Professor Dorian Garrick is a world leader in his field.
Genetic scientist Professor Dorian Garrick will join the Performance Beef Breeders (PBB) board at the end of September.
Garrick, PhD, BAgrSc(Hons), is chief scientist and director at Massey University’s AL Rae Centre. The AL Rae Centre is a world leader in the field of quantitative breeding, genetics and genomics working to benefit New Zealand’s agricultural sector.
He is also a professor of animal breeding and genetics at Massey’s School of Agriculture and Environment.
Garrick will replace Shane McManaway, chief executive of Allflex Asia-Pacific and China on the PBB board.
He will be the second independent director alongside three appointed breed representatives.
PBB provides the analysis, data management and resources for New Zealand’s beef breeds as well as an array of commercial services such as genomic evaluations, tag sales, on-farm software and graphic and web design.
General manager Harry Faas said Garrick was a world leader in his field. “He has been integrally involved in the development and implementation of national animal evaluation programmes, performance recording databases and breeding schemes internationally.
“His experience will be invaluable to PBB as we pave the way forward in areas such as genomic testing for our New Zealand beef breeds,” Faas said.
Garrick began his research career at Massey University after graduating with a bachelor of agricultural science with first-class honours. He won a Fulbright scholarship and the prestigious Andrew D. White fellowship to undertake a PhD at Cornell University, an Ivy League research university in New York.
Upon returning to New Zealand, Garrick was appointed a full professor at Massey University at age 34. He and his wife also owned and ran a farm in the Manawatu, farming sheep, beef and deer.
He was lured back to the US in 2002 and held positions at Colorado State University and Iowa State University before taking up the directorship at the AL Rae Centre in 2017.
Garrick is looking forward to the contribution he can make to the PBB board.
“Data and analytics are revolutionising our agriculture industry,” he says.
“PBB is conscious that if our beef industry invests in genetic improvement the country will benefit.”
Garrick is also a founding partner of US-based company Theta Solutions LLC, which licenses software for animal and plant evaluation. It is used by International Genetics Solutions and the American Hereford Association for its across-country single-step evaluation.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
