Three Scientists Inducted Into ARS Hall of
Fame By Sharon
Durham September 18, 2002
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18--Advances in food science, landmark
research on parasites of veterinary and medical importance, and pioneering work
on dielectric properties of and moisture measurement methods for agricultural
products have earned three Agricultural
Research Service scientists places in the agency's Science Hall of Fame.
ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
During a ceremony today at the
U.S. National Arboretum in Washington,
George Inglett, K. Darwin Murrell and Stuart O. Nelson will receive plaques
citing their achievements. "These scientists have made enormous contributions
to agricultural research during their careers and have certainly earned their
places in the Hall of Fame," said ARS Acting Administrator Edward B.
Knipling.
Since 1996, the ARS Hall of Fame program has recognized agency
researchers for outstanding career achievements in agricultural science. Those
inducted are nominated by their peers for making major contributions to
agricultural research. The scientists must be retired or eligible to retire to
receive the award.
Inglett joined ARS in 1967 as chief of the Cereal Properties
Laboratory at the then-Northern Regional Research Laboratory, now the
National Center for Agricultural
Utilization Research, located in Peoria, Ill. Inglett later opted for a
lead scientist position in order to spend more time conducting research, a move
that has resulted in development and patenting of the four "Trim Technologies:"
Oat-trim (a
powdered fat replacement),
Z-Trim,
Nutrim
and Soytrim. In 1999, licensed Oat-trim manufacturers produced more than 20
million pounds of the fat-replacing powder, generating an estimated $1 billion
in retail sales.
Murrell, former deputy administrator of the
ARS National Program Staff, began
his ARS career in 1978, when he was appointed research leader of the Helminthic
Diseases Laboratory. In 1984, Murrell won the ARS Outstanding Scientist of the
Year Award and, in 2000, a newly recognized species of roundworm was named
Trichinella murrelli in his honor. Currently, Murrell's work is
providing the foundation for a program under development by ARS and the
National Pork Producers Council that will
allow pork to be marketed as trichinella-free.
Murrell is being honored for his landmark research on parasites
of veterinary and medical importance--especially trichinellosis in swine--and
for his innovative development and leadership of laboratory and agency-level
programs.
Nelson, who joined ARS in 1954, was chosen for his pioneering
research on the dielectric properties of agricultural products, applications of
radio-frequency and microwave energy, and electrical measurements for
moisture sensing in
cereal grains. He is recognized as a world authority on dielectric
properties--the characteristics of poor conductors of electricity that
determine their interaction with electromagnetic fields--of agricultural
materials and measurement methods.
Nelson was named the ARS Engineer of the Year in 1985. In 1989,
he received ARS' Senior Scientist Excellence and Achievement Award.
Permanent copies of the plaques presented to the scientists will
be on display at ARS' National Visitor
Center in Beltsville, Md. |