BIF Continuing Service Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Angie Stump Denton, Beef Improvement Federation Communication Coordinator, angiedenton@ksu.edu or 785-562-6197
June 26, 2018
Speidel Presented Continuing Service Award
LOVELAND, Colorado – The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented Scott Speidel, Fort Collins, Colorado, a BIF Continuing Service Award June 22 during the group’s annual meeting and symposium in Loveland, Colorado.
Continuing Service Award winners have made major contributions to the BIF organization. This includes serving on the board of directors, speaking at BIF conventions, working on BIF guidelines and other behind-the-scenes activities. As BIF is a volunteer organization, it is this contribution of time and passion for the beef cattle industry that moves BIF forward.
Speidel, Colorado State University assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science and the breeding and genetics discipline group, focuses his efforts on genetic improvement of beef cattle. His appointment is 50% teaching, 35% research and 15% service; therefore, 50% of his time is spent executing quantitative genetics research and service through CSU’s Center for Genetic Evaluation of Livestock (CGEL).
“Dr. Speidel not only conducts genetic evaluation of beef cattle, he also trains graduate students how to execute these important computational processes,” says Mark Enns, BIF board member and Colorado State University professor.
Speidel was employed and educated through the resources of CGEL for approximately a decade before he joined the faculty of CSU. He was involved in conducting genetic evaluation of beef cattle — approximately 10 million cattle twice a year for more than 20 clients — as well as research that improved genetic evaluations of many breed associations and breeding companies.
He has helped write 43 research reports related to national cattle evaluation, which are in addition to 16 articles published in peer-reviewed journals. These efforts involved trait/topics such as stayability, heifer pregnancy, feed efficiency (residual feed intake, or RFI), days to finish, multi-breed, and genomics. Many of these efforts led to presentations at BIF meetings.
He also serves on breed improvement — advisory committees for the Red Angus Association of America and American Gelbvieh Association.
“We commend Dr. Speidel for his leadership and resolve developing evaluations for challenging, yet important traits,” Enns adds.
More than 600 beef producers, academia and industry representatives were in attendance at the organization’s 50th annual convention in Loveland. BIF’s mission is to help improve the industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation.
For more information about this year’s symposium, including additional award winners and coverage of the meeting and tours, visit BIFconference.com. For more information about BIF, visit Beefimprovement.org.
The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) is an organization dedicated to coordinating all segments of the beef industry — from researchers and producers to retailers — in an effort to improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of beef production. The organization was initiated almost 70 years ago to encourage the use of objective measurements to evaluate beef cattle. Continuing the tradition, BIF is now the clearinghouse for developing standardized programs and methodologies for recording of performance data for all traits, from birth weights to carcass traits. Its three-leaf-clover logo symbolizes the link between industry, extension and research.
Cutline:
Scott Speidel (center), Fort Collins, Colorado, receives the Beef Improvement Federation Continuing Service Award Donnell Brown (left), 2017-2018 BIF president; and Milt Thomas, Colorado State University. Speidel was honored June 22 at the organization’s 50th annual convention in Loveland, Colorado.
