Chair's Message:

Greetings from the Department of Animal Science! As we move through this last year of the 20th century and anticipate what lies ahead for the 21st, change seems inevitable. For example, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in which the Department of Animal Science resides, is in the midst of recruiting a new dean. The department is working with the campus to replace our 80-year-old Swine Teaching, Research and Outreach Facility (alias the Pig Barn) on whose site the campus will place another building. The department is participating in new courses and majors in Biotechnology and in Animal Biology (see details in this issue) to prepare today's students for tomorrow's challenges. But with change all around us, we are also working hard to keep some things the same, including the value that we as a department place on our missions to provide high-quality teaching, research and outreach in support of animal agriculture and the people of California.

In this issue of Highlights, you will read about some exceptional achievements of members of the Animal Science family. Undergraduate students are featured for their outstanding academic performance as well as for their extracurricular activities. We honor our alumni who share their wisdom and experiences in career advising for our undergraduate students. We are rightfully proud of the recognition for effective outreach given to Animal Science Extension Specialists, and as State funds for research become more scarce, our faculty compete for extramural grant funds to support the department's research missions. Some of the faculty's recent successes are showcased in this issue. In addition, we honor the loyal service to the department and our clientele by staff members who recently received service awards. We hope that Highlights helps you to learn more about your department and to catch up on news about old friends. If we can be of help to you, I invite you to contact me (telephone: 530/752-1252; e-mail: gbanderson@ucdavis.edu). Best wishes for a productive 1999.

Gary B. Anderson, Chair