UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Don Orr of Noblesville, Ind., has been named a 2006 Animal Sciences Distinguished Alumnus by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Orr is president of JBS United Inc. based in Sheridan, Ind. The nutrition technology company is involved in feed production and marketing, swine production and management, and grain storage and marketing. Founded in 1956, JBS United operates seven feed plants in the United States and a plant in Qingdao, China.

Orr has served as corporate president since 1997, as well as leading the company's nutrition division. As president, he is responsible for overseeing the company's 450 employees and seven Midwestern feed plants, its four swine research farms and its Swine Record System. He has also been responsible for directing the company's international marketing activities and leading the marketing of JBS United's products in Asia.

Raised on a purebred swine and grain farm in Tipton County, Indiana, Orr received his bachelor's degree in animal science from Purdue University in 1967, his master's degree in animal industry from Penn State in 1969, and his doctoral degree in animal husbandry (swine nutrition) from Michigan State University in 1975. He received a NIH Traineeship while at Michigan State.

In the 1970s, Orr served on the faculty of the Department of Animal Science at Texas Tech University, where he served as assistant professor, associate professor and director of its Swine Research Center. He taught undergraduate and graduate nutrition, swine production and management. Orr served as Block and Bridle Club advisor and coordinated the university's annual Swine Short Course Program.

A member of the American Society of Animal Science since 1969 and chairman of its Swine Livestock Committee since 1987, Orr was elected to the society's national board of directors in 1997. He is also a member of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Orr has served on the National Pork Producers Council Research Project Selection Committee, Swine Modeling Committee and Feed Purchasing Manual Committee. He has served on the board of directors of the former National Feed Ingredient Association and was chairman of its 1988 Nutrition Institute. Orr has served four terms on the American Feed Industry Association's board of directors, is currently on the association's executive committee and is a former member of the Agricultural Genetics and Technology Committee for the Indiana Corporation for Science and Technology.

An invited speaker at swine meetings in 18 states, as well as in Asia, Europe, Brazil, Canada and Mexico, Orr was recognized in 1999 as a distinguished agricultural alumnus by Purdue University and is the recipient of that university's "Old Masters" award. He was selected as one of the 25 Pacesetters for the '90s by Hogs Today magazine and has been an invited swine judge at numerous state fairs, national breed conferences, the National Barrow Show, the Ft. Worth Stock Show, the National Western Stock Show and Japan Pork Producer Council-sponsored shows.

Orr and his wife, Pam, have two sons.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Carol Ertley at 814-863-3665.

Jeff Mulhollem Writer/editor Phone: 814-863-2719 E-mail: jjm29@psu.edu