: This year we have 2 students receiving the prestigious John Arey scholarship. The students who are receiving the scholarship are Sarah M. Smith and Julian W. Pearce. John Arey was a faculty member in our department, serving in Extension Dairy Husbandry half a century ago; his estate provided the principal to endow the John Arey scholarships for Animal Science majors, with the first scholarship awarded during the 1999/2000 academic year.

Scholarships: Congratulations to all our students who earned scholarships this year! There are too many recipients to be able to list all of them, which is great news.

FOOD ANIMAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The departments of Animal Science and Poultry Science have teamed up with the College of Veterinary Medicine to encourage students to enter into a Food Animal Veterinarian career. Each year up to six students (second semester sophomore) will be chosen from a pool of applicants to be designated as Food Animal Scholars, which means they are granted admission to our College of Veterinary Medicine (two years later, right after they graduate) if they meet the criteria. Criteria include completing at least one food animal production or management course, completing the vet-school required courses, maintaining at least the minimum GPA required by the vet school, completing an internship in the food animal area, maintaining a sincere positive interest in food animal agriculture, and finishing the B.S. in Animal Science or Poultry Science. Once admitted to vet school, these students will "track" in a food animal area (will choose selectives, electives, and internships in the food animal area). Food Animal Scholars will have mentors from the vet school and either Animal Science or Poultry Science, and these mentors will work with the students throughout their undergraduate and DVM programs. The web link for more information can be found under "Food Animal Interest" on the web page listed at the top of this newsletter. In addition, please come to the fall forum for more information.

FOOD ANIMAL SCHOLARS FALL FORUM

The College of Veterinary Medicine invites you to attend the Food Animal Scholars Fall Forum on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. in the South Theater of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Fall Forum is held to inform interested students about the Food Animal Scholars program, to introduce the students already selected for the program, and to host an outstanding speaker.

Topic: "Food Animal Production and Health in a Global Economy"
Global trade drives the economy of most developed and developing countries. Animal production technologies in developed and developing countries are remarkably similar, depending upon similar genetics, diets, infrastructures and professional expertise. Animal health countries operate globally and provide common drugs and therapies to customers. Nevertheless, incidence of various diseases differs among countries and transmission of diseases around the globe can occur overnight because of worldwide travel and transport. Food animal practitioners must understand global economies and global disease patterns to protect the herds and flocks of their customers, state, region and nation. This presentation will illustrate how quickly a disease can move from one country to another and how broadly an emerging disease can become disseminated within a country. The economic impact of such an occurrence will be discussed along with steps that veterinary practitioners should consider in protecting the health of animals under their supervision.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Jack Britt. Dr. Britt became Executive Vice President of The University of Tennessee System in October 2004. In this position he serves as the chief operating officer and provides oversight for the University's four campuses and three statewide institutes. From 1998 to 2004, he served as Vice President for Agriculture at The University of Tennessee and provided leadership for the Institute of Agriculture comprising the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service.  Prior to joining The University of Tennessee, he served for six years as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs at the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University, 15 years as a professor of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State and six years as professor of Dairy Science at Michigan State University. Dr. Britt's career has focused on teaching and research dealing with reproductive physiology of livestock. He has taught all or part of 12 different courses.  Dr. Britt is the author or co-author of more than 540 scientific and technical publications and abstracts and has been an invited speaker at conferences throughout North America and in 20 countries.

Everyone is welcome, including those who are not interested in attending vet school. Mark it on your calendar and we'll see you there!

CHECK YOUR E-MAIL

Your professors, advisor, and department use your currently listed e-mail address to send you important information. If you check another e-mail address more frequently than your unity e-mail account, please change your official listing. To do this, log into Pack Tracks and follow the directions. Please check your e-mail at least once per day.

GRADUATE SCHOOL

If you are interested in the Animal Science Graduate Program, please stop by Dr. Char Farin's office which is located in 231-B Polk Hall. Dr. Farin's phone number is 515-4022 and her email address is char_farin@ncsu.edu.

Also, if you are thinking about Graduate School, please plan to attend the seminar "What is Graduate School and Is It For Me" which will be held on two different dates. These dates will be Tuesday, October 10 and Wednesday, October 18 at 3:30 p.m. in 125 Polk Hall.

CLUBS

The Animal Science Club will have its first meeting on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. in 1404 Williams Hall, and our regular meetings are at the same time and place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. The Student-Faculty Mixer will be held on Tuesday, September 5 at 5:00 p.m. at Pullen Park. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend to learn about the exciting activities that are planned for the fall semester. The club is open to everyone in all majors, so please come out and join us! You may also visit our web site at http://www.ncsuanimalscience.com/.

COLLEGIATE HORSEMAN'S ASSOCIATION

Look for posters or check our web page, http://www.geocities.com/cha_ncsu, for the schedule of future meetings, and feel free to drop in!

COMPANION ANIMAL CLUB

Welcome new and returning students to North Carolina State University! The Companion Animal Club is composed of people from all majors and backgrounds who are interested in enhancing their knowledge of companion animals, spending time with people with similar interests, and celebrating the contributions made by pets to the emotional and physical well-being of their owners. The club meets every other Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and a guest speaker will be in attendance and refreshments served. The first "Get Started" meeting will be held Wednesday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. (check the web site for building and room number). Upcoming September meetings will be the 13^th and 27^th. Mark your calendars! Friendly pets are allowed to attend meetings. EVERYONE is encouraged and welcome to come! For more information, contact the club via e-mail at companion_animal@hotmail.com, or refer to our web site at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/student_orgs/companion/CompanionAnimalClub.html.

