Different Routes in the Field of Animal Science

       In the field of animal science at Michigan State University, there are four different concentrations including animal industry, animal biology and preveterinary, companion and exotic animal biology, and production animal scholars. Any information regarding these concentrations of animal science can be found on the Michigan State website; including requirements for the field.
       Animal industry requires 23-34 credits and is for those who want to "work on a farm or in an agribusiness. It includes the science core, numerous courses in management of animals, and various electives depending on the goals of each student" (Department of Animal Science, "Animal Industry Concentration").
       Animal biology and preveterinary requires 39-50 credits and "includes the core courses for animal science with focus on science. Students who complete this concentration may apply to veterinary college or graduate school. In addition, these students may pursue careers in nutrition, genetics, physiology, or the pharmaceutical industry" (Department of Animal Science, "Animal Biology or Pre-Veterinary Medicine Concentration").
       Companion and exotic animal biology requires 43-52 credits and is for those who would want to work with animals that are companions to humans. The program "includes the core courses for animal science, minimal management of animals, focus on science, and electives in diverse areas such as zoology or wildlife. This concentration can also be a path for students to prepare for and apply to veterinary college but these requirements are not illustrated below" (Department of Animal Science, "Companion and Exotic Animal Biology Concentration").
       Production animal scholars requires 52-55 credits and is for those who "aspire to work with animals that produce food for humans in veterinary medicine or an advanced aspect of animal science. Horses and companion animals are excluded from this concentration. The PAS concentration is based strongly in science and will prepare students for many professions in science and is not limited to preparation for veterinary college" (Department of Animal Science, "Production Animal Scholars Concentration).

-Jamie R.

Sources:               "MSU RO:Academic Programs: Animal Science." MSU RO:Academic Programs: Animal Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.           
"Department of Animal Science." Animal Biology or Pre-Veterinary Medicine Concentration. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.                         
"Department of Animal Science." Animal Industry Concentration. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.            
      "Department of Animal Science." Companion and Exotic Animal Biology Concentration. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.               
           "Department of Animal Science." Production Animal Scholars Concentration. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.                         
       

Preconceptions to Agricultural Engineering (Prompt #1)

By: Tyler Lahusky

          John Deere tractors may be one of the most interesting things on the planet, but agricultural engineering goes far deeper than just designing the new age tractor. In fact, that would just be scratching the surface of what lies beneath the realm of agricultural engineering. However, how much of what is preconceived about agricultural engineering is truly… true? Many people today have endless preconceptions about subjects such as agricultural engineering. I am included in this and fall guilty of the same preconceptions. So, in order to further educate myself and others on agricultural engineering, I listed some previous believes I had formed in my own mind about agricultural engineering, and used an introductory textbook to prove them right, or wrong. These misconceptions I tested about agricultural engineering included:

• Agricultural engineers focus the majority of their time on machinery and mechanical related problems/designs.
• There are some, but not many, agricultural engineers in research and development.
• Agricultural engineers spend all of their time in the office.
• Agricultural engineers use some, but only limited biology in their designs and new technology.
• Agricultural engineers are limited to current technology and work mainly with crops.

Agricultural engineering began in the early 1900’s, during WWII when machines were needed to pick up slack that human power could no longer contribute. The field of agricultural engineering was brought about to solve just that problem – the mechanization of labor. This early stage of the field had a primary focus on mechanical devices and machines, but that quickly changed. Proving my preconception of a focus on only machines wrong, I learned that agricultural engineers began working with the productivity of livestock and producing chemicals to improve crop productivity years ago. This was the initial shift to broaden from the area of mechanization. Soon after, many things other than mechanization began sprouting up such as the development of greenhouse facilities and procedures to improve horticulture, for example.

