Renowned Agriculture Scientist to Receive Distinguished Researcher Award

Posted May 30, 2001


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? May 30, 2001 2001-05-19-OTHER

Renowned Agriculture Scientist to Receive
Distinguished Researcher Award

University of Saskatchewan animal and poultry science professor David
Christensen, an internationally recognized expert in dairy cow nutrition,
will receive the Distinguished Researcher Award at the spring convocation.

The award, which carries a $1,000 prize, recognizes a U of S faculty member
who has made a major contribution to knowledge through research and
publication.

"Professor Christensen has contributed greatly to agriculture not only in
Western Canada, but around the world and has been a highly effective
international ambassador for the University and the province," said Michael
Corcoran, U of S Vice-President of Research.

Christensen?s most recent research has been in the development of new,
high-value animal feed made from Saskatchewan crops for use on Canadian
farms and for export. His work is critical to the development of new export
markets for Saskatchewan feed products.

Early in his career, he helped establish the Saskatchewan Feed Testing
Laboratory. This initiative brought scientific nutrition information and
ration formulation to the farm.

Christensen was one of the first nutritionists to appreciate the extent and
economic impact of trace mineral deficiencies in cattle in Western Canada.
Trace mineral supplementation is now widespread, primarily as the result of
a 10-year research program led by Christensen.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (1958) at the University of
Saskatchewan, a Master of Science degree (1960) and a Ph.D. (1963) at McGill
University. In 1965, he returned to the U of S as an Assistant Professor. He
has been a tenured professor here since 1976, and served an 11-year term as
head of the department of animal and poultry science.

Christensen teaches nutrition and dairy management to undergraduate,
graduate, vocational and veterinary students. Forty-one graduate students
have completed graduate degrees under his supervision, and he currently
supervises seven graduate students.

He has published 115 refereed articles and presented 46 major invited papers
at national and international conferences, as well as over 200 invited
lectures around the world.

Christensen has been involved with most of the animal science producer
groups in Saskatchewan and has served on the province?s Advisory Committee
on Animal Science. He is a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada
and has received their International Recognition Award.

Among the other awards he has received is the J. W. George Ivany
Internationalization Award, which Christensen received for his work in
bringing U of S agricultural research to the world. He has been active as a
lecturer, consultant and project manager in over 20 countries in Africa,
Central America, the Middle East, and Asia.

For information on past Distinguished Researcher Award winners, visit the U
of S Research website at
http://www.usask.ca/communications/awards/researchers.shtml

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For more information, please contact:

David Christensen
Professor, Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 966-4152
christensen@sask.usask.ca