Mentor Recognition Programs

Anyone who has come in contact with Dr. Bob Kauffman remembers his bow tie, sense of humor, and his total commitment to teaching and research in the animal-meat industry. During his 30-year tenure as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he influenced the career paths of many students and instituted innovative teaching methods. He developed the "Meat-Animal Evaluation Approach" to evaluating livestock, inspiring a competitive program for animal science students. His leadership also paved the way for the Academic Quadrathlon; both tournaments have spurred exciting, competitive learning for tens of thousands of students. His bright-eyed enthusiasm, boundless energy, and passion made him a magnetic and inspiring teacher.

Bob also contributed significantly to the pork industry by developing a simple method for measuring water-holding capacity, developing and refining the system for describing pork musculature, defining a fourth lean quality type, and patenting a method of improving color, water-holding capacity/tenderness in pork, beef, poultry, and lamb muscles. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at UWM. Through his work, Bob achieved long-term improvement in meat-animal production and research system, and he helped students flourish into the next generation of industry and academic leaders.

Continuing the Legacy

A fundraising drive for establishing a mentor recognition fund in the name of Bob Kauffman was started in December 2014. The funds raised from the mentor recognition will be used to support meat science student development.