James R. Males Named 2002 Animal Science Distinguished Alumnus
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While at Penn State, Males was a member of the Meats Judging team in 1965 and the National Champion Livestock Judging team in 1966. Jim was in Block & Bridle all four years and was B&B treasurer and Little “I” business manager for two years. He was the Grand Champion Showman of the 49th Little “I” in 1966.
James Males was raised in Sheridan, Indiana. He attended Penn State 1963 –1967, and graduated with a BS in Animal Industry. He went on to receive a Masters degree from Michigan State University and Ph.D. from Ohio State University, both in ruminant nutrition. While at Penn State Jim lived and worked in the beef barn all except the first two quarters of his freshman year, including summers. The first three years were in the old brick barn that sat where the Dairy Animal Science Building is now. Prior to his senior year they moved to the present beef and sheep barn.
While at Penn State he was a member of the Meats Judging team in 1965 and the National Champion Livestock Judging team in 1966. Jim was in Block & Bridle all four years and was B&B treasurer and Little “I” business manager for two years. He was the Grand Champion Showman of the 49th Little “I” in 1966.
After grad school he did a post-doc at Oklahoma State followed by four years at Southern Illinois University, where he coached the Livestock Judging team and taught and did research in beef cattle nutrition. In 1978 the Males moved to Washington State University where they spent the next 10 years. Jim’s position was a teaching-research split in beef cattle management and nutrition. While at Washington State he received the College of Agriculture RM Wade Teaching Award, and was recognized as the 1985 Young Scientist in the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science.
Dr. Males became Professor and Head of the Animal & Range Sciences Department at South Dakota State University in 1988. While at SDSU he also served as President of the Midwest Section of ASAS and was the program chair for the Food Animal Integrated Research 2002 (FAIR 2002) research and education priority setting effort.
In 1998 Marcia and Jim moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Jim is Professor and Head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Oregon State University. He is currently President-elect of American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).
Jim is married to Marcia Elston who works in a CPA office and is a licensed tax preparer. Marcia is also an avid flower gardener and loves the Willamette Valley and year-round growing conditions there. They have two sons who now both live in Waipahu, Hawaii. Jared is 26 and a LT JG in the Navy, stationed on the nuclear fast attack submarine Pasadena. Josh is 24, teaching high school math and coaching football next fall. He has just become engaged to a fellow math teacher he met in Hawaii.