As I dug deeper into what agricultural engineers work on, I quickly learned that not only do they have a wide spectrum of focuses, but play a large role in research and development. Engineers are thought of as getting a new idea and designing a way to make it work. This was no longer the case as agricultural engineers were researching completely new ways to improve horticulture. The field then dove further into a research related field, discovering new ways to create fuels through biomass. Biomass fuels (or biofuels) production and research is a major project for agriculture engineers today. As more and more research was conducted, fields such as catfish farming, aquaculture, hydroponics, sod and turf management, and energy production arose from agricultural engineering. (Hall 18-22) Although computers are widely used by agricultural engineers and all engineers today, time spent in the office is well balanced. With all these growing fields and new research being conducted, agricultural engineers get a good amount of time in the field, proving another one of my prior beliefs to be wrong.

Biology is not thought to be a large part of engineering of any field. Agricultural engineering uses some biology, but not much… or so I thought. Biology turns out to be an extremely large part of agricultural engineering. Development of chemicals for crops, crop productivity, and much more research requires a vast knowledge of biology. One of the biggest projects for agricultural engineers today is biotechnology and work with DNA. This is entirely biology with some engineering involved. As Carl W. Hall states in the book The Literature of Agricultural Engineering, “[agricultural engineers] need to more closely identify with biologists…” (Hall 18-22) This new research and development proves another one of by beliefs wrong – agricultural engineers are only limited to current technology. Between biotechnology and biomass fuel development alone, new technology is developed by agricultural engineers every day. Today, agricultural engineers are researching new ways to implement new technologies such as robots, new materials, and new forms of energy.

In order to prove my preconceptions right or wrong, I used a textbook titled The Literature of Agricultural Engineering and found my information in the second chapter titled “Influence and Scope of the Agricultural Engineering Profession”. The text proved to be highly effective in researching previous beliefs and was packed with information. Many truths were learned through the research process and I have obtained an understanding of the field of agricultural engineering to a much greater extent.

Source: Hall, Carl W, and Wallace C. Olsen. The Literature of Agricultural Engineering. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1992. Print.

Different Concentrations for MSU fisheries and wildlife students

At Michigan State University there are six different concentrations to the fisheries and wildlife degree. They are Conservation Biology, Fisheries Biology and Management, Wildlife Biology and Management, Water Sciences, Fish and Wildlife Disease Ecology and Management, and Pre-Vet. This information can be found in the fisheries and wildlife academic programs portion of MSU office of the Registrar.
Conservation Biology is the study of the Earth's biodiversity and ways to protect species and their habitats to save them from extinction.What do Conservation Biologist do? They analyze the current situations in an area such as population of animals and the destruction of the environment. They then use this information to propose plans to change destructive behavior.
Fisheries Biology and Management is a concentration that deals with protecting and regulating fish. The people with this concentration  gather information that make fisheries as productive as possible. As a manager you will have the ability to influence decision making and the responsibility do influence based on facts and not just opinions.
Wildlife Biology Management is protecting wildlife. You can get a job as an educator or law enforcement, policy maker and just a biologist.
Water Scientist monitor and assess the quality of water. They research the quality of water at different locations. Through this study they can test for anything harmful in the water supply and manage the situation.
Disease and Ecology Management's goal is to find ways to treat diseases found in animals or fish.
Pre-Vet is self explanatory the people in this concentration eventually want to become Vets and MSU is a great school for Vet Medicine.



Jake B






Sources: "Undergraduate Degree - Fisheries and Wildlife." MSU RO: Academic Programs:Fisheries and Wildlife. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

"Conservation Biology." — Enviromental Studies. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Cochrane, Kevern. "CHAPTER 1: FISHERIES MANAGEMENT." CHAPTER 1: FISHERIES MANAGEMENT. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

"EPA." Water Science. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

What is Animal Science

Animal science is a field that is "concerned with the science and business of producing domestic livestock species." In the field of animal science, the main focus is on beef and dairy cattle, horses, swine, sheep, and poultry, but if one wants to branch out into different animals, that is okay. "An animal scientist applies principles of the biological, physical, and social sciences to the problems associated with livestock production and management." Along with agricultural and livestock animals, animal scientists can also care for and work with companion, wildlife, laboratory, and zoo animals. Three of the main goals for those working in this field are to know what is involved in "animal production, care, and use." One could think that a background in farming is necessary for this field, but that is not true. One could start all the way from the bottom with no animal experience, and still manage to get a degree. (American Society of Animal Science, "What is Animal Science?") According to animalsmart.org, there are seven different fields that animal science includes: "nutrition, physiology, reproductive physiology, animal behavior, genetics and breeding, animal products, and education." (Animal Smart, "The Fields of Animal Science)

