MSU Beef Researcher Named ASAS Fellow

Don Kress, professor emeritus at Montana State University, has received the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Fellow Award in honor of his research in the beef industry.

Kress received the award July 9 at the ASAS national awards program in Indianapolis.

Kress was recognized for improving the beef industry through the study of genetics and breeding. He studied the genetics of a variety of traits under Montana range conditions, including calf growth rate, cow size, cow milk production, cow maternal ability, and carcass characteristics. He cooperated with researchers at MSU’s Northern Agricultural Research Center near Havre to show that maternal heterosis (hybrid vigor) was especially important for Montana’s commercial beef herds. Kress has also been an author or coauthor of more than 200 scientific journals and 100 abstracts.

Kress was raised on a beef cattle, hay and small grains operation in Idaho. From there, he attended the University of Idaho where he received his bachelor’s degree and was recognized as an outstanding senior. He then attended the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in animal science, genetics and statistics.

Kress came to MSU in 1970 as an assistant professor in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences. Over the next 35 years, he taught graduate and undergraduate courses related to cattle and genetics. Kress was named associate dean of the MSU College of Agriculture in 2001. Kress retired in 2005.

Among other awards, Kress received the Rockefeller Prentice Memorial Award from the ASAS in 1996 and the Pioneer Award from the Beef Improvement Federation in 2005. He was invited to present results of his beef genetics research to producer groups in 14 states. He also established a cooperative beef cattle research program with MSU’s Northern Agricultural Research Center.

The ASAS Fellow is presented to animal scientists who have made excellent contributions to the animal industry and have had continuous membership in the ASAS for at least 25 years. ASAS is a professional organization that serves more than 5,000 animal scientists and producers around the world.