New Iowa Beef Center director excited to expand her connection to Iowa’s beef cattle industry
7/22/25
Aimee Wertz-Lutz.
AMES, Iowa – When Aimee Wertz-Lutz was working as a post-doctoral research associate in ruminant nutrition and nutritional physiology at Iowa State University, she likely didn’t see ISU as part of her professional career. After all, she would soon be headed to South Dakota State University as a faculty member in the animal and range sciences department, then to ADM Animal Nutrition as a manager of ruminant nutrition research, followed by serving as ruminant nutritionist for Devenish Nutrition (North America.)
Yet, on July 1 of this year, she returned to ISU as Iowa Beef Center director and extension feedlot specialist. And she’s truly excited to be back.
“I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Iowa State University, the heritage of Iowa cattle production, and the producers that make that happen,” she said. “My academic side loves questioning ‘what if’ and seeking the answers that propel our industry forward, and my industry side is rooted in assessing what is the best technology available to date to address a problem and then making a decision that balances the optimal path for production and economic soundness.”
While buzzwords really aren’t her thing, she said the beef industry needs to identify production factors that are fiscally sustainable, and resource and waste management practices that are efficient and sustainable. Generational sustainability will require a focus on the emerging generations of animal science students without an agricultural or farming background.
As a nutritionist by training, Wertz-Lutz is drawn to impacts of nutrition from calf to packer.
“I’m interested in how in-utero and early life calf nutrition impacts feeder calf growth, efficiency, and health, and how producers capture value through the production segments,” she said. “What is the best genetic x nutrition program for cattle being fed to heavier weights? Where do optimum growth, efficiency, and carcass merit intersect to yield fiscal sustainability? Are we making the best use of input resources and then finding ways to use waste streams?”
The beef industry has more information at its disposal than ever before, she said, and the greatest value the IBC can have is to translate this information into tools that can advance beef production and address the challenges faced by the industry.
“In agriculture and through Iowa State University, we are fortunate to have the land-grant system in place with a structure to seek solutions, convey solutions to producers, and communicate with the public the impact of these solutions,” she said. “The value the Iowa Beef Center brings is from being presented with a newly emerging challenge and using our skill to identify solutions, convey those to producers, and make the impact known to consumers. It’s also important for the Iowa Beef Center to remain an objective source of information and maintain relationships so that objective information can be shared with regulatory bodies and policymakers.”
Wertz-Lutz said her goal for this summer is to get to as many regions of the state and participate in as many ongoing activities as possible.
“As with any new position, I have as much to learn as I have knowledge and experience to share,” she said. “My experience is that new roles always have challenges, but it is amazing to watch the growth that comes from working through a challenge.”
She looks forward to meeting people from all segments of Iowa’s beef industry, and can be reached by email at aimeewl@iastate.edu and by phone at 515-294-1058.
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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.
Contact:
Aimee Wertz-Lutz, Iowa Beef Center director and Iowa State University extension feedlot specialist, 515-294-1058, aimeewl@iastate.edu
