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Clinton Alexander

Animal Science

I was raised on a family farm covering about 4,000 acres in southwest Kansas. We raised irrigated and dry-land wheat and grain sorghum, irrigated corn and alfalfa as well as stocker calves. My family started a custom harvesting business in the mid 1990's chopping alfalfa, corn and hay for area feedlots and dairies and still continues the business today. I was very involved in both 4-H and FFA programs growing up. Through both programs, I showed pigs, lambs, horses and rabbits. Through the FFA program at Satanta High School in Satanta, Kansas, I was a member of the State Champion Meats Judging Team as well as the State Champion Crops Judging Team. I was the recipient of the Star Greenhand Award (outstanding freshman), the Star Chapter Farmer (outstanding sophomore) as well as earning the State Farmer Degree in Kansas. I received two different Proficiency Awards multiple years, including Specialty Animal Production and Swine Production. For my involvement, I was awarded a National 4-H Scholarship through Ford - New Holland and a National FFA Scholarship for meats judging through Hormel & Co.

I am the son of Milton Alexander of rural Satanta, KS, and Sheila Middlebrooks, Oklahoma City, OK. I am married to Paige (Johnson) Alexander, who is also currently attaining her PhD from TTU in Animal Science (BS, MS from Kansas State University) as well.

I started my collegiate career at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. During my tenure there, I was a member of the 1993 Meats Judging Team, the 1994-95 Livestock-Meat Evaluation Team, Phi Theta Kappa and Student Government Association. After my sophomore year at GCCC, I was awarded the 1995 Southwest Kansas Cattlewomen's Scholarship for my involvement in the animal science industry. I earned an Associate of Science degree in Animal Science and transferred to Texas Tech University in the Fall of 1995 majoring in Agricultural Education.

I was a member of the 1996 TTU Meats Judging Team that won the National Championship and I was named as the Doug Hardison Award winner for the most outstanding judging team member at Texas Tech for 1996. I helped coach Clarendon College and Texas Tech throughout 1997 and 1998. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Agriculture in 1998 and applied for graduate school. After completion of a quality assurance internship with IBP in Garden City, Kansas (now Tyson Fresh Meats), I started graduate school majoring in Animal Science with an emphasis in Meat Science and Muscle Biology in the fall of 1998.

During 1999, I was a coach of the TTU Meats Judging Team that also won the National Championship. I completed my thesis project, which was titled "Consumer Acceptability and Palatability of Youthful and Mature Ground Beef Prepared at Varying Lean Levels." I am currently working on revisions to have the research published in the Journal of Food Science. After completion of a Master of Science degree in August of 2000, I accepted a position with my alma mater at Garden City Community College teaching Animal and Food Science and coaching the Meat Judging Team. During my tenure at GCCC, I have initiated a Block & Bridle Club on campus, received $90,000 grant funding from the Kansas Board of Regents to establish a Food Bioscience Lab on the GCCC campus, as well as served as Faculty Senate President for two years. Additionally, I was awarded the Most Outstanding Faculty member on campus in 2005-2006 and was recently elected as the Vice President of the GCCC Higher Education Association.

In the spring of 2007, I decided that I would like to continue my education and applied for a sabbatical from GCCC to pursue a doctoral degree. After checking with many universities, I found that Texas Tech University was the only university willing to work with my time and other requirements. I was awarded an AT&T Chancellor's Fellowship in the fall of 2007. I have been working on coursework from TTU since January of 2008 and will begin part one of my dissertation project in the next couple of weeks. My research focus will be titled "Growth, Carcass Characteristics and Microbiological Differences between Natural and Conventionally Produced Beef." The major portion of this study will be to determine the differences in Escherichia coli between these types of cattle. With more emphasis at the consumer level being placed on natural or organic products, this project will help to validate if either group (natural or conventionally produced beef) is more prone to shedding pathogenic bacteria than the other. My major professor for my MS and PhD degrees is Dr. Mark Miller and I am focusing my PhD degree in Meat Science and Food Safety.

After completion of a PhD degree from Texas Tech University and serving my two-year commitment at GCCC, I plan to pursue a career at the university level. I certainly enjoy educating people and that is what I am most interested in. I would like to establish a large animal and meat science facility on the GCCC campus to help educate people about agriculture. Although my Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees will all come from Texas Tech University, I would not trade my experiences for anything. Texas Tech is a great institution of higher learning and I believe that I am the person I am today from those experiences in courses and with the outstanding professors at TTU. I would highly suggest any student that is interested in graduate school to consider Texas Tech University. It will be a choice that I believe they will not regret.