The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) has announced that Dr. Jim Claus, Professor and Director of the Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Teaching Award. The award was established to recognize excellence in the teaching of undergraduate and graduate meat science courses and the impact on the lives of those students in a highly positive manner. The award is sponsored by Kraft Foods Group Inc./Oscar Mayer, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Claus will be honored at a special awards banquet at the AMSA 68th Reciprocal Meat Conference on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 in Lincoln, NE.
Jim Claus earned his B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut (1980), M.S. in Animal Science from Kansas State University (1982), and Ph.D. in Food Science also from Kansas State University (1989). Prior to his Ph.D. work, Jim held positions at both Patrick Cudahy Inc. and Superior Brand Meats. After the completion of his formal education, Jim started his faculty career as a member of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech and continued there for 10 years. In the fall of 1999, Dr. Claus joined the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin - Madison as an Associate Professor specializing in muscle foods technology.