Penn State Undergraduate Achieves All-American Livestock Judging Honour at Louisville Contest

The Penn State University Park Animal Science 2025 reported that Megan Zipprich, an Animal Science major at Penn State, was named one of the ten winners of the All-American Livestock Judging Award at the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest, held at Louisville, Kentucky. The All-American is a project launched by the Livestock Judging Team Coaches’ Association and the American Society of Animal Science. It is a project that appreciates students who exhibit enthusiasm in animal judging while performing well academically and socially. It was made clear that the pool of ten people chosen as All-Americans includes six institutions with a GPA of 3.93.

Members of the faculty in the Department of Animal Science at Pennsylvania State University referred to “a rare honour” when describing the award received by Zipprich. Indeed, it has been found out that this is the second time a student at Pennsylvania State University has won such a prize, the first one being Alli Jobe, who is presently coaching the livestock judging team. Zipprich explained that the livestock judging award of 2025 is the reflection of her dedicated work, the hours she spent balancing her studies, student clubs and travel with the judging team. Being grateful to her coaches, teammates and classmates, she mentioned that all played an important role in her success. Furthermore, this honour would encourage her to keep a high standard both academically and in the wider world.

She continued that she chose Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences USA, because there were many options for what students can do on that campus to develop their passions. At Penn State, she is currently involved in the following roles: service chair and previous vice president of the Block and Bridle Club, treasurer of the Cattlewomen’s Club, vice president of Coaly Society, and affiliate of Gamma Sigma Delta and American Society of Animal Science.

Apart from these accomplishments, Zipprich participated in the American Royal Livestock Judging Contest located in Kansas City, Missouri, as part of the livestock judging team from Penn State. The performance of the team resulted in the 16th place overall ranking, as well as 10th in sheep and goats, 16th in cattle, and 16th in pigs. As for individual rankings, she placed 7th in sheep and goats, thereby becoming the first student from Penn State to place in the top ten since 2013. Considering she had no previous livestock judging experience, the early success in the season was unexpected. Furthermore, she was delighted to be the first Penn State student in over ten years to achieve this.

Talking about extracurricular activities other than research experience, Zipprich was an undergraduate research assistant to Professor Kevin Harvatine of the Laboratory, and her research area was the cattle diet and the effects of the diets on the milk fat content. Her other interests include job shadowing of veterinary professionals in two veterinary clinics and her desire to attend veterinary school to practise veterinary medicine in rural areas. She encouraged others interested in agriculture to join livestock judging, noting that the enthusiasm for animal science drives the development of skills, bonds, and confidence.

Editors’ Note:

This is an excellent method of showing how one person at Penn State University, named Megan Zipprich, has done something truly remarkable. Megan is one of only ten students in the entire United States who was given the All-American Livestock Judging Award in 2025. This is an excellent accomplishment because it is an honour that not only encompasses their abilities when it comes to judging livestock, but also their dedication and efforts both in and out of school. Megan’s success shows that she has been working hard. Megan has been able to balance schoolwork with participation in different campus organisations and travel with the livestock judging team to competitions. Megan’s success is also a clear demonstration of the success of Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences because it offers support to agricultural students in both academics and hands-on activities. This news further emphasises the advantageous effects the livestock judging contest could have on the students. Megan stands seventh in the category of sheep and goats at the national-level competition. This is history for Penn State because for more than ten years now, the top ten contenders have never included Penn State delegates. Apart from participating in competitive events, Megan also conducts research and aspires to become a rural vet. This is proof of what can be achieved through awards, such as the award Megan received as an All-American, that can push individuals towards going beyond what others have achieved.

Skoobuzz underlines that it is much more than just an accomplishment on the part of one student. This achievement significantly highlights the value of education in developing skills, leadership, and service. It also clearly demonstrates how Penn State is enhancing its reputation in the fields of animal science and agriculture.

FAQs

1.Does Penn State have an animal science programme?

Yes, Penn State has a strong animal science programme in its College of Agricultural Sciences. Students learn about livestock, nutrition, genetics, health, and farm management, with both classroom teaching and hands‑on work at university farms.

2.Which university is best for animal science?

Globally, universities such as Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the University of California, Davis in the USA are often ranked the best for animal science. They are known for excellent research and teaching in agriculture and animal studies.

3.What major is Penn State most known for?

Penn State is well known for majors in business, engineering, psychology, communications, and agricultural sciences. These subjects attract many students and are often recognised nationally.

4.Which college has the best animal science programme?

In the United States, UC Davis and Texas A&M University are often considered to have the best animal science programmes. Internationally, Wageningen University is highly respected for its focus on agriculture and animal research.

5.What is the highest‑paying animal science career?

The highest‑paying careers in animal science are usually in veterinary medicine, where experienced vets can earn high salaries. Other well‑paid jobs include animal research scientists, zoologists, and specialists in animal nutrition or genetics.