Connecting Agriculture & Academia
Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, Chris spent summers on his uncle’s dairy farm and showing calves at the county fair. An Animal Science degree at the University of Wisconsin sparked his interest in research, leading to graduate studies at Texas A&M and a PhD at Kansas State University. After working in the commercial feed industry, the pharmaceutical sector, and academia, Chris now serves as Feedlot Research Nutritionist for Zinpro®. His family’s farming legacy goes back generations to immigrant ancestors, and he sees his work as continuing that agricultural lineage in a new way.
Learn, Teach, Repeat.
In the middle of his career, Chris spent a decade teaching at Kansas State University. The combination of academic and hands-on field learning has given Chris a unique ability to connect science and research to real-world production challenges, helping others better understand the science behind animal nutrition along the way. Whether he’s standing in front of a classroom or in a cattle producer’s driveway, Chris is always learning, teaching, and connecting.
Collaboration Creates Opportunity
Mentoring is incredibly important to Chris, ever since the first professor at Texas A&M invested the time to show him the ins and outs of the beef industry. He quotes the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Mentoring younger colleagues provides two-way benefits, with Chris helping them grow and develop their potential, while learning about their fresh ideas, novel discoveries, and new opportunities. His most meaningful accomplishments have come through working with strong, dynamic teams who build something bigger together – like the team at Zinpro.
Discovering Opportunities Everywhere
“It’s hard to be down when you know you’re going to develop something brand new that didn’t exist before.” Though the road to breakthrough may seem long and plodding, Chris knows that nutrition science is always making exciting new discoveries. The miles on the road and the hours in the field are all worth it when he can create opportunity for a customer from an unexpected source.
The Brave Beginner
One of Chris’ mantras is “Be brave enough to be bad at something new.” He is the very definition of a lifelong learner in every aspect of his life, never afraid to be a beginner. After beginning martial arts later in life, he quickly realized how humbling it can be to learn something entirely new. But Chris knows that growth only happens when we are willing to step outside our comfort zones.
One of a Kind. Of One Mind.
Chris story is unique, but he’s committed to Zinpro’s shared goal: helping producers bring out the best in their animals.
That’s the Zinpro® Effect.
