Two DAS Faculty Members Recognized at ADSA Meeting
Dr. Lawrence D. Muller and Dr. Gabriella A. Varga received recognition at the ADSA-ASAS meeting held in Indianapolis in July. Muller received the Distinguished Service Award and Varga received its Applied Dairy Nutrition Award.
Lawrence D. Muller
Gabriella A. Varga
Two faculty members of Penn State's Department of Dairy and Animal Science (DAS) received recognition at the annual meeting of the American Dairy Science Association -American Society of Animal Science (ADSA-ASAS) held last week in Indianapolis. Lawrence D. Muller, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Animal Science, received ADSA's Distinguished Service Award, and Gabriella A. Varga, Ph.D, University Distinguished Professor of Animal Science, received its Applied Dairy Nutrition Award.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes those who have contributed in an unusually outstanding manner to the welfare of the dairy industry, either directly or indirectly, in areas such as industry leadership, science, engineering, public health or education.
The Nutrition Professionals Inc. Applied Dairy Nutrition Award is designed to stimulate and recognize outstanding achievement in research, teaching, extension and/or industry in applied dairy nutrition.
Dr. Terry Etherton, Head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science, said, "I extend my warmest congratulations to Dr. Muller and Dr. Varga. Both have made exceptional contributions to our Department and to the entire dairy industry and it is especially rewarding for them each to be recognized nationally for their accomplishments We are very proud of all they do to promote and enhance our industry."
Dr. Muller joined DAS in 1976, having received his B.S. and M. S. degrees from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. from Purdue University, serving on the faculty at Purdue for two years and then South Dakota State University for five years. He grew up on an Illinois dairy farm.
For 21 years Muller co-advised the Penn State Dairy Science Club, which has been recognized as the number one club in the Student Affiliate Division of ADSA eight times, including 2008. He was a finalist for the W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award at Penn State in 2001; was recognized by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Committee of Teaching Excellence, 2001, one of five faculty members recognized for their skill, commitment, and passion for teaching; was the dedicatee of the 2002 Penn State Dairy Expo by the Penn State Dairy Science Club; received the President's Award for Engagement with Students, College of Agricultural Sciences Award Winner, 2002; and received the Alumni Association Award of Merit at University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences in 2003.
Other honors he has received from ADSA include: Outstanding Advisor Award of the Student Affiliate Division; Purina Mills, Inc. Teaching Award in Dairy Production; MSD AGVET Dairy Management Research Award and Pioneer Hi-Bred Forage Award.
He has served on the ADSA Board of Directors as president, vice president and past president. His research in dairy cattle nutrition and management resulted in over 130 papers published in scientific journals and innumerable presentations.
Following his retirement in 2002 after 27 yeas on the DAS faculty, Dr. Muller became involved with the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC), with Penn State hosting the event for two years. He currently serves as chair of the Dairy Challenge program.
Dr. Varga has been a member of the DAS faculty since 1985, with a research, teaching and extension appointment. Her research focuses on management strategies for late gestation and early postpartum dairy cows that will minimize the incidence of periparturient metabolic disorders and enhance profitability on the dairy farm. Her research also focuses on the impact of forage sources on nitrogen balance, ammonia emission from manure, dry matter intake, nitrogen efficiency, and milk production in lactating dairy cows. Her research program incorporates basic and applied concepts to provide a mechanistic understanding of factors affecting the needs of the transition cow while providing information that can be used directly by the dairy producer.
She teaches a junior and senior level dairy management and nutrition class for undergraduates and ruminant physiology for graduate students, and has worked with creating and redesigning courses in dairy cattle production, ruminology and advanced dairy herd management, among others. She also serves as an undergraduate adviser.
Dr. Varga received her B.S. degree from Duquesne University in biology, earned her M.S. in animal science from the University of Rhode Island and her Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Varga was recognized as a member of the National Research Council Dairy subcommittee from 1997-2001, received the ADSA American Feed Industry Association Ruminant Nutrition Award in 2000, was named a University Distinguished Professor in 2002, received the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Nesbitt Award in 2005 and 2006, and the College Outstanding Research Partners Award in 2005.
Widely published in both research and scholarly publications as well as the popular press, Dr. Varga has made presentations at seminars, workshops and conferences throughout Pennsylvania, the United States and around the world, also presenting papers at technical and professional meetings.
