Animal and Food Sciences leaders honor outstanding alumni, special contributors
Texas Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences highlighted its outstanding alumni and special contributors on Friday (Oct. 17) at a special 350-person event held in the department's livestock arena. Eight award winners were honored as well as members of the 1984, 1994 and 2004 Meat Judging Teams and the 2009 Wool Judging Team.
The award recipients included the following individuals and organizations:
Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award Max Miller. Miller earned his bachelor's degree from what was known as Texas Technological College in dairy industry and his master's degree in dairy science from Michigan State University. He returned to Tech to teach in the Department of Dairy Industries. He later decided to pursue his doctorate in food sciences from Michigan State. After completion, he returned back to Tech and became an associate professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences. He has been at Tech for 50 years. He married his high school sweetheart, Roma, in 1956.
Hall of Fame Graduate of Distinction Award Sam Miller. Miller was the eldest son of Roma and Max Miller. He graduated from Brownfield High School as salutatorian and continued his education at Texas Tech where he earned two bachelor's degrees, one in electrical engineering and the other in food technology. He then attended the University of California-Davis, receiving a master's and doctorate degrees in food engineering. He went to work for Frito Lay in Plano ultimately becoming a principal engineer and spending his 18-year career with Frito Lay in various aspects of research and product development.
Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award G. Rollie White Trust. White was a graduate of Texas A&M in 1895 and a member of the Corps of Cadets. He was a legendary rancher in Brady, known by many as "The Steer King of Texas." The award was presented to Clay Jones and his wife Wendy, as well as his brother Mark Jones and his wife Connie. Established in 1970, the mission of the G. Rollie White Trust is to carry out the wishes of G Rollie. In 2011, the G. Rollie White Trust provided the funds to establish the John W. and Doris Jones Endowed Professorship in Animal and Food Sciences. Also, the G. Rollie White Trust donated funds to develop the William and Diane Jones Scholarship Endowment which supports students on the livestock judging team.
Hall of Fame Horizon Award Dale and Wendy Woerner. Dale and Wendy Woerner met as freshmen at Texas Tech where they both judged on the wool, meat and meat animal evaluation teams and coached many meat judging teams. They both received their master's degrees at Tech. Dale earned his doctorate at Colorado State University where he is now the faculty advisor for the meat judging team. Wendy is the vice president of technical services for World Wide Premium Packers, the parent company for Pat Boone All-American Meats. Dale, Wendy, and their son, Drake, currently reside in Greeley, Colorado, where they are heavily involved in the meat and livestock industries.
Hall of Fame Advanced Graduate of Distinction Award John Pipkin. Pipkin completed his bachelor's degree in animal science and his master's degree in reproductive physiology at Texas A&M University. He completed his doctorate at Texas Tech, then served as a visiting assistant professor. He has since moved on to West Texas A&M University, where his teams have won many awards and national championships. He lives in Amarillo with his wife, Kenda, and sons, John Luke and Joshua.
Meat Science Distinguished Alumni Award Larry Meadows. Meadows earned his degree in animal science from Texas Tech in 1970. He was on the fall 1970 meat judging team and began his career with USDA as an agricultural commodity meat grader in Columbus, Ohio. Now with 43 years of service, Meadows lives with his wife Pam in Golden, Colorado, and is the Special Assistant to the Deputy Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program.
Meathead of the Year Award Travis O'Quinn. O'Quinn obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from Texas Tech where he also coached the meat judging, meat animal evaluation, and academic quiz bowl teams. He went on to Colorado State University to pursue a doctorate in meat science. O'Quinn came back to Texas Tech to complete consumer research and now is at Kansas State University as an assistant professor. He and his wife, Megan, live in Manhattan, Kansas.
Albert Usener Award Darrell and Susan O'Quinn. The O'Quinns have served in various volunteer capacities in numerous organizations including Galveston County Wildcat 4-H, Clear Creek FFA Booster Club, and Clear Creek Project Graduation just to name a few. All three of their children have attended Texas Tech University and have a passion for meat judging. The family has graciously opened their home to numerous meat judging teams and served dinner at their home to students during the Houston Livestock Show Meat Judging Contest for years. They also assisted with securing consumers for research panels in the Houston area.
Written by Moriah Beyers
CONTACT: Michael Orth, Chair and Professor, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5653 or michael.orth@ttu.edu
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