The R. C. Pollock Award

The R.C. Pollock Award is presented in honor of the first general manager of the National Livestock and Meat Board. Pollock, a leader, dedicated to the advancement of meat science, was the moving force in establishing the Reciprocal Meat Conference. The award honors a dedicated AMSA member whose work through teaching, extension, research, or service represents an extraordinary and lasting contribution to the meat industry. The Robert Bray, Vern Cahill, and R.C. Pollock AMSA Development Council Mentorships sponsor this award.

Dr. Jeff Savell, recently named Vice-Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences for Texas AgriLife, has committed his career to the meat industry. He began judging meats in FFA at Ferris, Texas. As an undergraduate, he was a member of the 1974 meat judging team. He served as an assistant coach in 1976 and head coach in 1977 during his time in graduate school at TAMU. From 1980 to 1993, he served as the TAMU meat judging team faculty coordinator.

“Dr. Savell is regarded as one of the giants of the meat science profession. Equally important is his concern for the students he teaches, and the impact he has on them academically and beyond is immeasurable,” commented Dr. H. Russell Cross, Texas A&M University.

He has a passion for teaching and research and holds a strong desire to transfer that passion to his students. During his career, he has been involved in the acquisition of over $14 million in research funding. This funding has resulted in the training of 97 M.S. students, 38 Ph.D. students, and the publication of over 300 research articles in prestigious refereed journals. His induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame is a testament to his reputation as an innovative leader in meat science.

Savell remarked, “To be recognized as the R.C. Pollock Award Winner is the culmination of a career spent doing what I love — working with students, helping people in the industry, and being in a community of like-minded people in the American Meat Science Association.”