Next month, the American Meat Science Association will hold its 66th annual Reciprocal Meat Conference at Auburn.
As part of the weeklong event, the AMSA will award three Distinguished Achievement Awards to some of the association's youngest members who have made major contributions to industry research.
One of the recipients will be Christy Bratcher, associate professor of meat science.
"When I see the impressive list of people who have won this award in the past, I am touched," Bratcher said. "These former winners are people I look up to in this industry; people I respect greatly."
Bratcher has been a part of Auburn's faculty since March 2008, and has earned more than $7 million in research funding and has published dozens of manuscripts and abstracts.
Her research portfolio includes studies on mechanically tenderized roast beef, the safety of hamburger meat from non-traditional methods and flavor profiles of grass-fed beef products.
In March, Bratcher and a team of scientists from Auburn and Tuskegee University were awarded a $4.8 million grant from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to help ensure the safety of foods produced in local areas.
"I am very passionate about meat and meat science," Bratcher said. "It upsets me that there are a lot of activist groups that target our industry. Therefore, I want to teach others the truth about meat."
Bratcher says her passion first started during her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida.
After an unpleasant experience with organic chemistry as a pre-vet student, Bratcher picked up a class called "The Meat We Eat." Her experience in the class inspired her to change her major to animal sciences and later become a college professor, a career where she could teach and continue working in research.
The AMSA also recognized Bratcher for her success in teaching and mentoring graduate students in Auburn's department of animal sciences.
"She expects us to be proficient at our research responsibilities, thrive in the classroom and assist in extension work whenever possible," said Staci Degeer, graduate student in animal sciences. "We stay busy, but we aren't alone. Dr. Bratcher offers a two-way street of respect, trust and support."
Bratcher places an emphasis on giving her graduate students real-world, hands-on experience in the field they are entering in the near future.
"Instead of handing my students an outline and saying, 'Here is what you're going to do the next two years of your life,' I say, 'Here are the products you have to accomplish before you graduate,'" Bratcher said. "Now you go and figure out how you're going to be able to do these things. I find students learn so much more when they discover on their own and come to me for feedback.
"I don't think a lot of people agree with the way I train my grad students, but I feel it's best to immerse them into what they're going to be doing."
Outside the classroom and the laboratories, Bratcher also serves as the faculty advisor for the Collegiate Cattlemen and Cattlewomen, a student organization that promotes the department of animal sciences across the Southeast while running a full-scale catering business.
"I am excited that Dr. Bratcher is receiving national attention for her accomplishments," said Kim Fisher, graduate student in animal sciences. "She is an incredible asset to the department of animal sciences and to Auburn University."
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