Anyone who has come in contact with Dr. Bob Kauffman remembers his bow tie, sense of humor, and his total commitment to teaching and research in the animal-meat industry. During his 30-year tenure as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he influenced the career paths of many students and instituted innovative teaching methods. He developed the "Meat-Animal Evaluation Approach" to evaluating livestock, inspiring a competitive program for animal science students. His leadership also paved the way for the Academic Quadrathlon; both tournaments have spurred exciting, competitive learning for tens of thousands of students. His bright-eyed enthusiasm, boundless energy, and passion made him a magnetic and inspiring teacher.

Bob also contributed significantly to the pork industry by developing a simple method for measuring water-holding capacity, developing and refining the system for describing pork musculature, defining a fourth lean quality type, and patenting a method of improving color, water-holding capacity/tenderness in pork, beef, poultry, and lamb muscles. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at UWM. Through his work, Bob achieved long-term improvement in meat-animal production and research system, and he helped students flourish into the next generation of industry and academic leaders.

Continuing the Legacy

A fundraising drive for establishing a mentor recognition fund in the name of Bob Kauffman was started in December 2014. The funds raised from the mentor recognition will be used to support meat science student development.