A doctoral student with Texas Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences has been awarded a W.D. Farr Scholarship from the National Cattlemen's Foundation. Josh Ison of Batavia, Ohio, was presented the $12,000 award, which recognizes superior achievement in academics and leadership, and will allow him to further his studies that benefit the cattle and beef industry, today (July 31) at the 2014 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver.

The focus of Ison's research is food safety and public health epidemiology, while his graduate studies center on the burden of Salmonella in cattle populations. For instance, in early 2015 he will travel to France to conduct a study of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella to help U.S. regulatory agencies in making informed decisions to address pathogen surveillance and antibiotic resistance in food animal production systems.

Ison received his bachelor's degree in animal science from Morehead State University, and his master's degree in food science from Texas Tech. Since 2011 he has been a graduate research assistant in Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

According to program officials, the annual W.D. Farr Scholarship awards were established by the National Cattlemen's Foundation in 2007 to recognize outstanding students who plan to pursue careers in meat science and animal agriculture. Farr was the first president of the National Cattlemen's Foundation, and served as president of the American National Cattlemen's Association, which would later become the NCBA. His career spanned 75 years and included innovations in cattle feeding, uniform beef grading, water conservation and banking. Farr died in 2007 at the age of 97.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Michael Orth, chairman, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5653 or michael.orth@ttu.edu

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