Dr. Aeriel Belk

Dr. Aeriel Belk grew up in northern Colorado, where she showed pigs, sheep, and cattle for 4-H. Her involvement in the 4-H club and all its activities led her to her passion for animal sciences. She completed an undergraduate degree in Animal Science at Colorado State University in 2015. While there, she was an active member of several clubs, worked in research labs studying animal reproduction and food safety, and competed on the meat judging team with some success. She went on to complete an M.S in Animal Science with a focus on meat science and food safety at Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Animal Science back at CSU. She is now an Assistant Professor at Auburn University, where she teaches meat science to undergraduate and graduate students and conducts research on the intersection of meat safety and quality. She is particularly interested in the microbial communities , or microbiomes, in meat processing facilities and how pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes disrupt their normal functioning. She is very excited to be involved in the Triple Crown competition, where she will facilitate the laboratory testing for tenderness and organize the taste panels and data analysis.