Steven Ricke
Director & Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2124 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
sricke@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-7328

Interests: Growth, survival, and pathogenesis of foodborne pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and their interactions with the GIT microbiota; Interaction between different prebiotics, the GIT microbiota, and host responses including host immune responses; Pathogen detection and biosensors, especially in poultry; Salmonella in foods and the environment; Salmonella and acid stress.

Jim Claus
Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2120 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
jrclausjr@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-0875

Interests: Improvement in meat tenderness; Muscle pigment chemistry as related to color in fresh and processed meat and poultry; Technology for the development of low-fat processed meats; Textural defects in sectioned and formed poultry products; Meat Processing in terms of lipid oxidation, salt reduction, and protein functionality; Immobilization methods: electrical stun vs CO2 stun; Vascular rinsing of carcasses for modulation of glycolysis with metabolites and with antimicrobials for Salmonella reduction (Lymph nodes); Light display studies; shockwave tenderization; antioxidant effect of encapsulated phosphate.

Wei Guo
Assistant Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2112 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
wguo2@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 263-3676 ◆ Meet Dr. Guo

Interests: Muscle structure and function; Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms of muscle growth, development, regeneration and associated diseases for meat production and quality; Discovering new value of animal components benefiting animal and human health, such as a treatment for heart muscle diseases; Efficacy of feed and growth performance.

Vanessa Leone
Assistant Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2118 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
valeone@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-5551 ◆ Meet Dr. Leone

Interests: Identifying value-added molecules or materials derived from animal co-products, including microbes & microbially-derived metabolites, that can be used both in biomedical and animal agriculture to improve health and wellness; Novel uses for meat co-products.

Mark Richards
Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2116 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
mprichards@ansci.wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-1792

Interests: Role of lipid oxidation in the quality of muscle foods; understanding and quantifying the mechanisms of lipid oxidation in food systems, including the role changes in diet, formulation, or manufacturing procedures play; the role of hemoglobins & myoglobins; Investigate molecular basis of discoloration and off-flavor formation; Explore antioxidant mechanisms for novel strategies in meat and fish, such as rosemary extract carriers.

Jeff Sindelar
Professor, Meat Science Extension

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2108 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
jsindelar@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-0555

Interests: Quality, safety, and sensory characteristics of processed meats; Assisting meat processors in product development, problem solving & regulatory compliance; Intervention strategies to control pathogenic bacteria in meat products; Food safety in thermal processing; Alternative curing safety and quality; Serving as a liaison between academia, government & meat industry; Non-meat ingredient functionality in meat products and sodium reduction.

Sara Gragg
Associate Professor

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2110 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
sgragg@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 265-4454

Interests: Dr. Sara Gragg’s research program investigates food safety issues affecting the meat industry, with specific interests in post-harvest interventions to prevent and/or reduce pathogen presence. She is particularly interested in studying the pre-harvest transmission of foodborne pathogens in food animals, including high-risk animal tissues such as lymph nodes, as well as interventions to reduce foodborne pathogens in live animals. She has taught courses in food microbiology, food policy, contemporary issues in animal science and agriculture, and global food systems leadership.

Cindy Austin
Placeholder

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
cbaustin@wisc.edu ◆

Interests: Coming soon!

Max Sell
Retail Operations Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
1124 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
amsell2@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-7801

Interests: Customer service and experience; Product quality; Retail development.

Laurie Sand
Lab Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2110 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
lacolson@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 263-7761

Interests: As the Research Lab Manager, I monitor safety and training in the lab, coordinate the submission of agreements and grant proposals, and assist the MSABD Director with certain program projects.

Dillon Walker
Meat Plant Operations Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
1126 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
dlwalker5@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-1793

Interests: The production of safe, wholesome, high-quality meats for consumption.

Therese Thompson
Plant Production Lead

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
1126 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
tathompson5@wisc.edu

Interests: Harvest, especially poultry; Butchery; Increasing retail value of cuts; Developing plans to render animal by-products into nutritious products; Researching effects of regenerative agriculture methods on meat quality; Local Farmer/Processor Cooperatives; Food Equity; Training student employees; Encouraging consumers to both reduce & diversify their meat consumption.

Kadence Senkowski
Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
1126 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
kmwalsh4@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 890-3639

Interests: In the USDA-inspected meat and poultry processing plant, I manage programs such as food safety, quality, sanitation, regulatory, and more to ensure we meet or exceed regulatory requirements. I also assist in designing and executing various plant projects.

John Licari
Placeholder

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
jlicari@wisc.edu

Interests: Coming soon!

Colleen Crummy
Placeholder

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
colleen.crummy@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 262-4980

Interests: Coming soon!

Heather Hunt
Outreach Specialist

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
2122 Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
hbhunt@wisc.edu

Interests: Coming soon!

Matt Finch
Assistant Retail Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
matthew.finch@wisc.edu

Interests: Coming soon!

Dave Pertzborn
MSABD Maintenance Technician

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
dgpertzborn@wisc.edu

Interests: Coming soon!

Russ McMinn
Lab Manager

Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences
XXXX Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery
mcminn@wisc.edu ◆ (608) 263-4045

Interests: In his role as Lab Manager, Russ supports the high-impact research initiatives in the lab of Dr. Jeff Sindelar. Russ received both his BA in Biology and Microbiology (2009) and PhD in Meat Science (2024) from UW-Madison.