Sara Hene

My name is Sara Hene, and I grew up in Aurora, Illinois. In 2023, I received my B.S. from Kansas State University, where I majored in Animal Science and Industry. During my time at Kansas State, I became heavily involved in undergraduate research through the Kansas State University Meat and Muscle Biology Laboratory. This experience sparked my passion for meat science and bench-top research, ultimately inspiring me to pursue graduate education. Following graduation, I chose to continue my education at Texas A&M University, where I studied animal science with a concentration in meat science and earned my M.S. in 2026. I am currently a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech under the guidance of Dr. Tracy Scheffler. Through my doctoral research, I am excited to further explore muscle biology and physiology and their impacts on animal growth and meat quality.