Department of Animal Sciences

Winter 2010

Alumni honored for achievements in animal sciences

Five Department of Animal Sciences' alumni were honored and recognized for their achievements during the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences 2008 Alumni Awards luncheon held March 1, 2008 at the Fawcett Center.  

The afternoon before the luncheon the Department honored the Animal Sciences Alumni award recipients during the Department's annual award reception.

"We have a distinguished history here at the Department all because of our distinguished alumni which has allowed us to be competitive at every level," said Department Chair, Dr. Jim Kinder to the award recipients. "We are proud of you and honored to recognize you for the contributions you have made to the industry and the Department."

The 2008 Animal Sciences Award Recipients are:

MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD

Dr. Bobby VanStavern, MS '56, PhD '60, Union, West Virginia

VanStavern earned his bachelor's degree from West Virginia University before going on to earn his master's and doctorate from OSU. After serving for two years in the U.S. Air Force, Bobby began his career at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster.

Having served the beef industry at nearly every level, VanStavern was recently inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame. Renowned for taking a personal interest in people and their businesses, VanStavern is known to many throughout the industry as a teacher, speaker, and friend. His work led directly to eight science-based specifications for Certified Angus Beef^(R)-the nation's first USDA certified brand.

VanStavern joined the Department of Animal Sciences in 1954 and was named Professor Emeritus in 1989. He served as director and on committees of the American Meat Science Association and Gamma Sigma Delta. VanStavern also remains active at Indianola Presbyterian Church as a trustee, elder, usher and member of other various committees.

VanStavern and his wife Sue reside in Columbus, Ohio and have two children: Jan and Tom.

Dr. Catherine W. Ernst, BS '86, PhD '94

Noted for her commitment to teaching-which extends well beyond the classroom-Ernst began her career as an assistant professor at Michigan State University in 1997 and was promoted to associate professor in 2004. Ernst continues to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in animal breeding and genetics. Her research focuses on genome mapping, gene expression analysis and quantitative trait loci identification for swine and beef cattle with an emphasis on muscle growth and meat quality. With research collaborations extending beyond the U.S., Ernst works with scientists in Wuhan, China; Chungbuk, South Korea; Vicosa, Brazil and since 2006 is an adjunct professor of Animal Sciences at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.

While earning her Bachelor of Science degree at OSU, Ernst was named a Top Ten Senior and graduated cum laude. She earned her master's from Iowa State University before returning to OSU for her doctorate.

As an active member of the University Committee on Honors Programs, Ernst served on the selection committee for Michigan State University's most prestigious scholarship and also serves on the interdepartmental Genetics Program Executive Committee.

Ernst is also a member of the American Meat Association and the International Society for Animal Genetics. In 2002, she served as chair for the National Animal Genome Research Program and is the secretary/treasurer for the Midwest Section of the American Society of Animal Science. She also serves as secretary of the Christian Education Team for the All Saints Lutheran Church in Mason, Michigan.

Ernst is the wife of Stan Ernst, outreach extension program leader at Ohio State. They have a daughter named Samantha.

"I am very pleased and humbled to be here today and quite honored and surprised to be nominated," she said. "Every time I do anything with my job now I think back and credit a lot of what I do to the time I spent here," said Ernst during the Department's reception.
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Forest Muir, Poultry Science PhD '67, West Frankfort, Illinois

Muir earned his bachelor's and Master of Science in Animal Science from Southern Illinois University before earning his doctorate at The Ohio State University. After graduating from OSU, Muir took a position as an assistant professor and extension poultry specialist at the University of Maine where he stayed for 12 years before joining Pennsylvania State University. Ten years later, Muir returned to Ohio State as professor and chair of Poultry Science until 1994 when the Departments of Animal Science, Dairy Science, and Poultry Science were merged.

At Ohio State, Muir was instrumental in continuing the development of the poultry science program and secured $2.5 million in state funding for new poultry research buildings. He was also instrumental in locating the new buildings in Wooster with OARDC. He believed the Wooster location would lead to more effective utilization of the buildings and assist with the turkey program already in place at that location. As a loyal supporter of OSU, Muir also had a direct hand in the development of endowments that supported the poultry science program and its students.

A past president of the Jeromesville Lions Club, Muir is a member of the Gold Wings Road Riders Association. He attends Shreve United Methodist Church and resides in Wooster, Ohio.

"It's been a wonderful trip and a great opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people along the way. It's sure great to be back at Ohio State and like all alumni I'm Ohio State proud," said Muir. "I am greatly honored to receive this award. My only regret is that my wife who passed away and who was so much a part of me and what I accomplished, isn't here to be a part of it."

After earning his doctorate, Reinhart took a position with Ross Laboratories as a clinical research associate working with hospitalized humans. After a year with Ross, Reinhart accepted a position in Research and Development with The Iams Company. During his time at Iams, he rose to become the vice president of strategic research and communications. After Proctor and Gamble's acquisition of Iams, he later assumed the additional responsibility as the director of Technology Development for P&G's global pet care business. In 2007, Reinhart became the vice president of research and nutrition at The Mathile Institute, a non-profit organization committed to transforming the lives of malnourished and impoverished families through nutrition and education.

"I recently decided that if I ever had the chance to take my skills and training in agriculture, human-medicine, medical nutrition and in the companion animal pet industry to help humans that I would do that," said Reinhart. "Now I have the opportunity to help the lives of mothers and their children through nutritional education."

Reinhart lives in Dayton, Ohio and is the father of Kyle, Colleen and Ellen.

"One of the benefits of doing all of my work here is that I didn't have to take repeat classes and instead got to go out and sample and experience a lot of different things," said Reinhart. "OSU has a great course selection and I took advantage of that. The background you gain and the education you receive here at the Department will take you far as you can apply it across many disciplines."

Hilary Amos, BS '01.
 

After graduation, Amos began work with Cargill Meat Solutions as a sales trainee. Amos is now a senior key account sales manager and college recruiting team lead. As a recruiter, Amos coordinates campus recruitment efforts for OSU and interviews candidates for full-time and internship opportunities. In addition to her work with Cargill, Amos is currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the Carlson School of Management part-time MBA program.

While at OSU, Amos studied abroad in the Czech Republic and was named a Top Ten Senior in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. She also received the Waldock Brothers Award presented to the Outstanding Senior in Animal Sciences.

Amos served as Director of Young Farmers and Ranchers for the Washington-Ramsey County Farm Bureau and serves on the Communications Committee of the Minnesota Hereford Breeders. She is also a member of the Ohio State Alumni Club of Minnesota and the Woodbury United Methodist Church.

She is the daughter of Roger and Mary Jane Amos and currently lives in Woodbury, Minnesota.

"I think the experience I had at this University both in the classroom and extracurricular side of things helped me to navigate through my career with Cargill Meat Solutions," said Amos. "I've been to a lot of different places, but no matter where I am everybody knows who I root for. There is an OSU attitude of "paying-it forward" and giving back to the University and students and I try to do that whenever possible."

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