Dale Woerner, the Cargill Endowed Professor in Sustainable Meat Science within the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Texas Tech Parents Association’s Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Distinguished Research Award (STEM). The honor will be presented at the organization’s Faculty & Student Awards Breakfast on Saturday (Apr. 12) at the Student Union Building’s Red Raider Ballroom.
“Dr. Woerner is an outstanding faculty member in Davis College and his research has and continues to have a major impact on the beef sector,” said Darren Hudson, Davis College Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment and the Larry Combest Endowed Chair for Agricultural Competitiveness in the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics. “This award reflects Dr. Woerner's contributions and is a prime example of the excellent and impactful research that goes on across Davis College.”
According to Texas Tech’s Office of Research & Innovation website, the award recognizes excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activity. Nominees are evaluated on the quality of scholarship, publications, and reference letters. The award winner’s research contributions should be of high quality and nationally recognized by peers in the field.
Woerner is a widely published researcher and collaborator who has been a presenter or invited speaker on numerous subjects. He has conducted more than $18 million in industry funded research and has published more than 300 scholarly works. Honors include the Davis College Distinguished Alumni Award (2018) and the American Meat Science Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2021). Woerner received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science from Texas Tech. His doctorate in animal science/meat science is from Colorado State University.
In the past Woerner’s research and teaching focused on meat quality, processing, cookery, flavor and nutritional value, as well as red meat composition, yield and international marketing, innovative carcass cutting strategies, meat shelf life and livestock quality management systems, including beef x dairy. Last year he was selected to lead a $633,000 research study to create a model for genomic, blood and microbiological markers for liver abscesses in beef cattle.
The research was aimed at identifying factors that contribute to the liver abscess condition in cattle to find early identifiers and interventions. Woerner’s research today is largely focused on improving efficiencies in beef production, including the overhaul of the industry’s ability to measure red meat yield to incentivize sustainable beef production.
One of the nation’s leaders in developing and providing food and agricultural products for the public, Woerner joined the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources faculty in 2018. He previously served nine years as a Professor of Meat Science in Colorado State’s Department of Animal Sciences. He also served as a member of Colorado State’s Program of Research & Scholarly Excellence, as well as overseeing the university’s meat judging team, perennially one of the best in the nation at the time.
Current Davis College faculty members presented Barnie E. Rushing Jr. Distinguished Research Awards from Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources include Stephen Devadoss (AAEC) 2024, Lam-Son Phan Tran (PSS) 2023; Kristin Hales (AFS) 2022; Chance Brooks (AFS) 2019; Jyotsna Sharma (PSS) 2017; and Darren Hudson (AAEC) 2013.
CONTACT: Chance Brooks, Professor and Chair, Department of Animal & Food Sciences, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-3517 or chance.brooks@ttu.edu
0214NM25