Michael Chao is a new assistant professor in the Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. Chao is a meat scientist with research interests in meat lipidomic and developing niche meat processing techniques to serve the needs of domestic-ethnic and international markets.

Chao grew up in Taiwan until the age of 15, when his family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of San Marino. A desire to be a veterinarian led him to UC Davis to major in animal science. The introduction to animal science class his freshman year opened his eyes to the opportunities in livestock production. He earned both his bachelor’s (2007) and master’s (2011) degrees from UC Davis, and then his PhD in animal science with a specialization in meat science and muscle biology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2015.

"We are delighted that Dr. Chao is joining the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry," says Evan Titgemeyer, K-State ASI interim department head. "His training and experience will be an important addition to our team serving the meat industry. He’s a great fit for our department because he has a passion for teaching, yet he also has research skills that complement our existing faculty extremely well."

At K-State, Chao's appointment will be 60% research and 40% teaching. In his role, he will teach advanced meat science. He is currently developing a fresh meat-based class.

Chao has worked for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, both as an intern based in the organization’s Denver headquarters and the Taiwan office, and later on a contract basis to lead Taiwanese and Chinese auditing and business teams through beef and lamb processing plants in the United States.  

"I look forward to the vast fishing and hunting opportunities in Kansas," says Chao, an avid outdoorsman.

Chao and his wife, Ying, have two sons — Luke and Hans.

Source: Kansas State University Department of Animal Science