Mentor Recognition Programs

AMSA is proud to announce the formation of a Mentor Recognition fund in honor of Dr.  Keith Belk

Keith Belk currently serves as Professor, Holder of the Monfort Endowed Chair, and Director of the Center for Meat Safety & Quality at Colorado State University (CSU). He also serves as Adjunct Professor for the Colorado School of Public Health.  He has been employed as a meat buyer by Safeway, Inc., and later by USDA-AMS as an International Marketing Specialist. At CSU since 1995, he has taught and conducted research addressing meat quality and safety, nutrient composition, international marketing, and quality/safety management. He has authored or co-authored 264 refereed scientific journal articles, generated >$23M in external funding, and was primary inventor on two patents.  He served as state Meat Extension Specialist between 1995 and 2000, on the Board of Directors for the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) between 2003-2005 and as President of AMSA in 2009-2010. He served on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Animal Science between 1997 and 2000 and is a Lifetime Member of Phi Tau Sigma.  Dr. Belk received the Achievement Award from AMSA in 1998, the Western Section Young Scientist Award from the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) in 1999, the Meat Research Award from ASAS in 2003, the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Meat Export Federation in 2004, the Harry L. Rudnick Educator’s Award from North American Meat Association in 2013, the Signal Service Award (Fellow) from AMSA in 2013, the Scientific Achievement Award for the North American Meat Institute in 2017, and the Distinguished Research Award from AMSA in 2017. Dr. Belk served on U.S. Missions to re-establish beef trade following detection of BSE in the U.S. and received a Marketing Assistance Award from the USDA-AMS for those efforts in 2006. He was listed as one of “Meat Processing” magazines “Rising Stars” in 2001.  Dr. Belk has taught HACCP, GFSI standards implementation, and FDA’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods, and conducted plant food safety audits, as a consultant to Food Safety Net Services LLC since 1996. Recent research efforts have included studies to assess microbiological ecologies associated with dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic virulence in food and the environment, work to reduce artificial barriers to meat trade, and studies to improve meat safety and quality while reducing climate impacts.

Specific Purpose of Funds:  The funds from this mentorship will go toward supporting recognition of youth programs, meat judging, student programs, the international lectureship award, and student travel scholarships to ICoMST.