Jessica Petersen Presented BIF Continuing Service Award
AMARILLO, Texas – The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Jessica Petersen, Ph.D., of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a BIF Continuing Service Award June 11 during the group’s annual research symposium in Amarillo, Texas.
Continuing Service Award winners have made major contributions to the BIF organization. This includes serving on the board of directors, speaking at BIF conventions, working on BIF guidelines and participating in other behind-the-scenes activities. As BIF is a volunteer organization, it is this contribution of time and passion for the beef cattle industry that moves BIF forward.
Petersen earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and her master’s degree from Western Illinois University. She completed her Ph.D. in genetics at the University of California, Davis, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in equine genetics at the University of Minnesota. Since 2014, Petersen has served as an Associate Professor of Functional Animal Genomics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
In a relatively short time, she has developed a research program that has become the “go to” resource for beef breed associations seeking to identify causal mutations underlying genetic disorders. Petersen’s discovery work benefits both the beef industry and the many graduate and undergraduate students she trains by addressing practical genetic challenges faced by the industry. She also currently leads a USDA-funded project studying the effects of mitochondrial variation on feed efficiency in beef cattle.
Beyond research, Petersen volunteers to maintain and update the BIF Guidelines wiki on genetic defects, to ensure the industry has access to the most current information available.
More than 400 beef producers, academia and industry representatives attended the organization’s 57th Annual Research Symposium and Convention in Amarillo, Texas. BIF’s mission is to help improve the industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation.
For more information about this year’s symposium, including additional award winners and coverage of meetings and tours, visit BIFSymposium.com.
–BIF
