Michael E. Dikeman was raised on a crop and livestock farm in southeast Kansas. He received his B.S. (1966) and Ph.D. (1970) from Kansas State University and his M.S. (1968) from Michigan State University. Currently, he is a professor in Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University. Central to Dikeman's research is bridging the gap between basic meat science and efficient livestock production systems that optimize leanness and meat quality. He attained national and international prominence through his cooperation in the germplasm evaluation research at MARC, Clay Center, NE. His work has defined genotype, production, and management inputs for economical production systems of intact males, steers, and females. His students= publications were the first to detail the role of calpastatin and tenderness of Bos indicus cattle, ultrasonic heating of muscle, and computer models of controlled thermal inputs to improve beef tenderness and cooked yields. Dikeman has been major professor for 14 M.S. and 10 Ph.D. students, many of whom now hold prominent positions in academia, industry, and government. He is frequently an invited speaker for scientific and lay audiences and he and his students have published more than 140 journal articles and technical reports, more than 80 abstracts and posters, a book chapter, and a video. Michael Dikeman has provided leadership to his department, college, university, and professional societies, including presidencies of the American Meat Science Association and the Federation of American Societies of Food Animal Sciences. Notably, Dikeman has not only gained national recognition for his research, but also is a distinguished teacher. His innovative classes and teaching styles have resulted in teaching awards from Kansas State, AMSA, Midwest ASAS, and National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.