July 16, 2002
AMES, Iowa — A former dean of the Iowa State University College of Agriculture is the 2002 recipient of an award that recognizes distinguished service to animal agriculture in developing areas of the world.
David Topel will receive the Bouffault International Animal Agriculture Award July 22 at the American Society of Animal Science annual meeting in Quebec City, Canada. The award is presented annually to a person who has "made a meritorious contribution by way of teaching, research or other service to animal agriculture in one or more areas of the developing world over a period of five or more years."
Topel received a bachelor's degree in 1960 from the University of Wisconsin, a master's from Kansas State University and a doctorate from Michigan State University. He joined the Iowa State University faculty, where he gained international recognition for his research in pork quality and the causes of porcine stress syndrome.
He became head of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at Auburn University in 1979. He was appointed dean of the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station in 1988. While in that position for 12 years, he encouraged faculty to assist in the transfer of agricultural technology to less-developed countries. He helped establish exchanges of faculty and students with institutions of higher education in China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Thailand.
Topel serves as Ensminger Chair for International Programs in Animal Science at Iowa State University.