Speakers

David Amrine, DVM, PhD
Beef Cattle Institute Research Director
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

Prior to joining the BCI, Amrine was employed as a data scientist for Adams Land and Cattle, Broken Bow, Nebraska, where he designed and analyzed controlled experiments, and developed tools to predict cattle health and performance outcomes. Earlier in his career, Amrine worked at Kansas State University on separate occasions as a research assistant and laboratory assistant.

Amrine earned a bachelor's degree at Wichita State University in 1997, and then worked as a programmer analyst for Geac Computers Inc. He then attended Kansas State University where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. Amrine followed this by earning a doctorate in applied epidemiology in 2013, also at Kansas State University.

Amrine also has worked as a researcher for Professional Beef Services, Canton, Missouri, and as a veterinary medical officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. He is a professional member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, American Association of Bovine Practitioners and American Veterinary Medical Association.

Patti Dollarhide
Beef Cattle Institute Industry Alliances Director
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

Before joining the institute, Dollarhide was employed as the director of food and nutrition services for the Newton Medical Center in Newton. Before that she worked four years as manager of customer operations and finance for U.S. Foods. She also spent five years working for Cargill Food Service-North America as a health care sales leader from 2007 to 2012.

Dollarhide earned a bachelor's degree in hotel restaurant management and administration at K-State in 1983. In addition to her skills and background in nutrition services and customer operations, Dollarhide has worked as a veterinary technician and holds an associate degree in veterinary technology from Colby Community College, which she completed in 1979.

Dollarhide has received several industry awards, including the Silver Plate Award for Operator of the Year in Health Care from the International Food and Manufacturer Association in 2004. She served as president of the National Society of Health Care Food Service Management in 2004, and from 2007 till present, she has been a member of the alumni board for the food, nutrition, dietetics and health at K-State. Dollarhide has participated in numerous manufacturer leadership groups including Tyson, Campbell's Insight Group, Rich's Food Service, Basic American and General Mills.

Gregg Hanzlicek, DVM, PhD
Assistant Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

As director of Production Animal Field Investigations, Dr. Hanzlicek assists private practitioners in investigating complex herd health problems. During the investigation process he works with the pathologists and microbiologists within the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Additionally, senior students in the pathology rotation at the time of the investigation are involved in the planning, site-visit and subsequent write-up of the investigations. Dr. Hanzlicek also travels extensively throughout the state of Kansas presenting timely bovine health topics to veterinary practitioners and their clients. He frequently speaks at regional and national veterinary and producer meetings on topics including research results, bovine health management and diagnostic strategies. Dr. Hanzlicek also serves on professional committees and task forces. Additionally, he is the editor of the bi-monthly Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory newsletter, Diagnostic Insights which targets present diagnostic laboratory clients and KSU-CVM alumni.

Sandy Johnson, MS, PhD
Extension Specialist/Professor
Animal Sciences and Industry
Kansas State University

Sandy Johnson was raised on a diversified livestock farm north of Blair, Nebraska. An active 4-Her, her projects included cattle, swine, sheep and horses. She received a B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska in 1982 and a M.S. degree in Reproductive Physiology from the University of Missouri in 1984. A deep appreciation for applied integrated research was developed during three years spent working as a research technician at the University of Nebraska West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte. A move to West Virginia was made to pursue a Ph.D. Her dissertation examined the role of the follicle in the formation of short-lived corpora lutea in postpartum beef cows. Sandy received a Ph.D. degree from West Virginia University in Reproductive Physiology in 1991 and continued there as a post doctoral fellow until 1993. She held a teaching position at Fort Hays State University before beginning her current position in October of 1998 as Extension Livestock Specialist at the Northwest Research and Extension Center in Colby.

Sandy is a member of the North Central Region Bovine Reproductive Task Force which has hosted the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Workshops, updated the Estrous Synchronization Planner and organized the Beef Cattle Reproduction Leadership Team. All efforts are aimed at promoting wider adoption of reproductive technologies among cow-calf producers and to educate cow-calf producers in management considerations that will increase the likelihood of successful AI breeding. Her research interests include the areas of estrous synchronization, costs of breeding systems and cow/calf management.

