By Faith Peppers
University of
Georgia

University of Georgia poultry scientist Daniel Fletcher received
the prestigious D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in
Research Oct. 1 in Athens, Ga.

Fletcher’s career epitomizes the classical agricultural
scientist. He has advanced his science and at the same time
solved practical problems critical to his industry. His
accomplishments have had major impacts on the poultry industry in
Georgia, the United States and the world.

Fletcher joined the UGA poultry science department in 1977. The
major focus of his research has been in evaluating the effect of
live bird production, handling and processing on poultry meat
quality.

The major quality issues for poultry meat are appearance (color)
and texture. Subsequently, his prolific and creative research
program established him as a world authority on poultry meat
quality and poultry processing.

Major impact

Fletcher’s research has had major impacts in three areas:
production, processing and product export. His research on the
effect of environmental and biological factors on meat color,
muscle chemistry and egg quality has changed the way producers
manage poultry.

His research in processing has changed the way poultry is
processed and handled. In this regard, his work on hot deboning
and basic research on rigor development is especially significant
as it gave a better understanding of the changes occurring in
poultry meat during processing.

Perhaps his greatest contribution to meat quality has been his
research on stunning methodology and its effect on poultry meat
tenderness, color and defects.

The work on stunning methodology allowed for the continued export
of Georgia poultry to the Middle East and the export of Georgia
manufactured poultry processing equipment to Europe. His work has
had a significant economic value to Georgia and the Georgia
poultry industry.

The poultry industry regards Fletcher as the foremost expert on
slaughter methods and their effects on meat quality. He has
received every major award in poultry science, including the
American Egg Board Research Award, Poultry Science Association
Broiler Research Award, Poultry Products Research Award, and the
highly prestigious Merck Award for Achievement in Poultry
Science. On the international level he received the University of
Helsinki Medal.

Other winners

Other honorees this year were Sidney Law, county extension
programming; Robert Shewfelt, teaching; Gerritt Hoogenboom,
international agriculture; and John Baldwin, extension.

The teaching award was the first of the D.W. Brooks awards to be
given. It was established in 1981 to recognize faculty members
who make outstanding contributions and maintain excellence in the
CAES teaching program.

In 1983, the award was expanded to include research, extension
and county extension programs. An award for international
agriculture was added in 1988 and is given in even-numbered
years.

The awards include a framed certificate and a $5,000 cash
award.

Brooks lecture

Before the awards ceremony, Seth Carus, senior research professor
in the Center for Counterproliferation Research at the National
Defense University, delivered the 2002 D.W. Brooks Lecture,
“Bioterrorism, Homeland Security and the Food Supply.”

The lecture and awards are named for the late D.W. Brooks,
founder and chairman emeritus of Gold Kist, Inc.

Brooks was an advisor on agriculture and trade issues to seven
U.S. presidents. He started Cotton States Mutual Insurance
Companies in 1941 to provide farmers insurance.

His many honors for contributions to global agriculture included
being the first inductee into the UGA Agricultural Hall of Fame.
He received the distinguished agribusiness award from the Georgia
Agribusiness Council and was named Progressive Farmer magazine’s
“man of the year in agriculture in the South.”

The CAES sponsors the annual lecture series in his memory.