Distinguished Alumni Award
Front Row (L to R): Roger Nicol, Forest Muir, Catherine Ernst and Emiel Owens
Back Row (L to R): Paul Vaughn, James Starr, Mike Pullins and Gregory Reinhart

Catherine W. Ernst
B.S. 1986, Ph.D. 1994
Animal Science

Noted for her commitment to teaching. which extends well beyond the classroom, Catherine started as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University in 1997. Promoted to Associate Professor in 2004, Catherine continues to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in Animal Breeding and Genetics, while her research work focuses on genome mapping, gene expression analysis and quantitative trait loci identification for swine and beef cattle with emphasis on muscle growth and meat quality. Since 2006 she has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Animal Science for Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.

A sheep shearer during university breaks, Catherine earned her B.S. in Animal Science from The Ohio State University in 1986 and was named a Top Ten Senior and graduated cum laude. She earned her M.S. from Iowa State before returning to OSU for her PhD.

Catherine is a member of American Meat Science Association and the International Society for Animal Genetics. In 2002 she served as chair for the National Animal Genome Research Program, and she has been the Secretary/Treasurer for the Midwest Section of the American Society of Animal Science since 2006. At All Saints Lutheran Church in Mason, Michigan Catherine serves as Secretary of the Christian Education Team.

Catherine is the wife of Stan Ernst, an Outreach Extension Program Leader at The Ohio State University. They are the parents of Samantha.

Forest Muir
Ph.D. 1967
Poultry Science

Originally from West Frankfort, Illinois, Forest earned his B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science from Southern Illinois University before earning his PhD in Poultry Science from The Ohio State University. After his graduation from OSU, Forest took a position as an Assistant Professor and Extension Poultry Specialist at the University of Maine at Orono where he stayed for twelve years before he took a position at Pennsylvania State University. After about ten years at Penn State, Forest returned to Ohio State as Professor and Chair of Poultry Science, a position he held until 1994 when Animal Science, Dairy Science, and Poultry Science were merged.

At Ohio State Forest has been instrumental in the continued development of the poultry science program. Upon his return to OSU and seeing the state of the old poultry research buildings, he secured $2.5 million in state funding for new buildings. Forest was also instrumental in locating the new buildings in Wooster with OARDC. He argued that the Wooster location would lead to more effective utilization of the buildings and assist the turkey program already in place there.  A loyal supporter of OSU, Forest has also had a direct hand in the development of endowments that support the poultry science program and its students.

A past president of the Jeromesville Lions Club, Forest is also a member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. He attends Shreve United Methodist Church and resides in Wooster, Ohio.

Roger C. Nicol
B.S. 1969, M.S. 1972
Agricultural Education

Raised on a dairy farm in Union County, Ohio, Roger earned his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Education from The Ohio State University. After graduating from OSU, Roger worked as a Vocational Agricultural Instructor for the Fairbanks Board of Education.

Leaving teaching after three years, Roger moved on to Human Resources oriented positions at the Ohio Farm Bureau and Landmark, Inc. Currently, Roger is Human Resources Director for Member Services Division East Region at Land O’Lakes, Inc. His work with the design and implementation of pension and healthcare benefits packages has helped cooperatives recruit and retain employees. His commitment, dedication, and knowledge make him a tremendous asset.

During the cooperative mergers in Ohio, Roger served as a reliable resource for the local cooperatives. His assistance in the restructuring of the system allowed the local cooperatives to maintain their presence and remain viable. He was also instrumental in involving the Ohio cooperatives in fundraising for the new 4-H Building.

Roger enjoys raising and showing registered Suffolk sheep, riding his Honda Gold Wing, and working on his ’29 Model A. He has served on his local school board, the Ohio FFA Foundation Board and is an active member of his church.

Roger and his wife, Barbara, currently reside in Marysville, Ohio. They are the parents of Tami Bowman and Amy Nicol and grandparents of Jack.

Emiel W. Owens
M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1952
Agricultural Economics

Originally from Smithville, Texas, Emiel earned his PhD in Agriculture Economics and Finance from The Ohio State University in 1952. Upon graduation from OSU he returned to Texas to teach at Prairie View A&M. In 1972, Emiel joined the Department of Finance at the University of Houston. After his retirement from the University of Houston in 1994, Emiel continued teaching part-time at Prairie View. During his notable career, Emiel also held positions at the University of California-Davis and the University of Minnesota. Outside of the United States, Emiel shared his expertise in the former Soviet Union as part of People to People and at the Booker T. Washington Institute in Liberia, where he lived with his family for two years.

His research has resulted in thirty seven articles, presentations at conferences and a textbook in Finance. His memoir, Blood on German Snow: An African-American Artilleryman in World War II and Beyond, chronicles not only his military career but also his experiences growing up African-American in Texas.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Emiel has been active in his community. He is a leader in Boys Right of Passage, a mentoring program for pre-adolescent and adolescent boys. He also volunteers at a local Community Center.

