Jim Pettigrew receives Alltech Medal of Excellence

09-04-2010 | Home | News

Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech announced that Professor Jim Pettigrew will be the recipient of the 2010 Medal of Excellence to be presented at Alltech’s 26th International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium taking place at the Lexington Convention Center May 16-19, 2010.

Professor Pettigrew will be honoured for his revolutionary research in the area of food production and his work to address the challenges of feeding an increasing global population.

"It is truly an honour for me to receive this Medal of Excellence from Alltech, a company joined in the effort to produce enough food," said Pettigrew.

"Professor Pettigrew has produced pioneering solutions looking at how the food producing industry can reduce its dependence on grains, corn and soy diets and instead utilize alternative materials as a viable diet for protein production," said Alltech President, Dr. Pearse Lyons.

As a medallist Pettigrew will also take part in the Symposium Plenary Session, where he will set out his main objectives for the feed and food production industry in order to meet growing global demands.

Background

Pettigrew is a native of Wayne County, Illinois, and earned degrees from Southern Illinois University (B.S. in Animal Industries), Iowa State University (M.S. in Animal Nutrition), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition).

After receiving his Ph.D., he worked for several years in industry before accepting a faculty appointment at the University of Minnesota. Here, his research included mathematical modelling and the connections between nutrition and reproduction.

He led the development of the first mathematical model of pig metabolism, with a focus on the lactating sow.

Seventeen years later he left the University of Minnesota and founded Pettigrew Consulting International, LLC. In that role, he worked across a wide range of activities in several different countries, especially in Latin America.

He was recruited to the University of Illinois in 2001, under the Faculty Excellence Program. His current research emphasizes connections between diet and health, with special attention to gut bacteria.