Gary B. Anderson, Ph.D.

Anderson

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Biography

Gary B. Anderson earned his B.S. degree from Michigan State University in 1969 and his Ph.D. degree from Cornell University in 1973; the same year he joined the UC Davis Animal Science faculty as Assistant Professor and Assistant Physiologist in the Agricultural Experiment Station. He moved rapidly through the professorial ranks to professor and retired as distinguished professor in 2007.

Dr. Anderson was hired to establish a research program in support of the fledgling bovine embryo transfer industry. Over the years his research involved use of in vitro manipulations of embryos to create unique experimental models for study of embryonic development. In addition to early research on embryo culture and embryo sexing, he and his graduate students and staff produced intra- and interspecies chimeras, clones, and embryonic stem cells in large animal species. He was recipient of the Physiology Research Award for both the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) and American Dairy Science Association. In 2011 he was named an ASAS Fellow.

Professor Anderson’s teaching ranged from introductory to advanced and graduate courses. For 20 years he taught the popular upper-division Physiology of Reproduction course. During his entire 34-year career, he taught the graduate-level Reproductive Physiology course. He was recipient of the Academic Senate’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1991 and the Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award in 2006, the first UC Davis faculty member to receive both awards. He also received the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement in 1997, the campus’ premier teaching and research award, and several regional and national teaching awards.

Professor Anderson served as Animal Science department chair during the period 1998-2005. In 2006 he was recipient of the Faculty Award of Distinction from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Upon retirement, he returned to his native state of Michigan where he and his wife Dianne live in a home they had built on his family’s farm.

Education

  • B.S., Dairy Science, Michigan State University, 1969.
  • Ph.D., Vertebrate Physiology, Cornell University, 1973.

Career Honors

  • Magnar Ronning Award for Teaching Excellence, University of California, Davis, 1984
  • Young Scientist Award, Western Section, American Society of Animal Science, 1985
  • Distinguished Service Award: Affirmative Action, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, 1988
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, Academic Senate of the University of California, Davis, 1991
  • Award of Merit, American Association of Teachers in Agriculture, 1991
  • Animal Physiology and Endocrinology Research Award, American Society of Animal Science, 1994
  • Award of Excellence for Teaching, National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, 1995
  • UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, University of California, Davis, 1997
  • Physiology Research Award, American Dairy Science Association, 1999
  • Sacramento News and Review’s List of 100 Most Intriguing People, 2001
  • Faculty Award of Distinction, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, 2006
  • Promoted to Distinguished Professor, University of California’s highest professorial rank, 2006
  • Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award, Academic Senate of the University of California, Davis, 2006-07
  • Elected Fellow of the American Society of Animal Science, 2011

Contact

Dr. Anderson has retired from the University of California, Davis. He may be reached by e-mail (gbanderson@ucdavis.edu). His mailing address is: 12250 Phelps Avenue, Sparta, Michigan 49345 USA