Texas A&M animal science faculty earn national recognition
Beef Improvement Federation recognizes industry, organization contributions at Amarillo symposium
The Beef Improvement Federation, BIF, honored four Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science faculty members at its annual symposium on June 12 in Amarillo.
The Beef Improvement Federation is a national organization dedicated to connecting science and industry to improve beef cattle genetics. Each year, it presents several awards, including the BIF Pioneer Award and the Continuing Service Award.
The BIF Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle. The award, established in 1973, has been presented to numerous leaders in the beef industry.
The BIF Continuing Service Award is presented to individuals who have made major contributions to the organization. This includes serving on the board of directors, speaking at conventions, or working behind the scenes to advance the federation’s mission.
BIF Pioneer Award Recipients
Steve Hammack ’64, Ph.D.; Joe Paschal ’77 ’86, Ph.D.; and Jim Sanders ’74 ’77, Ph.D., were named as 2025 recipients of the BIF Pioneer Award.
Steve Hammack
Hammack, professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist emeritus, served as the AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist based in Stephenville from 1973 to 2003. He continued part-time in that role until 2023.
Hammack’s primary interests focus on genetic management and cow-calf production systems. He coordinated statewide efforts in beef cattle genetic management and developed the Texas Adapted Genetic Strategies, TAGS, series.
The series comprises 11 bulletins covering topics such as breeding programs, cow size and milk production, breed characteristics and uses, genotype-by-environment interaction, sire selection, expected progeny differences, selection for carcass merit and genomics.
TAGS is based on the need for commercial cow-calf producers to consider, sequentially: assessment of production conditions; choice of breeding systems; deciding if heifers are saved for replacements; calf marketing time and method; appropriate functional types and breeds; and selection of breeding individuals.
Hammack was a frequent speaker at the annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course and at county, regional, state and national educational events. He was also active in junior beef cattle shows, working with multiple major Texas livestock shows.
Joe Paschal
Paschal, professor and AgriLife Extension livestock specialist emeritus, joined AgriLife Extension as district livestock specialist in Fort Stockton in 1986 and transferred to Corpus Christi in 1988. He conducted educational programs for adults and youth throughout the Coastal Bend and South Texas districts for 38 years.
In 1991, the AgriLife Extension animal science program launched the Texas A&M Ranch to Rail Program, a statewide cattle feeding initiative in the Texas Panhandle, to educate producers on the health, feeding performance and carcass merit of their weaned calves.
In 1992, Paschal initiated a similar program in South Texas at the King Ranch Feedyard for producers with higher-percentage Brahman genetics. From 1992 to 2004, more than 12,000 steers were fed through the Texas A&M Ranch to Rail-South program.
His work with various breeds and crosses led to research on carcass merit and tenderness in Brahman genetics. For nearly 20 years, he conducted carcass data collection for ranchers, feedyards and institutions, including the University of Florida, Louisiana State University and Texas A&M. Much of this data contributed to research and expected progeny difference development. Alongside Hammack, he coauthored the TAGS bulletin series.
Jim Sanders
Sanders, senior professor emeritus of animal breeding and genetics, served as a professor of animal breeding and genetics until his retirement in 2023.
Sanders taught undergraduate and graduate courses in animal breeding and conducted research on beef cattle breeding and genetics, especially among Bos indicus-influenced breeds and crosses. He taught more than 12,000 students and received numerous teaching awards, including the university-wide Association of Former Students Distinguished Teaching Award.
Sanders began his research with systems analysis of beef cattle production and developed the first beef cattle simulation model.
His work included comparisons of cattle breeds for growth, carcass and productivity traits, evaluation of genetic change within breeds, hybrid vigor in Bos indicus–Bos taurus crosses, gene identification, and the genetic history of the American Brahman breed.
Sanders was a strong supporter of student groups, such as Saddle and Sirloin Club and competitive judging teams. He coached both a national champion intercollegiate livestock judging team and a national champion 4-H team.
BIF Continuing Service Award
The recipient of the Continuing Service Award was Clay Mathis ’93 ’95, Ph.D., professor and head of the Department of Animal Science. Mathis began his career in 1998 as an extension livestock specialist at New Mexico State University, where he received the Extension Award and Applied Research Award from the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science, as well as the New Mexico State University Distinguished Service Award.
In 2010, Mathis became director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management in Kingsville. During his tenure, 39 students graduated with Master of Science degrees in ranch management, subsequently holding key industry positions nationwide. He expanded the institute’s research and outreach programs, securing more than $38 million in funding to support its mission.
In 2023, Mathis was hired as department head at Texas A&M. He has provided leadership on numerous national committees and working groups, including the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the National Beef Quality Assurance Advisory Group. His career has been defined by a passion for improving cattle production practices and supporting the people who power the beef industry.
