OSU’s Derrell Peel honored for ‘excellence in Extension’ programming and service

Monday, November 30, 2015

Oklahoma State University’s Derrell Peel has been honored as a 2015 Regional Excellence in Extension recipient by Cooperative Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Peel, who serves as the Charles Breedlove Endowed Professor of Agribusiness and Cooperative Extension livestock marketing specialist for OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, was officially recognized as the U.S. Southern Region recipient at the recent Association of Public and Land-grant Universities annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Excellence in Extension awards are presented annually to one Cooperative Extension professional from each region in recognition of his or her visionary leadership, outstanding programming and positive impact on the communities they serve.

The programs (of our regional recipients) demonstrate the incredible impact Extension has on Americans all across the country,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, director of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “Their success is a testament to how Extension nationwide has helped many individuals, families, producers and communities apply science-based knowledge to solve many vexing problems facing our nation.”

An OSU faculty member since 1989, Peel’s insights about livestock marketing, risk management education for livestock producers and economic effects of the U.S. cattle industry are regularly featured in both industry and mainstream media throughout the United States.

Peel also works in the area of international livestock and meat trade with particular focus on Mexico, Canada and the North American livestock and meat industry. He lived in Mexico on sabbatical in 2001 and has developed an extensive knowledge of the Mexican cattle and beef industry and the economics of cattle and beef trade between the United States and Mexico.

He has presented more than 850 Extension presentations for agricultural producers, educators, government officials and the general public at meetings, workshops and conferences in Oklahoma and other states.

Extension operates through the nationwide land-grant university system and is a partnership among the federal government through USDA-NIFA and state and local governments. At the national level, Extension is coordinated by the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), which is the representative leadership and governing body of Extension nationwide and works in partnership with the APLU Commission on Food, Environment and Natural Resources.

APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization representing 237 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations. The association’s membership includes 75 U.S. land-grant institutions, including 18 historically black universities. In addition, APLU represents the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which serves the interests of the nation’s 33 American Indian land-grant colleges.