The 2005 Signal Service Awards were sponsored by Keystone Foods and Elanco Animal Health.

Larry Miller Click here to view the presentation (Flash Viewer Required) The AMSA Signal Service Award was established in 1956 and is given to members in recognition of devoted service and lasting contributions to the meat industry and to the association. The next winner of the AMSA Signal Service Award is Dr. Larry R. Miller.

Elanco's Aubrey Schroeder (left) presents the 2005 Signal Service Award to Larry Miller

Since 1969, Larry Miller has served in various leadership capacities for the US Department of Agriculture. In his first position, he was responsible for statistical analyses of research data for the Agricultural Research Service. Now he serves as the national program leader for animal sciences in USDA’s cooperative state research, education and extension service. In this current position, Larry provides national leadership and programmatic oversight for several animal programs, with emphasis on meat science, small ruminants, rangeland restoration, wool research, animal well-being and approval of drugs for minor animal species.

From 1982 to 1988, Larry was assigned to the office of the USDA Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and served as Executive Secretary for the Joint Council on Food and Agricultural Sciences. He oversaw coordination across research, extension, and teaching, responsibilities that traversed universities and federal agencies.

At CSREES, Larry serves as a liaison to numerous national and regional land grant activities. He leads the multi-state coordination for meat marketing, sheep and goat production, statistics and department heads and chairs of university animal, dairy and poultry science programs. He has served on the board or executive committees for the National Animal Germplasm Program, a cooperative program with USDA-ARS; DISCOVER conferences for animal agriculture; and ESCOP’s national research support projects, to name a few.

Larry also serves as the agency contact for animal commodity organizations, stakeholders, research funding analysis, multi-state research and extension programs, and other program reviews at land grant institutions.

You can’t say this about many people, but Larry has visited every 1862 land grant and most of the 1890 land grant institutions. He has traveled in every state and to 25 countries.

In AMSA, Larry has served on the nomination and member needs assessment committees. Most recently, he has served the organization well in his roles on the 2005 ICoMST organizing and finance committees. Larry was instrumental in securing the financial and program support from six USDA agencies and the FDA for this year’s ICoMST.

Larry grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, and received his BS in animal science and ag economics in 1963 from Western Illinois University. In 1966, he was awarded his MS from Kansas State University with program emphasis in animal breeding, growth & development, and statistics. Larry received his PhD in 1969 from Purdue University where his program of study focused on animal breeding, growth and muscle biology.

Larry and his wife Ellen live in Beltsville, Maryland. Larry has two daughters Alicia and Holly, two stepsons, Jeremy and Jacob, and four grandchildren. Larry and Ellen enjoy traveling and since 1978, have attended many ICoMST meetings.

For his dedicated service to the meat and livestock industry through his agency work and volunteer spirit, Larry R. Miller is indeed a worthy recipient of the AMSA Signal Service Award.