Bob Larson, DVM, PhD, DACT, DACVPM, DACAN
Professor, Coleman Chair Food Animal Production Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

Dr. Larson earned his BS, DVM and PhD all from Kansas State University. He holds board certifications with the American College of Theriogenology, American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine - Epidemiology specialty and the American College of Animal Nutrition. He teaches various courses in theriogenology, beef production medicine, cow-calf production management, rural food animal business management, epidemiology,design and interpretation of production livestock field trials and applied production medicine. Dr. Larson's primary area of interest is the integration of animal health, production efficiency and economic considerations in beef cattle production. He is also the Executive Director of the Veterinary Medical Continuing Education department.

Dustin Pendell, MS, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics
Kansas State University

Dustin L. Pendell joined the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University in July 2015 as an Associate Professor. His broad research interests include livestock and animal health issues that span from the producer through the meat supply chain to the final consumer. Dustin’s interdisciplinary research has been funded by federal agencies and commodity organizations and appears in various academic and outreach publications.

Prior to joining Kansas State University, Dustin was on faculty at Colorado State University for nine years where he conducted research on various livestock issues and taught courses in farm management, agricultural marketing and production economics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

AJ Tarpoff, DVM, MS
Assistant Professor/Extension Beef Veterinarian
Animal Sciences and Industry
Kansas State University

Anthony John (A.J.) Tarpoff was born and raised in Edwardsville, Illinois. A.J.'s family owned and operated a beef processing plant and a steakhouse. He received his B.S. in Animal Science at Kansas State University in 2010. In 2012, he received his D.V.M, and M.S. in Biomedical Science at Kansas State University.

After earning his D.V.M., he accepted an associate feedlot veterinarian position at Alberta Beef Health Solutions in Southern Alberta, Canada. His focus in practice was herd based cattle production medicine, research field trials, hands on feedlot employee training, disease surveillance and mitigation, and Federal Import/Export duties.

A.J. returned to KSU in 2016 as the Beef Extension Veterinarian with a 70% Extension, 20 % Research, 10% teaching appointment.

Glynn Tonsor, PhD
Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics
Kansas State University

Glynn Tonsor joined the K-State Agricultural Economics faculty as an Assistant Professor in March 2010. He obtained his Ph.D. from K-State in 2006 and was an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University from May 2006 to March 2010. Tonsor’s current efforts are primarily devoted to a range of integrated research and extension activities with particular focus on the cattle/beef and swine/pork industries. His broader interests cover aspects throughout the meat supply chain ranging from production level supply issues to end-user consumer demand issues.

Bob Weaber, MS, PhD
Associate Professor
Animal Sciences & Industry
Kansas State University

Bob Weaber’s nationally recognized extension programming has resulted in more than 145 publications and more than $13 million from 42 awards of grants and gifts for research and extension programming. Weaber’s extension program leadership has been recognized with MU Provost’s Innovative Extension Programming by New Faculty, the MU CAFNR J.W. Burch State Extension Specialist Award, and the Beef Improvement Federation’s Continuing Service Award.

Weaber grew up on a cow-calf operation in southern Colorado and went on to earn a BS in animal science followed by a Master of Agriculture degree in the Beef Industry Leadership Program at Colorado State University. He completed his doctoral studies in the Animal Breeding and Genetics Group at Cornell University. While there, he served as the Interim Director of Performance Programs for the American Simmental Association for three and a half years. Previously, Weaber was Director of Education and Research at the American Gelbvieh Association. Bob, his wife, Tami, and their young children, Maddie, Cooper and Wyatt, reside near Wamego, KS.

Brad White, DVM, MS
Professor, Production Medicine
Director Beef Cattle Institute
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

Dr. White earned his DVM from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Masters from Mississippi State University. He teaches classes in advanced cow-calf production management, production medicine, rural food animal business management and applied production medicine. His research interests include: beef production and management with focus areas of cow-calf, stocker and feeder calf health systems, bovine respiratory disease prevention, diagnosis and management, utilization of operational data to enhance decisions and veterinary practice business management.