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Champaign, IL (May 19, 2021)—The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA®) is pleased to announce David R. Mertens has been named Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association. Mertens will be recognized during the virtual ADSA Annual Meeting.
The purpose of the ADSA Fellow Award is to recognize Dairy Foods division and Production division members of ADSA who have rendered distinguished service to the dairy industry over 20 years or more. The recipients must have made exceptional contributions to the dairy industry, to a dairy-related discipline, or to ADSA; in addition, the recipients must be and have been a member of ADSA for a minimum of 20 years.
David R. Mertens is an influential researcher who developed the amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber (NDF) method for evaluating feeds and its application in formulating dairy cow diets with maximum forage. This method became the worldwide standard for measuring NDF. Mertens’ physically effective NDF defined the feed characteristics needed to meet the minimum fiber requirements of dairy cows. His in vitro methods, and his models of fiber kinetics and ruminal digestion and passage, provided the groundwork for current measures of undigestible fiber and fiber digestion rates. An excellent teacher and speaker, Mertens has received awards for both teaching and research.
It is with great pleasure that ADSA presents David R. Mertens with the 2021 Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association distinction.
About the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA)
The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is an international organization of educators, scientists, and industry representatives who are committed to advancing the dairy industry and keenly aware of the vital role the dairy sciences play in fulfilling the economic, nutritive, and health requirements of the world’s population. It provides leadership in scientific and technical support to sustain and grow the global dairy industry through generation, dissemination, and exchange of information and services. Together, ADSA members have discovered new methods and technologies that have revolutionized the dairy industry.