DairyBusiness

DALLAS, Texas – Dr. Ellen Jordan, Ph.D., professor and Extension dairy specialist at Texas A&M Center in Dallas, will be honored Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 at 11:45 a.m. at World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif.

Dr. Jordan will receive the 2010 Outstanding Dairy Industry Educator/Researcher Award for her years of dedication and service to dairy producers throughout the Southwest and beyond. Western DairyBusiness magazine will recognize Dr. Jordan during Dairy Profit Seminars at the Seminar Center located between “R” and “S” streets along Expo Lane.

“Her accomplishments in dairy education and research don’t stop with the Southwest territory,” said Ron Goble, editor and associate publisher for the magazine. “Dr. Jordan’s involvement in conference development and planning has helped bring exemplary conference programs to the dairy industry throughout the nation.”

On a personal level, Dr. Jordan admits that she “always loved being out on the dairies helping dairymen solve problems in their herd. I’ve helped producers solve problems in the areas of reproductive physiology and nutrition over the years and more recently helped them with I-9 questions and  immigration issues.”

Dr. Jordan has worked with industry and producer groups to resolve issues in Texas on environmental regulation concerns as they pertain to regulation interpretation and compliance. She has been active in researching water quality issues across the state of Texas.

“I’ve learned a lot from working with dairymen,” she said. “There are different ways to get the same thing accomplished.”

Besides being an Extension dairy specialist, Dr. Jordan is also a member of the dairy science section in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University with a double major in animal science and agricultural journalism. She received her master’s and doctorate in animal science from Oregon State University.

Jordan coordinates research-based educational programs for dairy producers, and helps producers plan, execute and evaluate production and management systems.

She also develops training and teaching materials to enhance and strengthen educational programs in dairy cattle production and management. Jordan has participated in more than 1,600 radio programs through the years to get crucial herd health, production and management information to dairy producers in the region.

Since 1994, she has put her agricultural journalism training to good use as the editor of the proceedings for the Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference. She also edited the proceedings for the National Symposium on Alternative Feeds for Dairy and Beef Cattle (1991) and the National Reproduction Symposium (1994).

More recently she helped found the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council and has edited for the reproductive section of the National Dairy Database. She also edited the Dairy Integrated Reproductive Management (1984) manual.

In 1991, she was selected as a dairy show honoree by the West Virginia Dairy Cattle Show and Festival. In recognition of outstanding scholarship, leadership, fellowship and character in service to agriculture, Jordan was awarded membership in the Centennial Honor Roll of Alpha Zeta.
In 2007 her academic peers recognized her contributions when she received the DeLaval Dairy Extension Award from the American Dairy Science Association.

Her professional memberships include the American Society of Animal Science, the American Dairy Science Association, the Society for the Study of Reproduction, National Mastitis Council, Dairy Shrine, Texas Animal Nutrition Council, the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Epsilon Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta.

She currently serves on the board of directors of the American Dairy Science Association (2001-2004) and the American College of Animal Nutrition (2000-2003).

She is on the planning committee for the huge Western Dairy Management Conference and the High Plains Dairy Conference, both held every two years.

She has been married to Scott E. Jordan for 32 years, and they have one son, Scott A. Jordan, who is in his freshman year as an agriculture engineering student at Texas A&M University.

Ellen’s mother, Wilda Utz, always said “never tell her she can’t,” referring to her daughter’s determination and commitment to excellent.

We’ve seen those qualities evident in her role as an educator and researcher. She is plugged into reality and offers dairy producers practical solutions that are proven to work on the dairy farm where it counts.