American Society of Animal Science Awards
Dr. Luis O. Tedeschi has gained international recognition for his growth and bioenergetic research and decision-support system in ruminants to help stakeholders achieve profitable animal production. Since the 1990s, Tedeschi has published 282 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 76 editor-reviewed manuscripts, 42 books or book chapters, and more than 289 abstracts, totaling more than 732 scientific publications on the impact of the composition of growth of growing cattle. He postulated that an animal’s body gain composition to its energy deposition efficiency in beef cattle’s tissues rather than the traditional dietary components approach. His forward-thinking approach to partitioning energy in growing cattle led him to develop the fundamentals and calculation logic behind a computer model used to determine the necessary days on feed to achieve the maximum profit for group-fed animals. Tedeschi has received numerous praises from feedlot-related enterprises for his computer models and books.
Sponsored by: American Society of Animal Science
Sarah H. White-Springer, Ph.D.
Dr. Sarah H. White-Springer is an Associate Professor of Equine Physiology at Texas A&M University. After receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, she completed postdoctoral training at the University of Kentucky studying muscle disease in humans and murine models. Her current research program centers on modulation of skeletal muscle metabolism in health, disease, and performance. Dr. White-Springer is a rising star in the field of mitochondrial biology whose programmatic efforts are highly regarded for excellence in research, as evidenced by invited national and international presentations, recruitment of horse industry collaborators, and funding support of over $3 million. She has authored or co-authored 29 journal articles and 60 scientific abstracts, mentored 9 M.S. and 2 Ph.D. students as chair of committee, and has served as the primary instructor for 8 courses. Dr. White-Springer is also an accomplished horsewoman most recently earning multiple titles at the 2022 Arabian Sport Horse National Championships.
Sponsored by: Zinpro Corporation
Animal Management Award
George A. Perry, Ph.D.
Dr. George A. Perry is the recipient of the American Society of Animal Science – ASAS 2023 Animal Management Award. His activities over the past decade have focused on reproduction management in beef cattle, with many projects conducted on producers’ operations. Additionally, many of Dr. Perry’s research findings have been adopted into producers’ management decisions. His program has received more than $5.5 million in support. Dr. Perry has published 106 peer-review manuscripts, 14 book chapters, 213 abstracts, 115 non-refereed scientific publications and proceedings, 21 extension articles and videos, and numerous popular press articles.
His presentation at ASAS will be held on July 18 titled “Reproductive efficiency–Managing cows to improve reproductive efficiency” in the Beef Species III: Reproduction session.
Sponsored by: United Animal Health
Joseph P. Fontenot Travel Scholarship Award
Dallas R. Soffa
Dallas Soffa is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. Dallas earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Sciences from North Carolina State University in 2019 and Virginia Tech in 2022, respectively. Dallas is a research assistant in Dr. Rebecca Poole’s lab, with her dissertation research focus on hormonal associations with reproductive microbiomes in cattle. Dallas has worked with beef and dairy cattle and swine, providing expanded knowledge on multiple livestock species. Dallas was recently elected as the 2023-2024 Graduate Student Director for the ASAS Southern Section. Dallas has published three papers as first-author and co-author in peer-reviewed journals.
Sponsored by: Joseph P. Fontenot Appreciation Club
American Meat Science Association Awards
Student Teaching “Cleaver” Award
Kaylee Greiner
Kaylee Greiner coached the 2022 National Champion meat judging team and has recently completed her master’s of science in meat science.
Undergraduate Scholastic Achievement Award
C. Boyd Ramsey Undergraduate Scholarship
Abby Tack
Abby Tack is starting a master’s of science in meat science at Texas A&M University and doing an ANRP Internship in Washington, DC this fall.
AMSA Meat Science Quiz Bowl
4th Place Team
Congratulations to the 2023 Texas A&M Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team on finishing 4th out of 36 competitive teams at the AMSA Reciprocal Meat Conference in Minnesota.
Team members included Abigail Tack, Gage Walsh, Channing Pieniazek, Bailey Lamb, Zachary Hoelscher, Avery Foster, Julie Diebel, Kadie Graves, Morgan McKinzie, Nathan Barrett, Shelby Pieniazek, and Shane Molitor. Coaches are Lauren Lee and MacKenzie Chapman and meat science graduate students.