Our Thanks to Dr. Jock Buchanan-Smith
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Since the inception of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) in 2001, Dr. Jock Buchanan-Smith has acted as the BCRC’s Technical Administrator. Jock provided direction and technical review services to the Council to guide research program development and ongoing management, and evaluated both research proposals and project results. He played a significant role in bridging the gap between scientists and industry.
Jock recently stepped down from his role with the BCRC to enjoy full-time retirement with his wife Virginia at their home near Guelph, Ontario.
Dr. Buchanan-Smith is an internationally recognized authority on beef cattle nutrition and management. He has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed journal papers, research presentations and technology transfer articles for producers.
Jock also chaired the National Academy of Science committee that updated and published the 7th Revised Edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle in 2000. This publication provides authoritative nutritional recommendations for beef cattle, accounting for variability due to breed types, production systems, and the environmental conditions in which beef cattle are raised.
Throughout his career, Dr. Buchanan-Smith has been admired for not only conducting research, but also for his extension efforts and focus on communicating research results directly to beef producers. Jock has participated in numerous field days, producer meetings, and industry policy meetings. He had a clear vision of research and technology transfer, and could provide clear insight into many different areas of beef research.
Dr. Buchanan-Smith has been recognized by numerous organizations for his commitment to the Canadian Beef industry. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his significant commitment to the beef industry, his community and his country.
“Jock has always been focused on the fundamentals of beef research,” said Matt Bowman, Vice-Chair of the BCRC and Chair of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. “He was never afraid to be vocal about what he thought was necessary to move the industry forward. You could be confident that if he said that it was good research, it was.”
Dr. Buchanan-Smith has been a leader in the beef industry and a mentor to many. He has supervised more than 20 graduate students and taught countless diploma and undergraduate students during his 33 years at the University of Guelph in the Animal and Poultry Science Department.
After his retirement from the University of Guelph in 2001, Dr. Buchanan-Smith continued his involvement with the Canadian beef industry by providing technical support to the BCRC and other organizations. Jock and Virginia also ran their own herd of cattle until 2006.
Through his involvement with the BCRC, Dr. Buchanan-Smith was instrumental in the development the Council’s robust research selection and review process. As noted by Andrea Brocklebank, Executive Director of the BCRC, “The Council’s current proposal selection and peer review processes, as well as results reporting and extension systems, stem from the initial processes that Jock was integrally involved in at the outset of BCRC.”
The BCRC would like to acknowledge Dr. Buchanan-Smith’s significant contribution to the BCRC and express appreciation for his many years of service as a researcher and then as a technical advisor to the Council.
“Jock’s impact on the Canadian beef cattle industry is significant,” added Brocklebank. “His focus through his time with the BCRC on the extension of research to industry and his role in guiding the initial development of BCRC’s priority setting, review, and research funding processes continues to be evident in BCRC’s operations today and most notably have been adopted by many other industry research funding organizations across the country.”
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