February 9, 2025
Five members of the Mayville State University Agribusiness Club and their faculty adviser, Dr. Michael Kjelland, co-director of the Agribusiness Club, participated in an adventurous educational opportunity in Texas in late January. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS) Conference in Fort Worth. Students were able to attend reproductive science and biotechnology presentations given by both students and experts in the field, with around 580 individuals from many different countries in attendance.
Mayville State Agribusiness Club members who participated in the trip were Logan Krueger, Mayville, N.D.; Kinsey Hanson, Mayville, N.D.; Claire Lovro, Mayville, N.D.; Justina Carlson, Cooperstown, N.D.; and Layni Schieffer, Mayville, N.D.
At the conference, Dr. Kjelland, along with colleagues, presented posters and abstracts including the titles “Embryo Transfer Using Inteli-Straws with a Wireless Cloud-based Data Acquisition and Management Tool,” “Effect of Electrical Field During Thawing of In Vitro-Produced Bovine Embryos Cryopreserved for Direct Transfer,” and “Pregnancy per AI in Grazing Suckled Beef Cows Subjected to Estradiol Salts - or GnRH-based Fixed-time AI Protocols.”
The trip also included a visit to the Fort Worth Stockyards, as well as a stop at a meat processing plant, American Butchery, where one of the co-owners gave a very informative tour of the impressive state of the art facility.
At Hoofstock Genetics, LLC near Ranger, Texas, the group toured the ranch and viewed the embryo transfer, artificial insemination, and oocyte (egg) pick-up (OPU) facility.
Mayville State student and trip participant Claire Lovro enjoyed the experience. She said, “It gave me a wider range of job opportunities that I didn’t know about previously and that I could explore for the future.”
Making the most of their time in Texas, the Mayville State group dined at a Texas de Brazil churrascaria (barbecue churrasco style) restaurant, which for most was a new experience. They also visited Billy Bob’s Texas, the famed world’s largest country music honkytonk nightclub. The finale for the trip was attending the Professional Bull Riders Last Cowboy Standing event at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
“Students participated in experiential learning while having a great time,” said Dr. Michael Kjelland. “The are already trying to figure out a fundraising activity that would raise money for them to attend the next IETS conference that will take place in Panama in 2026.”
Dr. Kjelland and the members of the Mayville State University Agribusiness Club extend a huge “thank you” to the North Dakota FFA Foundation for making this trip possible with their award of a Postsecondary Students in Agriculture Grant, with funds generated by the Star Partner Program. In addition they thank other contributors, including Hoofstock Genetics, LLC, American Butchery, and Conservation, Genetics & Biotech, LLC.
To learn more about opportunities in agribusiness at Mayville State University, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/agribusiness.