Expert Speakers
Keith Belk, Ph.D.
Keith Belk is a Professor at Colorado State University (CSU). Previously, he was employed as a meat buyer by Safeway, Inc., and later by USDA-AMS as an International Marketing Specialist. At CSU since 1995, he teaches and conducts research addressing meat quality and safety, international marketing, and quality/safety management. He has authored or co-authored 185 refereed scientific journal articles and was primary inventor on two patents. He served as state Meat Extension Specialist between 1995 and 2000, on the Board of Directors for the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) between 2003-2005 and as President of AMSA in 2009-2010. He was listed as one of “Meat Processing” magazines “Rising Stars” in 2001 and has taught HACCP and conducted food safety audits as a consultant to Food Safety Net Services LLC since 1996.
Dale Woerner, Ph.D.
Dr. Dale R. Woerner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dale earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from Texas Tech University (TTU) in 2003 and 2005, respectively, and completed a Ph.D. in Animal Science/Meat Science in 2009 at Colorado State University (CSU). Immediately following graduation in 2009, Dale joined the Center for Meat Safety Quality, a Program of Research and Scholarly Excellence at Colorado State University, as a new faculty member with a research and teaching appointment. Dr. Woerner’s research experience and expertise is in fresh meat quality, pre-harvest management of beef for quality meat production, meat cookery, instrument assessment of meat products, fresh meat shelf-life, and innovative carcass fabrication. Dale serves as a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Beef Innovations Group, has served as the president of the AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Coaches Association, and serves as chairman of the National 4-H Meat Judging Advisory Committee. Dale, his wife Wendy, and their son Drake currently reside in Greeley, Colorado.
Robert Delmore, Ph.D.
Dr. Bob Delmore is a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University. He teaches courses in Meat Science, Meat Processing and Food Safety. He is also a member of the Center for Meat Safety Quality conducting research to address national and global issues. In 2016, Delmore was recognized by the National Provisioner magazine and named to their list of “25 Future Icons of the Meat Industry.” Delmore spent 9 years in the Animal Science Department at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. In addition to teaching courses, Bob oversaw the University processing facilities and was instrumental in the design and construction of a new Meat Processing Center. Dr. Delmore was formerly the Vice President of Technical Services at Clougherty Packing Company (Farmer John). Dr. Delmore received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1991) in Food Science, earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1993) and received a Ph.D. from Colorado State University (1998). Bob and his wife Dr. Lynn Graves Delmore, also a well-regarded meat scientist, live in Wellington CO, with their two daughters Ainsley and Tessa.
Bridget Wasser M.S.
Bridget Wasser is Executive Director, Meat Science & Technology in the Department of Science & Product Solutions at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the beef checkoff program, in Centennial, CO. Her responsibilities include developing and leading the checkoff’s beef quality/taste research program, research project management, cutting demonstrations, product education and helping lead organizational strategy for innovation-related activities. Bridget received a B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science with a focus on Meat Science from Texas A&M University and has been on staff since November of 2005.
