K-State’s swine teaching and research facility gives students real-world agriculture experience
K-State strives to create opportunities for students to gain real-world experience in the classroom. K-State’s swine teaching and research farrowing facility is no exception. Opened May 27, 2021, the swine farrowing facility allows students to discover and develop their skills through hands-on learning.
“What we have in this facility is almost identical to what students would experience in swine research facilities outside of the university setting,” said Joel DeRouchey, professor in animal sciences and industry. “By having a similar facility to modern production, producers and allied industry can trust the information on nutrition, reproduction, animal care, management or any of the areas that we’re producing because it’s going to mimic the conditions they have in their facility.”
Students can also expect the new facility to create exciting learning opportunities for them to enjoy. “The research facility will positively impact our students through improved teaching and research experiences,” said Jason Woodworth, research professor in animal sciences and industry. “They will have access to a modern facility that has more space for hands-on student teaching and improved access to both graduate and undergraduate research opportunities.”
The K-State Swine Teaching and Research Center is located only five minutes from K-State’s main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, and provides undergraduate students with semester and summer job opportunities to further enhance their learning experience.
“The modern swine facility represents new opportunities,” said Madie Wensley, graduate research assistant in swine nutrition. “As a swine nutrition group, we will continue to focus our research efforts on what will have a lasting impact on the global swine industry. The best way to do that is in an enduring facility. With this new facility, we can dedicate more time and energy to data collection and less time to maintenance, which allows us to continue improving the quality of research we generate as a group.”
Wensley hopes that current and future students will continue to build on the foundation of excellence set in motion with the new facility. “I hope that students can continue to learn about general swine production and care, how to collect and generate quality research, and use those skills to make a difference in the industry,” said Wensley.
Philanthropy has played a vital role in the construction of the new swine teaching and research facility. “This new farrowing facility was made possible through the generous giving of many supporters of the swine program at K-State,” said DeRouchey. “It is humbling to have a large group of donors that wanted to impact the next generation of students to help advance them in their careers.”
