Ben Holland

2026 Davis College Distinguished Alumni Award

Ben Holland of Canyon, Texas earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas Tech, where he also served as the 42nd Masked Rider, and a master’s degree in animal science and doctorate in Animal Nutrition at Oklahoma State University, as well as an MBA from West Texas A&M University. Holland serves as vice president of margin management at Cactus Feeders in Amarillo, Texas, where he provides strategic leadership in risk management, commodity procurement, nutrition and veterinary services, and the company’s research division, Cactus Research. He began his career as assistant professor and extension beef feedlot specialist at South Dakota State University, and later joined Merck Animal Health as technical services manager. Since joining Cactus Feeders in 2015, Holland has held leadership roles in research, operations analysis, commodity strategy, and business development. Through Cactus Research, he has led more than 75 large-scale feeding trials involving over 150,000 cattle, advancing knowledge in grain processing, animal health, feed additives, and carcass performance.