Smith retires after four decades of influence on meat science
Regents Professor reached students, faculty and global collaborators throughout his career
After 42 years of service, Stephen Smith, Ph.D., Regents Professor and Senior Faculty Fellow in meat science in the Department of Animal Science at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will retire at the end of June.
Smith’s career advanced the understanding of marbling, metabolism and the growth and development of fatty acid composition in adipose tissue. He is internationally recognized for his collaboration with scientists across the globe.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Texas A&M,” Smith said. “I loved my research, and getting to travel internationally and work with so many great researchers is something I truly enjoyed.”
Global reaching research
When Smith came to Texas A&M, his research focused on measuring how clenbuterol affected muscle growth in sheep and cattle. However, Russell Cross, Ph.D., department head at that time, called Smith into his office and asked, “Why aren’t you working on marbling?”
“When Dr. Cross asked me that, I said, ‘What’s marbling?’” Smith shared. “That conversation opened up a world of opportunities for me.”
Smith’s research shifted to marbling.
In 1984, he published a paper on the metabolism of marbling with John Crouse, Ph.D., which remains one of his most cited works in its area. This research led Smith to collaborate with researchers in Japan, South Korea, China and Australia to study the effects of breed type and production conditions on the development and fatty acid composition of marbling.
During his career, Smith authored and co-authored more than 400 publications.
Teaching the next generation
In addition to his groundbreaking research, Smith taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses. During his time at Texas A&M, he advised 27 master’s students and 26 doctoral students.
He was instrumental in the creation of ANSC 113, Farm Animal Biosystems. He also served on a committee with Kathrin Dunlap, Ph.D., instructional professor and associate head for academic programs, Department of Animal Science, to revise the undergraduate animal science curriculum.
The committee identified the lack of a physiology course for undergraduates, which hindered students from applying to veterinary school. Dunlap and Smith created the course, and Smith taught several sections of it.
“I had never had the responsibility for an undergraduate class before,” Smith said. “But it was a great way to end a career. Getting to see students in the hallways and say hello would make my day.”
Smith was so well-loved by his students that his graduate students threw him a retirement party on his last day of class. He shared that encouraging students to open up and engage in conversations, not just answer questions, were some of his favorite moments in the classroom. “I have learned more about life and how to treat people through international collaboration and working with students than they probably learned from me,” Smith said. “I am grateful for my time in the Department of Animal Science.”
