Kansas State University and Texas Tech University have entered an agreement to bring Texas Tech into the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI), which fosters collaboration to deal with issues relating to the beef industry.

BCI was established in the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 under the leadership of Dan Thomson, the Jones professor of production medicine and epidemiology and a Texas Tech alumnus.

BCI has become one of the world's premier collaborative centers for research, education and outreach in the beef industry, Kansas State said in an announcement. Texas Tech and Kansas State University are leaders in providing the beef industry, from producers to retailers, with the people and tools needed to succeed both today and into the future, making this collaboration a natural fit.

"An integrated approach between our schools is a smart use of our resources so that collectively, we can better serve the beef industry that provides significant economic infrastructure for our schools and our states," said Thomson, director of the institute. "I look forward to growing opportunities for our faculty and students together through research, outreach and educational opportunities."

By adding expertise from Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, these universities can take BCI to another level of success and deliver far-reaching solutions for the beef industry, provide expanded opportunities for students and faculty, and better serve citizen interests.

"This partnership not only strengthens the collaborative research between our two universities, but also elevates the national profiles of each," Texas Tech president M. Duane Nellis said. "Texas Tech and Kansas State boast some of the world's leading researchers in the beef industry and their joint efforts will benefit not only the universities, but also the public for years to come."

Texas Tech and Kansas State University have a shared vision for the service to the beef industry, its many and varied stakeholders and the citizens who benefit from the beef industry, from beef consumers to employees of allied businesses. Moreover, a large proportion of U.S. beef cattle are finished between Lubbock, Texas, and Manhattan, Kan., which generates substantial regional and national revenues.

"We are excited to partner with Texas Tech University and share a multidisciplinary vision to solving real-world issues the beef industry faces," Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University, said.

Beef from the region is exported around the world, and Texas Tech's involvement in BCI will have global influence.

"This relationship with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State is an important step forward in our continuing efforts to serve the livestock industry and grow expertise in a research focus area of animal health, nutrition and welfare," said Michael Galyean, dean of Texas Tech's College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. "Linkage to the Beef Cattle Institute will benefit faculty and students at both institutions."

BCI's goal is to provide students and beef producers with high-quality and up-to-date education, research and outreach. The hope is to increase the value of a student's education through work in the institute as well as increasing training for those in the beef industry.

"Through collaboration with Texas Tech University, Kansas State University and its College of Veterinary Medicine are poised to better address challenges facing the beef industry and its constituents," said Tammy Beckham, incoming dean of the Kansas State's College of Veterinary Medicine. "This partnership opens new avenues for education, research and outreach for faculty and students both within the college and across the university as well as nationally."