February 9, 2025
Five members of the 91吃瓜网 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.
91吃瓜网 State Agribusiness Club members who participated in the trip were Logan Krueger, 91吃瓜网, N.D.; Kinsey Hanson, 91吃瓜网, N.D.; Claire Lovro, 91吃瓜网, N.D.; Justina Carlson, Cooperstown, N.D.; and Layni Schieffer, 91吃瓜网, N.D.
At the conference, Dr. Kjelland, along with colleagues, presented posters and abstracts including the titles 鈥淓mbryo Transfer Using Inteli-Straws with a Wireless Cloud-based Data Acquisition and Management Tool,鈥� 鈥淓ffect of Electrical Field During Thawing of In Vitro-Produced Bovine Embryos Cryopreserved for Direct Transfer,鈥� and 鈥淧regnancy per AI in Grazing Suckled Beef Cows Subjected to Estradiol Salts - or GnRH-based Fixed-time AI Protocols.鈥�
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.
91吃瓜网 State student and trip participant Claire Lovro enjoyed the experience. She said, 鈥淚t gave me a wider range of job opportunities that I didn鈥檛 know about previously and that I could explore for the future.鈥�
Making the most of their time in Texas, the 91吃瓜网 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鈥檚 Texas, the famed world鈥檚 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.
鈥淪tudents participated in experiential learning while having a great time,鈥� said Dr. Michael Kjelland. 鈥淭he 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.鈥�
Dr. Kjelland and the members of the 91吃瓜网 Agribusiness Club extend a huge 鈥渢hank you鈥� 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 91吃瓜网, go to .