The UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) is celebrating completion of the new Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) building on November 6. The event will be entirely virtual and can be found at https://msabd.cals.wisc.edu/. There will be a recorded video program posted to the event website at 12:00 p.m. that day. The program will include presentations by:

• Tony Evers, Wisconsin Governor
• Randy Romanski, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary-designee
• Howard Marklein, Senator (District 17) and Chair of the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions
• Rebecca Blank, UW–Madison Chancellor
• Kate VandenBosch, CALS Dean
• Steven Ricke, MSABD Program Director

The website will also feature photos of the facility, profiles of program faculty and staff, messages from alumni and other friends of the program, and a special playlist of songs to help set the mood.

A fact sheet about the new facility can be found here: go.wisc.edu/7u3w97. Exterior photos are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRy6okE.

The Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery program is part of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. The building will serve as a home for the program to develop meat industry leaders, discover new uses for animal components in enhancing animal and human health, provide expertise for education in foods derived from animals, and improve the safety and nutritional quality of animal-based proteins delivered to consumers in the U.S. and globally.

MSABD personnel available for interviews:

Steven Ricke, director of the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery program and professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Ricke is a microbiologist and food safety expert who studies the survival of foodborne pathogens and their risks to consumers. He can answer questions about the vision of the MSABD program.
Contact: sricke@wisc.edu, (608) 262-7328

Jeffrey Sindelar, professor and extension meat specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Sindelar is an expert in meat science, meat processing and food safety. He coordinated construction of and can answer questions about the MSABD building.
Contact: jsindelar@wisc.edu, (608) 262-0555

Cindy Austin, BSL2 lab manager. Austin spent 17 years at Oscar Mayer/Kraft Foods in the food safety department and is an expert in meat microbiology, sanitation and HACCP (a management system to address food safety).
Contact: cbaustin@wisc.edu, (608) 219-1424.

Jim Claus, professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Claus is an expert in meat tenderness, color and texture. He is interested in technology for the development of low-fat processed meats.
Contact: jrclaus@wisc.edu, (608) 262-0875

Wei Guo, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Wei specializes in muscle growth, development, regeneration and disease. He aims to discover new compounds in animal co-products that will benefit the animal industry and human health.
Contact: wguo2@wisc.edu, (608) 263-3676

Vanessa Leone, assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Leone is an expert in microbiomes and animal biologics. She is interested in the roles microbes play in promoting wellness or contributing to disease development.
Contact: valeone@wisc.edu

Mitch Monson, retail operations manager for Bucky’s Varsity Meats. Monson is passionate about food, cooking and connecting the community to the MSABD program.
Contact: monson5@wisc.edu

Joan Parrish, lab manager. Parrish works internally in managing the research lab. She also has direct contact with stakeholders in development of grants and contracts.
Contact: jparrish@ansci.wisc.edu, (608) 263-7761

Mark Richards, professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Richards specializes in lipid oxidation in food systems and in the quality of muscle foods. He studies the structure and properties of hemoglobins and myglobins.
Contact: mprichards@wisc.edu, (608) 262-1792

Dillon Walker, meat plant operations manager. Walker is interested in the production of safe, wholesome and high-quality meats for consumption.
Contact: dlwalker5@wisc.edu, (608) 262-1793