Kim
UNIV Elise 100
Lapanne
9/27/10
Meetcha Teacha
It was very hard for me to pick a professor I wanted to interview, but I
chose Dr. Updike, my Animal Science 101 and Animal Science 103 professor
because he is the teacher that Im majoring in, Animal Science. I thought it would
be interesting to know what kind of life he had and what he had to go through to
become the professor that he is right now. Because I knew he was busy, I emailed
him and asked him politely if I can interview him but he didnt answer so I went
up to him after my Animal Science lab and he told me to email him the questions.
He still hasnt emailed me back but he did give us some background information
about himself on our first lesson on August 30. His family lived on a turkey farm
in the mid-1900s. Here, there was a vertical integration of the poultry industry.
Dr. Updikes family changed the farm from a range turkey farm to a range swine
farm in the mid to late 1900s. This farm was also a vertical swine
industry. integration From the swine farm, they changed it to a sheep farm where they packed
wool. However, at that time, wool was not popular so they were losing a lot of
money. They had to change the farm to a cattle farm. Here they had 200
commercial brood cows. This farm has changed a lot throughout Dr. Updikes life.
For his education, Dr. Updike went to Virginia Tech and he was in the Animal and
Poultry Sciences Department, where he joined the Livestock judging team and the
Scientific mentoring. He also went to Ohio State University where he studied
cattle, poultry, sheep, aquaculture in the Animal Science Department. Currently, he
is a faculty advisor to Wye Angus where he is an extension beef specialist. In this
job he looks at the beef quality and reproductive management. He is also a
professor at the University of Maryland, where he teaches Animal Science 101,
Animal Science 103, Principles of Livestock Evaluation, and Livestock
Management.