Notable notes:

Joy Mench received the Poultry Welfare Research Award from the Poultry Science Association (PSA) at their 2004 awards banquet in St. Louis. Dr. Mench is an acknowledged national leader in teaching, research and policy concerning welfare of agricultural animals. She is the sole non-veterinarian to sit on the Council for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, the national oversight group for animals used in teaching, research and outreach.

Dana Van Liew, lecturer in the Department of Animal Science and manager of the UC Davis campus sheep facility, received a College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Award of Distinction last October. He received the award as “Outstanding Staff.” Dana has been the dedicated coach of the intercollegiate Livestock Judging Team for more than 20 years. He is known for encouraging high school students to attend UC Davis. He advises and attends numerous high school and collegiate agricultural field days and organizes and attends judging contests throughout California.

John Eadie received the Dennis G. Raveling Award at the California Wildlife Convention in August 2004. This award is given to an individual who has made vital contributions to waterfowl research. Dr. Eadie holds a joint appointment in Animal Science and in Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, where he holds the Dennis G. Raveling Endowed Professorship. 

At the October 2004 meeting of  the Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC/USDA) in Portland, Oregon, Fred Conte and Sergei Doroshov received awards for their work with outreach and sturgeon, respectively. Dr. Conte has had a leading role in WRAC since its inception, working as chair and a leading member of the Extension Committee and participating in research projects, especially in California, working with the California Aquaculture Association. For the last ten years, Dr. Doroshov has chaired a workgroup on sturgeon broodstock development and worked with scientists from California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington. The USDA awards were made ".. for outstanding contributions to the growth and development of aquaculture in the United States." WRAC is a regional organization created some 20 years ago to support and enhance aquaculture development in the western U.S. via collaboration of researchers, extension specialists and industry.

 He is a senior author of the Sturgeon Hatchery Manual published by the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1988 and of the Oyster Culture Manual. The group's collaborative efforts and research in sturgeon reproductive biology, disease, genetics and husbandry have led to the development of commercial sturgeon culture and production of new products, including caviar, in California. Dr. Conte, who is co-principal investigator of this project, is now summarizing research information for a new manual on sturgeon culture.

James D. Murray, an Animal Science faculty member, and Albert G. Medvitz, the chair of our departmental development board, were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in September 2004. They were among the 308 new members that the AAAS Council elected who will be recognized for their contributions to science at the Fellows Forum to be held on February 19, 2005, during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

At the World Poultry Congress in Istanbul, Francine Bradley was re-elected to her third four-year term as Treasurer of the World’s Poultry Science Association (WPSA). WPSA has over 6,400 members in 80 branches around the world.