Allens Selected for Don L. Good Impact Award
Dr. Dell Allen, a retired Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry (ASI) professor and a meat industry visionary, along with his wife, Joyce, will be presented with the 2024 Don L. Good Impact Award.
The award, presented by the Livestock and Meat Industry Council Inc. (LMIC), is named in honor of Good, who is a former department head of the Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry (ASI), and recognizes those who have had a positive impact on the livestock and meat industry or agriculture. The Allens will be recognized during the K-State ASI Family & Friends Reunion on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Stanley Stout Center in Manhattan, Kansas.
“Dr. Dell Allen has had a distinguished career in the livestock and meat industry. He has been a renowned researcher and meat scientist, a judging team coach, a teacher, an advocate, a mentor, and a friend to many people,” says Doug Deets, LMIC board member and former student of Dell’s. “His impact has been wide and deep. One of Dr. Good’s strongest attributes was his ability to hire top-notch people to come to the animal science department at K-State. He knocked it out of the park when he hired Dr. Allen in 1966. The impact of that hire has been huge not only for K-State, but for the livestock and meat industry as a whole.”
Dell grew up on his family’s farm in Liberty, Kansas. He earned his bachelor’s degree from K-State in 1961. While attending K-State he worked at the beef, sheep and poultry units and was a member of the wool, meat and livestock judging teams. He then earned his master’s in animal breeding from the University of Idaho and his doctorate from Michigan State University in animal husbandry.
In 1966, Dell joined the K-State ASI faculty where he worked for 22 years. He received numerous K-State and national teaching awards. He coached the meat judging team for 13 years winning multiple contests. Making an impact on every student he met, he served as major advisor for 17 masters’ students, three doctorate students and was also an advisor for Block & Bridle Club and Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. During this tenure at K-State, Allen’s research focused primarily on beef composition and beef quality. Allen left for two sabbaticals during his time at K-State—one in Brazil and the other with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
In 1988, Dell left his academic position and was hired by Excel Corporation, which later became Cargill Meat Solutions. His first role was the implementation of a company-wide quality improvement program. In 1990, Dell was named V.P. of Quality Assurance and with the outbreak of E.coli 0157:H7, he was responsible for assuring the safety of Excel’s meat products. He was named V.P. of Food Safety and Technology and served in that role until he retired in 2004. For the next 12 years, he consulted in various capacities in the meat industry.
During his career he served as president of the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) and received many awards including the R.C. Pollack Award, the highest award bestowed by AMSA. He was presented the K-State ASI Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009 and was named the 2013 Stockman of the Year. Dell is past president of LMIC. He also received awards from the National Meat Association, USDA-FSIS, American Meat Institute and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame.
Dell says his success would not be possible without Joyce, his wife of 58 years. The couple, parents of three — Melanie, Damon and Gary — currently resides in Derby, Kansas. They appreciate living near their two granddaughters Katrina and Danielle, and twin grandsons Asher and Nathan.
More information, along with registration, will be available online for the Oct. 5 K-State ASI Family & Friends Reunion at asi.ksu.edu/familyandfriends and the reunion’s social media channels.
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The Kansas State University Department of Animal Sciences and Industry serves students, livestock producers and the animal and food industries through teaching, research and education. The K-State ASI department prepares students for careers in the animal and food industries. The curriculum includes the study of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, behavior, meat science and food science with production, management, and agribusiness skills. For more about the K-State's ASI department visit asi.ksu.edu.
The Livestock and Meat Industry Council is dedicated to facilitating interdisciplinary research that identifies and addresses issues/opportunities facing animal agriculture and the efficient production of food. The Council solicits volunteer contributions including money, land, livestock, equipment and other bequests in support of approved priorities and initiatives within the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, in cooperation with the College of Agriculture at K-State.