Q: When, why and how did you become involved in AMSA?
A: I became involved with AMSA during meat judging at Texas A&M University in 2007. I believe that all meat judgers were granted a student membership that year. From there, I was a graduate student and we were encouraged to continue with AMSA membership in order to be able to attend RMC.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in meat science?
A: Meat science was not my original career path. However, I was hooked even after my first meat science class at Texas A&M. My lab TA was Dr. Lyda Garcia and she used the hands on learning of the lab to excite all of her students. The next year she was the coach of the meat judging team and several of us from her lab decided to join the team. The experiences that were generated out of being on the meat judging team helped me make the decision to pursue meat science as a career.

Q: How has your involvement with AMSA influenced your career?
A: AMSA has provided me great opportunities for networking and resources. It has pushed me to be a better researcher during my graduate school time period. The amount of people that I have met through AMSA has also made it very easy to reach out to someone in the meat industry to get help or guidance as I work through problems that may be beyond my knowledge in a specific area.

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to meat science to date?
A: I feel like my greatest contribution to meat science to date is the use of my education to help those in manufacturing grow through my meat science and food safety knowledge.

Q: What is the most important skill you have developed in your career?
A: I think the most important skill that I have developed in my career is the ability to think through a problem to understand true root causes of issues using my meat science knowledge.

Q: Who has been the most influential person in your career?
A: This might be the hardest question to answer! I would have to say Dr. Rhonda Miller. As my major professor for my Ph.D., she provided me experiences in addition classroom education that prepared me to work in the meat industry and achieve the great accomplishments of my career. Without the exposure to these experiences, I do not believe that I would have been where I am at today.

Q: What is your favorite thing(s) to do outside of work?
A: I love to bake and I love to build things.

Q: What is one item you cannot live without?
A: As a true Texan, I cannot live without Dr. Pepper!

Q: If you could plan a vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I would go to either Fiji or Tahati!