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Katelyn Gaffield joins K-State swine research team as assistant professor

Katelyn Gaffield has been hired as assistant research professor for the Swine Nutrition Team in the Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Department. As a swine nutritionist, her appointment will be 100% research. Originally from Sheldon, Illinois, Gaffield will begin March 1.

Gaffield’s primary role will be conducting applied swine nutrition research focused on improving profitability, efficiency and sustainability for pork producers. She will work with both graduate and undergraduate students and partner with commercial systems to conduct impactful research that will address some of the industry’s leading challenges.

Gaffield will earn her doctorate in February 2024 in Applied Swine Nutrition at K-State. She earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science and her master’s in meat science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“We are very pleased to recruit a person of Katelyn’s caliber to our faculty,” says Dr. Mike Day, K-State ASI department head. “Her contributions and excellence as a student are superb, and the opportunity to add her strengths as a faculty member will collectively advance the research, extension and teaching programs of the ASI swine team.”

Throughout her graduate studies, Gaffield had the opportunity to teach undergraduate students, present to industry leaders, engage with producers, collaborate with industry organizations and conduct cutting-edge research. Her graduate research was focused on the use of in-feed acidifiers across different stages of production, developing a phosphorus release curve for a novel phytase source, and a large project focused on characterizing factors that impact soybean meal quality between different soy processing facilities and their subsequent impact on pig growth performance.

During her graduate career, Gaffield was recognized for her academic achievements, research accomplishments and outreach efforts. She placed first in the PhD student oral competition at the 2023 American Society of Animal Science Midwest Meeting. Gaffield has been honored by K-State, University of Illinois and the industry with numerous scholarships and recognitions for being an extremely high performing student throughout her college career.

“I am passionate about all facets of the pork industry and enjoy utilizing my inter-disciplinary background to conduct collaborative, applied research that can directly benefit swine producers,” Gaffield explains. “I am excited to contribute to K-State’s reputation as a ‘go-to’ institution for producers to gain knowledge and support for their production systems.

“I am excited to continue to be a part of the K-State family that I have grown to know throughout my Ph.D. and look forward to utilizing my skills to contribute to the land-grant mission.”