Jason Ahola, an associate professor of beef production system, was recently named as one of the region’s Top 10 Industry Leaders by Cattle Business Weekly.

The newspaper, based in Philip, S.D., is a leading agriculture publication that annually recognizes cattle professionals for their leadership. The publication recognized Ahola’s position as faculty adviser to the CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team, which gives rising beef-industry professionals hands-on experience in the cattle business.Under Ahola’s direction, the students work through most of the academic year to ready around 50 bulls and young cows from the CSU teaching herd for a spring sale. The team readies purebred Hereford, Angus and Herford-Angus crossbred cattle, which are attended by about 500 buyers.

Ahola is also one of 21 principal investigators to conduct the National Beef Quality Audit, which provides critical data to measure the quality and safety of U.S. beef throughout the supply chain and across the nation. He is one of five investigators from CSU.