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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Aspecialwebsiteisavailablethatfeaturesphotographsand biographiesofallARSScienceHallofFameinducteessince theinauguralyearof1986.Specialfeaturesincludebrowse andsearchfunctionsandvideoclipsfrominterviewswith some members ofthe Hall ofFame. Pleasevisitwww.ars.usda.gov/careers/hof/ Agricultural Research Service Science Hall of Fame TheARS Science Hall ofFamewas inauguratedin 1986. We determined thateachsucceedingyear, one ormorepresentorformer scientistswiththeAgriculturalResearchService couldbe selected, subjectto the followingcriteria: The selectee madewidely recognized impacton agriculturalresearch bythe solution ofa significantagriculturalproblemthroughresearch. The selectee is apersonwhose scientific accomplishments and stature continue to affectthe agriculturalresearchcommunity and/or influence the development ofscience-based agriculturalpolicy. The selectee's character and record ofachievementhavebrought major recognitionand credibility toARS and/orUSDA, and are worthy ofemulationbyyounger agricultural scientists. The selectee's achievements mustbe orhavebeennationally and/or internationallyrecognizedbypeers inthe scientific community. Todaywehonor four outstanding scientistsbyinducting them into A the Science Hall ofFame. plaque citing the achievements ofeach willbe onpermanentdisplay intheARSNationalVisitor Center at the BeltsvilleAgricultural Research Center. Edward B. Knipling Administrator 2 0 0 5 Science Hall of Fame Charles W. Beard Director (Retired) SoutheastPoultryResearchLaboratory Athens, Georgia Foroutstandingcontributions in poultryhealth research inprofessionaland , organizational leadership, and in developingbiocontainment concepts and systemsforanimalagriculture. C harles Beard's seminalresearch inexoticpoultry diseases continues tobenefitthe U.S. poultryindustry and its exports. Beard developed the agar gelprecipitin testfor detection of avian influenza (AI) antibodies in serum and eggyolk. Thiswas the first reliablemethod forAI testing ofpoultryflocks for certification as "disease free." The testwas widelyused during the 1983-84 avian influenzaeradicationprogram. Ithas opened up internationaltrade inpoultryproducts, to thebenefit ofU.S. producers and their trading partners. The agar gelprecipitintestis stillused as primarylaboratory procedure formonitoring avianinfluenzain theUnited States and is theworldwide "gold standard" for avianinfluenza diagnostics. Beardhas also studied awidevariety ofpoultrydisease subjects, including serology,vaccines,pathogenesis, and disease containment. His areas ofexpertise include avian influenza,newcastle disease, and Salmonella enteritidis. In addition. Beard developed simple containmentsystems for safely conductinginfectious disease researchthatare thebasis ofconstruction standards forbiocontainmentlaboratories. Beard'shonors include the Superior ServiceAwardfromUSDA, the ExcaliburAwardfor Excellence inFederalServicefrom Congress, the LamplighterAward and the Workhorse oftheYearAward from theU.S. Poultry and EggAssociation, the PoultryHall ofFame, and the SpecialServiceAward from theAmericanAssociation ofAvian Pathologists. He is a pastPresident oftheAmericanAssociation of AvianPathologists. 2 0 0 5 Science Hall of Fame Nelson A. Cox Microbiologist PoultryMicrobiologicalSafety ResearchUnit Athens, Georgia Forlifetimecontributions ofdistinctiveresearch benefitting thepoultry industryandpublic health through developmentand transfer oftechnologies that reducedfoodbornepathogens particularly , Salmonellaand Campylobacter. N elson Cox is one ofthe mostinfluentialpoultrymicrobiologists in theworld today His workhas led tohuge reductions in contamination ofchicken andmassive savings to the poultry industry Cox demonstrated thatfecallycontaminated condemned carcasses are microbiologically indistinguishable from inspection-passed carcasses afterreprocessing, convincing Congress to approve the practice. Reprocessinghasbecome standard in the poultryindustry, resulting in over $100million insavings. Heproved that immersionchilling is superior (inmicrobiological terms) to airblastchilling, preventing a European tradebanthat wouldhavehurt the U.S. poultry industry. He identifiedhatcheries as reservoirs ofSalmonella and developednumerous intervention strategies that affectthebreeding andhatching operations ofevery majorbroilerintegrator inthe United States and reduced Salmonella contaminationfrom 75 percentin 1990 to 11 percent today. Recently, Coxhas focused on sources of Campylobacterinpoultry, ofwhich relativelylittle is known. He was the firstto demonstrate that Campylobactercanbe transmitted inpoultry through the fertile egg, and hewas thefirst toisolate Campylobacterfrommanyinternal organs and tissues ofcommercialpoultry. Coxis the recipient oftwelve majorresearch awards, andARSnamed himDistinguished SeniorScientist oftheYear in2003. He is a Fellow of theAmericanAcademy ofMicrobiology.