SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – Dr. Jack C. Whittier, director of the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff, has been named the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science during its annual meeting recently in Fargo, N.D.
Dr. Whittier was raised on a diversified livestock and crop farm in northeastern Utah, and received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from Utah State University in 1979 and 1981, respectively. Dr. Whittier completed a Ph.D. degree in ruminant nutrition in 1985 from the University of Nebraska.
Since 2014, Dr. Whittier has been Director of the University of Nebraska Panhandle District Panhandle Research and Extension Center and Professor of Animal Science.
He has fulfilled significant leadership roles in WSASAS. Most recently, Dr. Whittier served on the ASAS Board of Directors as Western Section Director for two 3-year terms (2010 to 2016). His applied research has focused on range beef cow nutrition and reproduction management. He has helped generate over $2.2 million in extramural funds as PI or Co-I, participated in training 37 graduate students, and authored or co-authored 49 refereed publications and numerous non-refereed and Extension papers. Currently, Dr. Whittier supervises 12 Ph.D. Research and Extension Specialists and 22 Extension Educators.
Dr. Whittier has contributed as an active leader with Boy Scouts of America, in numerous leadership roles with his church, and with the Scottsbluff/Gering Rotary Club. Dr. Whittier and his wife, Robynn, have two grown sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. They also own a small-scale Simmental-Angus seedstock beef herd.