The first meeting of the Dairy Science Club will be August 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Williams 1404. Many exciting events are planned this semester, so please come out and join us!

Please come and join us. You may also visit our web site for more information about upcoming events at http://www.ncsueq.com/.

PRE-VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Our first meeting will be a pizza party on September 11. We will meet at 7:00 p.m. outside of Bostian 2722. If you would like more information about the meeting, please feel free to email Amber Musick at amber_musick@yahoo.com. You may also view our web site at http://clubs.ncsu.edu/prevet/.

RODEO CLUB

Our first meeting for this semester will be August 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Williams 1404. There are no dues associated with the Rodeo Club and no rodeo experience is necessary. We invite everyone to come out and see what we are about. Please visit us online for more information at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/student_orgs/ansci/roldeo/.

OPPORTUNITIES

Career Services offers various services to students. They include On-Campus Recruiting Schedules, On-line Resume Service, Workshop Schedules, Monthly Employment Bulletins, Intern Center, and more! You may visit them at 111 Patterson Hall, call 515-3249, or get information on-line at the following address: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/career/

CALS CAREER EXPO 2006

Each year, CALS Career Services sponsors a career expo for its students and alumni. The Expo is an opportunity for employers and students to meet, discuss career opportunities and network. The 2006 Expo will be held in the Ballroom of Talley Student Center on October 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All students, including freshmen, are encouraged to stop by!

FELLOWSHIPS

The International Stockmen's Educational Foundation (ISEF) will again offer 25 student travel fellowships to the 2007 International Livestock Congress to be held January 6-11, 2007 in Denver, Colorado during the world famous National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. Applications will be due no later than October 1, 2006. Information and the application are available at http://www.theisef.com.

ALLTECH'S YOUNG ANIMAL SCIENTIST AWARD

The Young Animal Scientist (YAS) Award was created by Alltech to continue the company's commitment to furthering science. Alltech has created the competition through animal and dairy science departments at various universities throughout the world to promote research and talent. The program will provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to interact with one of the industry's leading players in the animal feed industry. The competition will begin in the fall semester of the 2006 school year. The winner of the award will receive a scholarship of $5,000 USD, and a trophy of recognition. For complete details, visit their web site at http://www.alltech.com/yas/.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Fall 2006, Incoming Freshmen in the Animal Science Department

Freshmen entering the baccalaureate program are surveyed at Orientation to ascertain their career goals and animal species preference. Of the freshmen present at the 2006 Orientation (n=124 surveyed), 85.5% indicated "veterinarian" as their chosen career. Other listed career choices were: Not sure (5.6%) followed by 1.6% each for Family Farm, Medical School, and Horse Farm; 0.8% (1 person each) indicated Research, Own Breeding Facility, Write for Vet Magazine, and Equine Pharmaceuticals. Species preferences as indicated by the percentage of entering freshmen who chose each animal as first or second choice, respectively, were as follows: Companion Animal = 49, 30; Horse = 36, 36; Beef Cattle = 7, 8; Other (write-in = marine, primates, reptiles, exotic, poultry) = 3, 10; Dairy Cattle = 2, 9; Swine = 2,1; Sheep = 0, 4; Goat = 0, 2. These percentages are similar to responses we have received in recent years with beef cattle being slightly higher and "other" being slightly lower than last year. The number of incoming Animal Science Freshmen is the same as last year (131 this year and 130 last year), but is much higher than in 2002 (86). The number of Transfer Students is comparable to this time last year (26 this year and 23 last year). The total number of baccalaureate students advised in our department remains high and is currently at 526 enrolled students plus 26 students who are suspended and therefore not enrolled for fall. The gender ratio for the 526 Animal Science majors who are registered for Fall is 81% female and 19% male. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (n=3,869 students registered for Fall) is 59% female and 41% male.

WHAT DID OUR STUDENTS DO THIS SUMMER?

Some of the internships completed by students this summer include: Jamey Christie interned at the Lab Animal Science Department at Glaxo SmithKline; Christen Brown, Mary-Kate Knipper, Jennifer Sinese, Kathleen Walter, and Rebecca Allison Craig worked at animal hospitals; Devin Burroughs and Stephanie Jones worked on commercial swine farms; Sean Hanley interned at a sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation center; Leigh Isenberg worked with a vet at the zoo; Stephanie Morgan worked at Fort Fisher Aquarium; Carrie Porter interned at a Belted Galloway cattle farm; Megan Kimberly Poston worked at an Arabian horse farm; Todd Bridges and Kaci Pleasants trained and worked with yearlings at our Equine Educational Unit; and Charlotte Heide worked in a research lab here in Animal Science. This is just the list of students who are receiving ANS 492 or ANS 493 credit; we know many others of you also had interesting work experiences this summer!

August/September 2006 IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Club Web Addresses

Animal Science Club - http://www.ncsuanimalscience.com/
Collegiate Horseman's Association - http://www.geocities.com/cha_ncsu
Companion Animal Club - http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/student_orgs/companion/CompanionAnimalClub.html
Equestrian Club - http://www.ncsueq.com/
Pre-Veterinary Medical Association - http://clubs.ncsu.edu/prevet/
Rodeo Club - http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/student_orgs/ansci/rodeo/

See Job Book in 117 Polk (phone 515-3028) or the bulletin board outside of 117 Polk for additional information on the opportunities listed.

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