Meat Science Quiz Bowl
Texas A&M University’s Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team is a fun way to learn about all topics associated with meat science. It is made up of undergraduate students who are interested in a competitive knowledge-based forum on meat science topics.
The team begins practice in the spring, and travels to compete at the Reciprocal Meat Conference hosted by the American Meat Science Association. The competition is held in the summer, around the third week of June. The team practices in the evenings, two to three times a week. As the competition gets closer, the team may practice more.
Quiz Bowl topics
Professors volunteer their time to cover topics in their field of interest, to prepare the team for competition day. Topics covered include:
- Skeletal and muscle anatomy
- Muscle ultrastructure
- Food safety
- Processed meats
- History of important dates and people
- Current events
About the competition
The competition is held the Sunday before the Reciprocal Meat Conference begins. Teams are comprised of three undergraduate students, and universities can have a maximum of two teams. Texas A&M typically takes seven undergraduate students, with one student serving as an alternate.
The competition is fast and fierce. Forty questions are asked, 18 of which are head-to-head between certain members of the teams. The remaining questions are open for all to answer. A question is asked, and a team member has 5 seconds to buzz in and 5 seconds to answer.
After the competition, students can attend the Reciprocal Meat Conference. There is a wide array of topics discussed, research presented and key industry leaders to network with. It is a great opportunity for students to listen, learn and discuss to understand the opportunities that are available in the meat science industry. They can have fun and meet undergraduates from universities from all over the U.S.
Contact information
If you are interested in meat science, and are looking for a fun and challenging way to increase your knowledge base, contact Clay Eastwood at leastwood@tamu.edu for more information. Dan Hale, ph.D., (dhale@tamu.edu) is the meat science faculty coordinator for the team.
Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team
