Posted: November 10, 2019
Etherton received Distinguished Service Award for his many outstanding contributions to the broad field of animal and dairy science.
Dr. Terry Etherton, Head of Penn State's Department of Animal Science, received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award at the annual meeting of the Northeast regional branch of the American Society of Animal Science/American Dairy Science Association (ASAS/ADSA) in Hershey, PA, on Monday, November 4th.
The prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to the broad field of Animal/Dairy Science and is presented to a candidate with a long and distinguished career related to all areas of food animal production.
Dr. Etherton has had a highly regarded scientific career that has been nationally and internationally recognized, and greatly impacted animal agriculture from both a science and political advocacy perspective. A Distinguished Professor of Animal Nutrition, Dr. Etherton was named Head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science (now Animal Science) in 1998. He joined the Department in 1979 as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Etherton is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and ADSA. He served as President of the American Society of Animal Science (2003-04), as well as the Federation of Animal Science Societies (2005-2006).
Dr. Etherton received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Science and an M.S. degree in Animal Science, both from the University of Illinois. He earned a Ph.D. degree in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota and was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University prior to joining Penn State. Dr. Etherton is internationally recognized for his research in the area of endocrine regulation of animal growth and nutrient metabolism and was the first to establish that administration of recombinantly-derived porcine growth hormone to growing pigs improved growth rate, increased muscle mass and decreased body fat.
Dr. Tara Felix, president of the Northeast Branch of ASAS/ADSA and Assistant Professor at Penn State, said, "Dr. Etherton has provided outstanding leadership to the Department, as well as to other organizations. He was honored with this award as a result of the significant impacts he has had on both animal and dairy science over the years."
Dr. Etherton said, ""I am grateful to the societies that sponsored this award. In addition to honoring my contributions, this recognition reflects, in a most significant way, the many contributions that my colleagues have made over the years to advance education, research and extension that have benefited society and animal agriculture".
Major construction projects are underway through Dr. Etherton's leadership that will further enhance the Department's undergraduate and graduate programs as it upgrades facilities. Penn State has committed over $120 million to new construction projects, including replacing the Henning Building, the Department's "home," with a new building that will be completed in 2021; a new freestall dairy barn and anaerobic manure digester; and enhancements to both the Horse Farm and meats lab.
Under Dr. Etherton's leadership, Penn State's Department of Animal Science boasts many acclaimed teaching, research and Extension programs that benefit the Northeast, with particularly strong impacts on both youth and adults. In addition, Penn State's Department of Animal Science is the only one in Northeastern U.S. that maintains all the farms important for food animal production, which is a total of ten farms.
Dr. Etherton has provided strong support of undergraduate student clubs, academic teams and judging teams, including helping procure resources to help offset the costs of these valuable learning experiences. The Dairy Science Club, Block and Bridle Club and Poultry Science Club has all been nationally recognized for their excellence. Travel abroad opportunities have expanded learning opportunities for many students.
He has been widely recognized for his leadership, including being named 87th Little International Dedicatee by the Penn State Block and Bridle Club in 2004. He received the 2004 Service Award from Penn State's Dairymen's Club and the 2008 Booster Award from the Penn State Stockmen's Award. In 2016 he received the Pennsylvania Distinguished Dairy Service Award from the PA Dairymen's Association, the Center for Dairy Excellence and the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Etherton is married to Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition.
