• Southern Section
• Awards

Distinguished Service Award

Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University

Paul grew up on a wheat and livestock farm near Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he developed a lifelong passion for the beef industry. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University, his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, and later an M.B.A. from Southern Arkansas University to broaden his perspective on agricultural business and leadership. Before joining OSU, Paul spent 21 years at the University of Arkansas Southwest Research and Extension Center, including 14 years on faculty. He now serves as Professor and the Dennis and Marta White Endowed Chair in Animal Science at OSU where his work focuses on beef cattle nutrition and management to connect practical research with the real-world challenges producers face to improve profitability and sustainability of beef operations across Oklahoma. Paul and his wife of 34 years, Melissa, live in Stillwater and enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas.

Emerging Scholar Award

Dallas Soffa, Texas A&M University

Dallas Soffa received her B.S. in Animal Science from North Carolina State University in 2019 and her M.S. in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech in 2022 with Dr. Michelle Rhoads. Dallas is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Physiology of Reproduction at Texas A&M University with Dr. Rebecca Poole and expected graduation in May 2026. Her research focuses on the role of internal (endogenous hormones and conceptus development) and external (exogenous estradiol and heat stress) factors on reproductive microbiota and immune signaling in cattle. Dallas’ work aims to determine their potential roles on pregnancy outcomes to further elucidate underlying mechanisms essential for understanding ways to mitigate fertility issues. Her work has been disseminated in 13 abstracts and 1 popular press article, and she has 1 manuscript published in the Journal of Animal Science. Dallas has garnered awards from many conferences and obtained a USDA-NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship for her program.

Extension Award

Jason Smith, Texas A&M University

Jason Smith, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science and serves as an Extension Beef Cattle Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Amarillo, TX. He is a native of northern Virginia, where he developed a passion for beef cattle at an early age. Jason’s efforts are focused toward developing and supporting educational programs that benefit beef cattle producers and other industry stakeholders. Jason also works to conduct applied and demonstrational research in beef cattle nutrition in order to link fundamental discovery to application in the field, and answer production-relevant questions that would otherwise remain unanswered. Over the course of ten years as an Extension Beef Cattle Specialist for the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, he has coordinated, led, or presented at over 500 programs and reached more than 34,000 producers and industry professionals. During that time, he has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications, articles, and other educational products, and secured $2.8 million to directly support his educational programs. Jason works with county Extension agents, cow-calf and stocker operations, feedyards, and other industry stakeholders primarily in the Texas Panhandle to develop science-based solutions to real-world production issues that benefit the beef industry. He also serves as a coordinator of the Texas Beef Quality Assurance Program, a member of the Plains Nutrition Council Executive Committee, and leader of the Texas Beef Cattle Efficiency Initiative. Jason, his wife Anna, their daughter Taylor, and son Carson reside near Canyon, TX where they have a small cow herd.

Joseph P. Fontenot Appreciation Club Graduate Student Travel Scholarship

Madeline McKnight, Mississippi State University

Madeline G. McKnight received a B.S. in Animal and Dairy Science from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2023. She completed her M.S. degree in Animal Science at MSU in December 2025 and immediately began a Ph.D. program under the supervision of Dr. Kelsey Harvey. Madeline’s thesis work focused on trace mineral nutrition of stressed beef cattle. During her M.S. program, Madeline authored and co-authored 4 journal articles and 11 professional meeting abstracts. She contributed significantly to all branches of the Land-Grant system: research, Extension, and teaching. Madeline assisted with Extension workshops, spoke at regional cattlemen’s meetings, and producer field days. She also served as teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Upon graduation, Madeline’s goal is to work in the industry to use the knowledge she obtained throughout her education to develop strategies to optimize all aspects of beef cattle production.

Outstanding Early Career Animal Scientist Award - Education

Pedro L. P. Fontes, University of Georgia

Dr. Pedro Fontes is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Georgia. He holds a D.V.M. from São Paulo State University, an M.S. from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. His program has reached producers through more than 210 invited presentations and a strong publication record, including 46 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 76 abstracts, and 68 Extension and popular press articles. Dr. Fontes has also secured over 1.9 million dollars in funding to support research and Extension efforts that improve reproductive efficiency in beef herds.

Outstanding Early Career Animal Scientist Award - Research

Xiaoqiu “Churchill” Wang, North Carolina State University

Dr. Xiaoqiu “Churchill” Wang earned his B.Sc in Animal Science and his first Ph.D. in nutrition from China Agricultural University and then a second Ph.D. in reproductive biology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wang joined the Animal Science Faculty at NC State University, after a Postdoctoral Fellowship at NIEHS. He has developed a research program focused on understanding the mechanisms that govern fertility and reproductive success in livestock and humans. His research program is supported by a team of students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, who benefit from his interdisciplinary expertise in nutritional biochemistry and reproductive physiology. Dr. Wang’s accomplishments include 54 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 34 invited presentations, 63 peer-reviewed abstracts, and 4.9 million dollars in funding. NC State recognized him as Goodnight Early Career Innovator (2022), and he was named “Rising Star in Reproduction Biology” (2024) by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.