Andrew Lewis was among a select few to receive the Award of Excellence in January. He has chiefly been involved with reproductive physiology research at Overton for over 16 years. -- Extension photo by Robert Burns

March 2, 2006 - “Known for his dedication to the scientific method and excellence in science as the manager of two labs for the (Texas Agricultural) Experiment Station (in Overton),” were the words used to describe Andrew Lewis during the recent Texas A&M Agriculture Vice Chancellor Awards banquet held in College Station.

The highest honor bestowed by Texas A&M Agriculture, Lewis was one of 21 people, two teams, and one agency-industry partnership to be presented the Award of Excellence by Dr. Elsa Murano, Texas A&M University System vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences, in January.

“I was quite pleased. It is a fairly big deal,” Lewis said on Feb. 8.

He added, “The people that I most hope are aware of my abilities are the ones that I work with every day.” These people include his project leader, Dr. Ron Randel; herdsman, Don Neuendorff; and resident director of research, Dr. Charles Long. 

Lewis, who has been involved with reproductive physiology research at Overton for over 16 years, said he appreciates the necessity of wearing many different hats. Applied training of graduate students in field and lab research practices “remains a two-way street hopefully, they continue to keep us on our toes mentally and physically.”

One current area Lewis and others are working on involves relationships among feed efficiency, temperament and immunity of cattle. The cattle they utilize are Brahman, and a lot of them. The Overton Research and Extension Center has “one of the largest registered Brahman herds in the U.S. maintained specifically for research purposes.”

This research, ongoing for two years, is performed in a drylot setting, using custom feed bunks fitted with electronic gates. Each animal wears a “key” around their neck which allows them access to an assigned feed bunk. These animals are individually fed a complete ration in flat proportion to their bodyweight for about 70 days. Differences in their gain performance are evaluated afterwards for breeding selection purposes. “The most efficient animals show roughly three times the average daily gain as the least efficient on this limited feed resource,” the researcher said.

The purpose of these trials is to develop two different feed efficiency lines- one higher, one lower - which will ultimately be evaluated for factors related to fertility, temperament and immune function of limit-fed brood cows and their calves. 

Lewis concluded that he remains “just as enthused about applied science” as when he began his undergraduate internship at Overton 20 years ago and that earning the recognition for research support tells him he continues “to move in a good direction.”

In recognition, Lewis received a monetary award, commemorative plaque, and pin.