Emiel and his wife, Hattie, reside in Houston, Texas. They are the parents of Sheila Owens-Collins, Angelia Owens-Sapp, Emiel W. Owens, Jr, and Mel B. Owens. They also have eight grandchildren.

Mike Pullins
B.S. 1972
Agriculture

An Ohio Farm Bureau Federation employee for thirty-three years, Mike has held numerous positions including Director of Outreach, Vice President of Business Services, Director of Membership and Director of Commodity Relations. Mike served ten years as the Executive Director of the Ohio Fruit Growers Association and the Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association. He also played an important role in the development of the Ohio Livestock Coalition, the American Berry Cooperative, the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program, Mid American Ag and Hort Services, Inc., and the Heartland Agdeavor Association.

Originally from Sidney, Ohio, Mike graduated with a B.S. in Agricultural Education from The Ohio State University. An active supporter of the College, Mike has served on the Mission and Vision Committee for the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and assisted with development and implementation of the OARDC internal grants program. Mike has also stayed active with the Alpha Zeta Alumni Association as a board member and president.

Mike’s community involvement includes serving as a Lay Leader and Sunday School Teacher for the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church. He is also the current president of Heartland Agdeavor Association.

Mike and his wife, Cathy, live in Cable, Ohio and operate a 250 acre grain and berry farm. They are the parents of Matthew, Sarah, and Kenton.

Gregory A. Reinhart
B.S. 1983, M.S. 1985, Ph.D. 1990
Animal Science

After earning his B.S., M.S., and PhD from OSU in Animal Sciences, Gregory took a position with Ross Laboratories as a Clinical Research Associate working with hospitalized humans. After a year with Ross, Gregory accepted a Research and Development position with The Iams Company, a leading pet food manufacturer. At Iams he rose to Vice President of Strategic Research and Communications. After Proctor and Gamble’s acquisition of Iams, Gregory continued in this capacity, later assuming the additional responsibility as Director, Technology Development for Proctor and Gamble’s global Pet Care business. In 2007, Gregory joined The Mathile Institute as Vice President of Research and Nutrition.

With research interests including fatty acid metabolism, fiber fermentation, mineral metabolism, neonatal and maternal nutrition, nutritional immunology, and the role of nutrition on cognition and well-being, Gregory has made significant contributions to the pet food industry, including the investigation into the nutritional needs of Alaskan sled dogs. In his current position with The Mathile Institute, he is using his experience to help in the fight against hunger and malnutrition in children and their families.

Gregory is a current member of American Dietetics Association, International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, American Institute of Nutrition, American Society of Nutritional Sciences, American Society of Animal Science, Sigma Xi, and International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association. An adjunct professor in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at OSU, he is also on the National Advisory Board for the College of Science and Mathematics at Wright State University.

Gregory lives in Dayton, Ohio. He is the father of Kyle, Colleen, and Ellen.

James L. Starr
B.S. 1971, M.S. 1972
Plant Pathology

Born in Dayton and a graduate of Clinton Massie High School in Wilmington, Ohio, James earned his B.S. and M.S. in Plant Pathology from OSU before moving on to Cornell for his PhD. After graduating, James joined the International Meloidogyne Project at North Carolina State University as a post-doctoral associate. As a result, he spent eight months as a visiting nematologist in India.

Before joining the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology as an associate professor in 1981, James worked for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Nematode Advisory Laboratory. Currently a full professor at Texas A&M and author of more than 100 publications, James is internationally recognized for his leadership in plant nematology.

In addition to teaching several courses, he has trained more than twenty graduate students who have gone on to their own successful careers. Elected as fellow of the Society of Nematologists and the American Phytopathological Society, James has also been honored with awards from the American Peanut Council, the American Peanut Research & Education Society, and the TAMU Plant Sciences Club.

James and his wife, Marylou, reside in Bryan, Texas. They are the parents of Daniel, Brian, and Laura.

Paul R. Vaughn
Ph.D. 1976
Agricultural Education

Paul earned his B.S. and M.S. from New Mexico State University in Ag and Extension Education before coming to OSU for his PhD in Agricultural Education. A former high school agriculture teacher in New Mexico, Paul is currently the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri.

A recipient of numerous awards, Paul is consistently recognized for his commitment to teaching and his administrative performance. He has served on a number of state and national boards, task forces, and committees doing work to influence the development of secondary agricultural education programs and agricultural teacher education programs throughout the U.S.

In 1998, Paul spent a month in Sana’a, Yemen as a consultant for the Center of International Development where he assisted with the development of B.S. and M.S. degrees at the University of Sana’a for students who want to teach at two year postsecondary institutions. He has also led a trip for National FFA Officers to study agriculture and education in Japan, Hong Kong, and the People’s Republic of China.

Paul and his wife, Lanette, currently reside in Columbia, Missouri. They are the parents of Jim Vaughn and Lauri Baker.