David Anderson

The RC Pollock award is presented in honor of the first general manager of the National Live Stock and Meat Board. Pollock, dedicated to the advancement of meat science, was the moving force in the establishment of the first Reciprocal Meat Conference. This award honors a dedicated AMSA member whose work through teaching, extension, research, or service represents an extraordinary and lasting contribution to the meat industry.

The 2007 AMSA R.C. Pollock Award is sponsored by the AMSA Educational Foundation.

The recipient of the 2007 AMSA R.C. Pollock Award is Dr. David B. Anderson, a retired research scientist in animal nutrition and physiology research for Elanco Animal Health. He currently serves as an affiliate faculty member at Colorado State University. Born in 1944 in Hutchinson, Minnesota, he was raised on a farm in south central Minnesota, where he raised pigs with his father’s purebred Hampshire herd. David received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from South Dakota State University in 1966, before earning master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin in 1968 and 1971, respectively. While attending the University of Wisconsin, he also served as a teaching and research assistant, teaching meat animal evaluation and meat judging courses. Following completion of his degrees, he served a tour of duty with the U.S. Army as an officer from 1971 to 1975.

In 1975, Dr. Anderson joined the University of Illinois Animal Science staff as an associate professor where he taught and conducted research on animal growth and development and meat processing. After four years at the University of Illinois, David accepted a position at Elanco Animal Health Discovery and Development Research in Greenfield, Indiana, as a senior scientist. He held several company positions related to research in swine growth, nutrition and physiology. In 1988, Purdue University asked him to serve as an adjunct faculty member on David B. Anderson Awards Presentation graduate research committees and assist on selected lectures and a graduate seminar for the Department of Animal Science.

Throughout his stellar career, David devoted his extensive research to the growth and development of swine, muscle and adipose tissue development and metabolism. He has been an ad hoc reviewer of the Journal of Animal Science, the Canadian Journal of Animal Science and the Journal of Muscle Foods since 1985. He has nine patents and has published several hundred reports and more than 90 papers, abstracts and review papers.

A leader in the field of meat science, David has served on numerous committees and boards, including: the Agricultural Genetics and Technology Committee, Indiana Corporation for Science and Technology; the Nutritional Sciences Advisory Committee, Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois; the Research Priorities Symposium Planning Committee, Food Animal Integrated Research for 1995; and the Board of Directors for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.

AMSA also played an important role in his consummate career as he served as a director from 1987 to 1989, RMC chairman in 1989, AMSA president-elect in 1994, president in 1995 and immediate past president in 1996. He was also instrumental in establishing AMSA’s Sustaining Member program. He masterfully chaired the fundraising efforts for the 2005 International Congress of Meat Science and Technology. Under his leadership, the organizing committee raised more than $350,000 in cash and product contributions for the Congress.

Currently, David serves on the Board of Trustees for the AMSA Educational Foundation. He recently led the effort to establish a mentorship recognition program for the foundation.

David married the former Carol Whitney in 1970 and they have two daughters, Jacquelyn and Kristin.

Dr. David Anderson has been a dedicated researcher, instructor and member of AMSA, whose contributions have helped shape the course of the meat industry and this organization. He is a deserving recipient of the R.C. Pollock Award.