CANR honors 2025 You Belong Here Champions
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EmailTravis Brenden, Ph.D., Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion and Dustin Petty will be honored as the 2025 CANR You Belong Here Champion Award recipients at the CANR Faculty and Staff Awards on May 8
Travis Brenden, Ph.D., Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion and Dustin Petty will be honored as the 2025 CANR You Belong Here Champion Award recipients at the CANR Faculty and Staff Awards reception on Thursday, May 8.
The CANR Office of Culture, Access and Belonging established the award to recognize CAB champions within the CANR community. You Belong Here Champions foster a culture where every community member feels valued and inspired to achieve individual and common goals with an uncommon will.
You Belong Here Champions maintain an accessible, inclusive, and supportive community for all who learn, work, and teach in CANR, MSU Extension, and AgBioResearch.
The 2025 You Belong Here Award recipients are:
- You Belong Here Faculty Award: Travis Brenden, Ph.D., Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Quantitative Fisheries Center
- You Belong Here Graduate Student Award: Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion, Department of Animal Science
- You Belong Here Academic Specialist Award: Dustin Petty, Bailey Scholars Program
You Belong Here Faculty Award
Travis Brenden, Ph.D.
Travis Brenden, Ph.D., a native of South Dakota, earned his BS in Biological Sciences from South Dakota State University and his MS and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, along with an MS in Statistics, from Virginia Tech. He is currently co-director of the Quantitative Fisheries Center at MSU, where he has significantly contributed to research, education and outreach in fisheries management. Brenden’s research focuses on assessing and managing fisheries, invasive species control and combating pathogen outbreaks in fish populations. He is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming academic environment, helping shape the future of fisheries science through collaboration and outreach with partners in the Great Lakes region.
You Belong Here Graduate Student Award
Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion
Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion, of the Department of Animal Science, specializes in feedlot performance, nutritional management, liver abscess development, carcass traits and the value of beef x Holstein and Holstein steers. Her research focuses on beef cattle management, production and nutrition, while her extension work aims to help producers optimize the management of beef x Holstein steers for better operational decisions and maximized revenue. She is actively involved in professional organizations such as the American Society of Animal Science, the American Dairy Science Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
You Belong Here Academic Specialist Award
Dustin Petty
Dustin DuFort Petty has served as the Academic Advisor for the Bailey Scholars Program since 2013. He holds a BS in Agriculture & Natural Resources Communications, with a specialization in the Bailey Scholars Program, and an MA in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education (HALE) from MSU. Before his academic advising career, Dustin worked as a Student Advocate for Chicago Public Schools, supporting the 15,000+ homeless K-12 students. In addition to his educational work, he co-authored two books, Michigan FFA: A Legacy of Great Lakes Leadership and The New Bullying. Dustin enjoys baking, reading and practicing genealogy outside of his professional life. He embraces his inner "nerd" and is known for his unique, rebellious spirit.
