Madeline G. McKnight received a B.S. in Animal and Dairy Science from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2023. She completed her M.S. degree in Animal Science at MSU in December 2025 and immediately began a Ph.D. program under the supervision of Dr. Kelsey Harvey. Madeline’s thesis work focused on trace mineral nutrition of stressed beef cattle. During her M.S. program, Madeline authored and co-authored 4 journal articles and 11 professional meeting abstracts. She contributed significantly to all branches of the Land-Grant system: research, Extension, and teaching. Madeline assisted with Extension workshops, spoke at regional cattlemen’s meetings, and producer field days. She also served as teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Upon graduation, Madeline’s goal is to work in the industry to use the knowledge she obtained throughout her education to develop strategies to optimize all aspects of beef cattle production.