FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Growing up on a small farm in southern Missouri, Zena Herrera always knew she wanted to work with animals, but it wasn’t until she got to the University of Arkansas and joined the Meat Science Quiz Bowl team that she found her calling.
Herrera, whose maiden name is Hicks, joined the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences on Jan. 5 as an assistant professor of meat science and muscle biology in the department of animal science. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Zena Herrera back to the Division of Agriculture,” said Michael Looper, professor and head of the department of animal science for the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College. “Her expertise in meat science and muscle biology — and her enthusiasm for uncovering the ‘why’ behind meat quality — will strengthen both our research and our teaching. We’re excited to have her on the team.”
Before returning to academia, Herrera spent two years in research and development with Tyson Foods where she worked on methods to improve a wide range of products, including fresh pork sausage, smoked sausage, lunch meats, hot dogs and some poultry items.
“That industry experience gave me a much better understanding of how products are actually made at scale and what kinds of skills students need if they want to go into industry,” Herrera said. “It’s something I can bring directly into the classroom.”
Herrera earned her doctorate in animal science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2023 and her master’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University in 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Arkansas in 2018 as a member of the Honors College and a Bumpers College Ambassador.
Knowing the ‘why’
During her doctoral work, Herrera studied fetal programming of skeletal muscle, examining how conditions in utero can alter muscle growth and energy use later in life. Stressors during pregnancy can cause the developing animal to prioritize vital organs such as the brain and heart, sometimes at the expense of skeletal muscle, Herrera explained
“Everything about the live animal can impact meat quality,” Herrera said. “As production systems change, there will always be new questions to answer.”
Herrera’s expertise in fetal programming research will be helpful in Arkansas, where cow-calf operations make up a majority share of cattle farms, Looper said. These farms primarily focus on raising calves to be sold after weaning.
“There’s always going to be new things to discover in the world of meat science,” Herrera said. “With a lot of things, we understand what happens but sometimes we’re still putting together the ‘why.'”
Knowing “the why” helps fellow researchers discover prevention or treatment methods to avoid meat quality issues.
“We just want to make sure that anything that we’re changing in animal production, especially large-scale, isn’t going to negatively impact meat quality, because that’s really why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Herrera said.
While still settling into her new role, Herrera plans to collaborate with other scientists in the department, including animal nutritionists and physiologists, to examine how management decisions, diet, genetics and stress interact to influence meat quality.
At home, dinner may even be a meat science discussion. Her husband, Nicolas Herrera, is a meat scientist at Tyson Foods. They have a young son, Coleson, who they call their “littlest meat scientist.”
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.