AMARILLO, Texas – The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) presented David Steffen, Ph.D., of Lincoln, Nebraska, the BIF Pioneer Award June 12 during the group’s annual research symposium in Amarillo, Texas.
The Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle and honors those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle.
Steffen grew up on his family’s farm near Fordyce, Nebraska, where his passion for livestock and veterinary medicine began. After earning a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a D.V.M. from Iowa State University, he completed a doctoral degree in pathology at Kansas State University. He spent most of his academic career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he served as faculty head for quality assurance and accreditation at the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center.
Considered a national resource for investigating genetic disorders in beef cattle, Steffen’s research has contributed to the commercial testing of nearly 70 percent of known genetic disorders in beef cattle. His work in discovering genetic conditions and helping producers manage breeding around them has significantly impacted breed improvement. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong passion for advancing cattle health and supporting producers.
More than 400 beef producers, academia and industry representatives attended the organization’s 57th Annual Research Symposium and Convention in Amarillo, Texas. BIF’s mission is to help improve the industry by promoting greater acceptance of beef cattle performance evaluation.
For more information about this year’s symposium, including additional award winners and coverage of meetings and tours, visit BIFSymposium.com.