My interest in this field of science comes from my passion for being around and caring for all animals. My goal after getting my degree is to be able to work in an environment such as a zoo or an aquarium, with exotic animals being my main interest. My whole life, I have wanted to have a career with animals; nothing interested me more. The idea of being around animals every day and being able to train and care for them makes me even more excited to be a part of such a great field at such a great university. To start my path towards getting my degree in animal science, I have started taking basic animal courses such as "Introduction to Animal Agriculture" and "Companion Animal Bio and Mgmt". Taking these two classes and attending a lab once a week will improve my knowledge of animals and is essential for achieving my degree in the future.

-Jamie R.

Sources:
              "What Is Animal Science?" Asas.org. American Society of Animal Science, n.d. Web.    
        "What Is Animal Science?" Animal Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.

What is Agricultural Engineering?

By: Tyler Lahusky

Agricultural engineering, sometimes referred to as biological and agricultural engineering, is a division of engineering that “applies technological advances to farming”, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Agricultural Engineers”) Agricultural engineers have a wide focus and range of possible pathways. Many of the different projects that agricultural engineers work on involve, in some way, conserving the environment or feeding the population of the world. These both contain four main categories that agricultural engineers fall into: research, development, production, or sales. Some examples of agricultural engineering projects throughout the United States and the world include aquaculture, forestry, development of biofuels, habitat and land conservation projects, food processing procedures, and farm animal living environments. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Agricultural Engineers”) 

Within the agricultural engineering world, many engineers fall into three distinct categories or specialties, which may change throughout their careers and specific employers. Agricultural engineers who focus on the structural side of things would design farm animal living environments, food processing plants, or structures for growing algae or aquaculture (and much more). Regarding machinery, agricultural engineers might design the next generation GPS powered tractor, develop biofuel cells, or create new milking equipment for dairy farms. Lastly, agricultural engineers that focus primarily on biology deal with conservation or converting algae to biofuels, and much more. However, these categories overlap often and each has an underlying basis of biology.

Whether an agricultural engineer is in beginning design and working with CAD software, or a seasoned project manager, the work scene is relatively similar. Agricultural engineers spend a great deal of their time in the office. However, they have their fair share of pulling on their boots and commuting to job sites, experiencing their work and conducting tests, or managing the projects. Some exceptions might be an agricultural engineer who is in research that spends most of their time in a laboratory. Many agricultural engineers work with professionals of agronomy, animal science, genetics, and horticulture to accomplish their goals. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Agricultural Engineers”) With a bachelors degree in biological and agricultural engineering, one can be on their way to doing their part to feed the world.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Agricultural Engineers, 

on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/agricultural-engineers.htm (visited September 19, 2015).

What Qualities Should Person Have for Fisheries and Wildlife

There are many qualities a person should posses if they want to major in FW. If you don't have love for nature or animals this might not be the route for you. In my FW class we have been outside in the woods promptly at 8 am once a week. If the weather isn't life threatening you will be outside getting hands on experience. You cannot be afraid to get your hands dirty. The first day in the field we tested different soil to find out what types they really are. Early mornings and late nights greet the wildlife biologist of this major. The early bird gets the worm, and the early biologist watches it happen. Being flexible with your hours is a must. Going back to the love for nature bit from earlier, you shouldn't expect to get paid much. Even though Michigan State is nationally and internationally recognized for this major it doesn't guarantee a top job right away. A person has to use their love and passion for nature to stick through the low paying jobs to climb the ladder. This major can be rewarding if a person is willing to stay through until the end and work hard while doing it. These qualities were described to me by my FW professor Dr. Hayes on the first day of class.

Jake B