Associate Dean Irlbeck Receives Highest
Companion Animal Award
PRESTIGIOUS HONORS GOES TO IRLBECK FOR HER DEDICATION TO COMPANION ANIMALS
During the Northwestern Section of the American Society of Animal Sciences meeting in Montreal, Canada, Dr. Nancy Irlbeck, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Agricultural Sciences, received the 2009 American Society of Animal Science Jim Corbin Award in Companion Animal Biology. The honor is the highest award given in this particular field of animal science.
Raised on a farm in Iowa, Irlbeck has made her career as a dynamic educator, engaging leader, and insightful nutritionist. She has been an educator at Colorado State University since 1990, and was named associate dean in 2005. Although she plays a large part in the College's leadership, she still finds herself in the classroom teaching companion nutrition and zoo animal nutrition classes. In addition to her roles on campus, she also teaches pet and zoo nutrition via the web and teaches companion animal and zoo techniques in Australia, New Zealand, and Cost Rica.
"In the classroom, I would use stories gleaned from my life experience, my research, and from the literature to teach concepts. Down through history of mankind, peoples of the world passed down oral history through stories. It seems natural for students to learn this way because if they remembered a story, they would more likely remember the concept," says Irlbeck. She still has students come back to her from her early teaching days in the 1980's at Iowa State University who can recall her stories.
The Colorado State educator also serves as a consultant nutritionist at the Denver Zoo. It's a role she's had for 19 years. "I find it fascinating to teach the idiosyncrasies of animal husbandry utilizing a comparative approach and working with all animals of the world," comments Irlbeck.
Dr. Irlbeck has also written a textbook entitled Nutrition and Care of Companion Animals and recently authored a companion and exotic animal nutrition chapter in a Feeds & Feeding text. At Colorado State, Irlbeck is accredited with introducing exotic animals into the world-renowned animal sciences program.
"I was raised and trained within traditional agriculture and believe fervently in the "agricultural" way of life," says Irlbeck, who recognizes that animal science programs are often diversifying their once traditional focus. "More students want to know about horses, companion animals, alternative livestock and zoo animals." It's a passion she shares with many of Colorado State's up-and-coming students.