PhD Candidate
University of California, Davis
Sarah Klopatek is a second year Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis focusing on Beef Cattle System Dynamics and Livestock Sustainability, under the direction of Jim Oltjen. She received her B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Arizona, and her M.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University while working under the direction of Todd Callaway, Luis Tedeschi, and Tryon Wickersham. Sarah has completed beef cattle research projects relating to heat stress mitigation strategies, life cycle envionmental footrpints and economic returns, ruminal kinetics, and ruminal methanogen production. Her current research (United States Roundtable for Sustainable Beef pilot project) evaluates what motivates producers to join beef industry programs as the basis for designing a national beef sustainability education program. She is also investigating how traditional and grass-fed beef cattle production systems differ in carbon and nitrogen footprints, total human-edible food production, revenue, and palatability and shelf life. Sarah is also actively involved in agricultural education throughout the community. Sarah is also actively involved in agricultural education throughout the community. She has given presentations at cattlemen’s meetings, community colleges, as well as “Aggie Myth Busters” to 4-H students. In addition to teaching Animal Science classes at UC Davis, Sarah is also the UC Davis Young Cattlemen’s Graduate Advisor and has aided the club in receiving funding and internships. She has received scholarships from the California Cattlemen’s Association and the Rue Foundation, and has been both an International Livestock Congress Student Scholar and International Livestock Fellow Student Scholar. Sarah’s goal is to work in both agricultural policy and sustainable food systems