Rebecca grew up in Vacaville, California where she developed a passion for raising livestock. Her passion led to involvement in FFA and the livestock show industry and even employment as a butcher. Rebecca attended California State University, Chico where she earned a double B.S. in Animal Science and Agricultural Business. During her time at Chico, Rebecca was a Research Associate and Herdsmen at the University Farm Beef Unit. She has held several Executive Board positions for the California Young Cattlemen’s Committee and for the Chico State Young Cattlemen’s Association. As an undergrad, Rebecca had the opportunity to work on several research projects, which she presented at WSASAS and several other meetings. She was also a member of the 2017 nationally ranked WSASAS Champion Academic Quadrathlon team. Rebecca’s passion for Animal Science Research and Education led her to attend graduate school at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She taught undergraduate coursework, and her keystone M.S. project in the Stress Physiology lab led to new information about the effect of heat stress on the wellbeing, metabolic efficiency, and performance of feedlot animals. She has also been involved with studies examining fetal programming effects of stress in sheep and high maternal androgen in cattle on postnatal growth and metabolism. Rebecca is a long-standing member of ASAS and recently earned membership in Gama Sigma Delta. Since graduating in May, Rebecca has started a Ph.D. at Mississippi State University.