UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Two faculty members in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences -- Dr. Roland Leach, professor of poultry science, and Dr. Gary Petersen, professor of soil and land resources -- have been named distinguished professors by the university.

The title of distinguished professor was established by the Office of the President to recognize a select group of professors with exceptional accomplishments in teaching, research and service.

Leach is a worldwide leader in the field of bone metabolism, bone growth and development, eggshell formation and mineral nutrition. He identified, characterized and named a major skeletal disease of poultry known as tibial dyschondroplasia, which costs the poultry industry millions of dollars annually.

"Dr. Leach's research has contributed greatly to our understanding of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this complex anomaly," said Robert Elkin, head of Penn State's poultry science department. "In addition, his research has provided valuable information on a number of other connective tissue and skeletal disorders while advancing our knowledge of normal bone growth. Dr. Leach's findings have transcended species and are of tremendous relevance to both poultry science and human medicine."

Leach has published 104 peer-reviewed papers, 32 conference proceedings, nine book chapters, seven non-refereed papers and several in-house articles. In 1980, the Poultry Science Association awarded him the American Feed Manufacturers Association Research Award, and in 1983, he received Penn State's Gamma Sigma Delta Research Award.

Leach has taught Principles of Animal Nutrition to more than 3,000 undergraduate students and has mentored six doctoral and 26 master's degree candidates. He also has served on more than 30 departmental, college and universitywide committees, and was instrumental in establishing the Intercollege Graduate Program in Nutrition, for which he served as associate director.

Leach received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Maine, his master's degree in nutrition/biochemistry from Purdue University and his doctorate in nutrition/biochemistry from Cornell University.

Petersen is internationally recognized for his research on how soil and agronomic sciences can be applied to land use planning and management. His work has focused on landscape analysis, watershed modeling, water quality, on-site waste disposal, precision agriculture and rural/urban interface issues. He has used remote sensing and geographic information systems to increase understanding of soil, landscape and hydrologic processes. He co-founded and co-directs Penn State's Office for Remote Sensing of Earth Resources.

"Dr. Petersen has contributed significantly to a better understanding of the interrelatedness of soils and land use with agriculture and environmental issues," said Steven Fales, head of Penn State's agronomy department. "His statewide assessments of nonpoint source pollution have helped to protect surface and groundwater and to evaluate potential threats to drinking water supplies. Society has benefited from his many contributions, which have provided a basis for scientifically legitimate, environmentally sound and economically desirable land use decisions."

Petersen is the author or co-author of more than 180 publications and has presented more than 140 papers at national and international scientific meetings. He has been the principal or co-principal investigator for competitive external research funding from state, federal and industry sources totaling over $9 million.

Petersen has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses and has served as chair of advisory committees for 55 master's and doctoral degree candidates. He helped establish the graduate program in soil science, which he has chaired since its inception.

In 1991, Petersen was the first recipient of the Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Research. Gamma Sigma Delta and the Northeast Branch of the American Society of Agronomy also have honored him with teaching and research awards. He currently serves as past-president of the Soil Science Society of America.

Petersen received his bachelor's degree in soils, his master's degree in soil chemistry and his doctorate in soil genesis and morphology from the University of Wisconsin.

###

Contacts: Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax