Former University of Wyoming animal science department head Doug Hixon received a Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Pioneer Award June 16 during the group's annual meeting and symposium in Manhattan, Kan.
Professor Emeritus Hixon joined the UW animal science faculty in 1982 and worked as a professor, researcher and extension beef cattle specialist for 19 years before being named department head in 2001. In that role, he oversaw an integrated program in teaching, research and extension. He retired in 2013.
The Pioneer Award recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle and honors those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle, according to the BIF.
A native of Donovan, Ill., Hixon earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in animal science at the University of Illinois.
Hixon's research interest was in the area of beef cattle production and management with emphasis on reproduction and nutrition and their interaction. He focused on the effects of heifer development and management of 2-year-old first-calf heifers on future production under range conditions. In addition, applied research was directed toward evaluation of the effects management and cowherd winter nutrition programs have on production and reproductive efficiency.
More than 600 beef producers, academia and industry representatives were in attendance at the organization's 48th annual convention.
Source: University of Wyoming Extension
Photo Courtesy of the University of Wyoming Extension. Doug Hixon received the Beef Improvement Federation Pioneer Award at the organization’s annual convention in Manhattan, Kan., last week. Hixon was a faculty member in the Department of Animal Science from 1982 until his retirement in 2013.
