Kansas State University CVM Graduate Student Association

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Last but certainly not least, meet our GSA Executive Advisor, Taylor McAtee! 📋 With her guidance and support, our team is better equipped to serve and advocate for the graduate student community throughout the year.

Taylor is currently working on a Ph.D. with Dr. David Renter in collaboration with industry in CORE’s Applied Beef Research and Management Training Program. She is originally from La Cygne, Kansas and has animal science degrees from K-State (B.S.) and West Texas A&M universities (M.S.). Her previous research was related to high-risk feedlot cattle and respiratory vaccinations (BRD). Taylor’s ongoing projects range from quantifying the influence of cattle health on greenhouse gas emissions to evaluating different BRD treatment protocols and novel feed additives in feedlot trials. This work underscores her commitment to fostering science-based management decisions in commercial beef production.

🎉 That’s a wrap on our Executive Team introductions! We’re excited to work together — and with all of you — to make the 2025–2026 year a great one. Stay tuned here for events, resources, and ways to get involved with your Graduate Student Association.

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟

Meet Thitikan Jirakittisonthon one of our GSA Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chairs! 📲✨ Thitikan will be helping share events, updates, and highlights from our grad community all year long.

Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Thitikan, also known as "Thiti," decided to return to work for the Thai government after completing her MS at CVM KSU. She had not thought she would have another chance to study abroad again, especially in the same place. For the last three years, she has had the opportunity to rejoin the Anatomy and Physiology lab, working on Extracellular Vesicles as potential pain therapeutics. This project can be applied not only to animal health but is also essential for clinical translation to human health.

✨ Stay tuned to meet our second Social Media/Community Engagement Co-Chair, who’ll be sharing the spotlight next!

🌟 Meet your GSA Executive Team! 🌟
Continuing with introductions, meet our Vice President — Jordana Zimmerman! 🎓✨

Jordana grew up on a small farm in southern Brazil. She earned her veterinary degree from the Federal University of Pampa in 2017 and her master's degree from the Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor in 2023. During this time, she worked first as an undergraduate researcher and later as a professor, where she discovered her passion for both teaching and research. In 2024, she proudly joined the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at K-State to pursue a Ph.D. under Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi, in collaboration with the Beef Cattle Institute. Her research focuses on Animal Welfare, Pain Assessment and Management, and Predictive Models for Animal Health.

👀 Up next: meet the GSA secretary who helps keep us organized and moving forward.