Career Vitae, DR. GEORGE R. WIGGANS (1)
Career Vitae
DR. GEORGE R. WIGGANS
PresentResearch geneticist (retired)
PositionAnimal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory (AGIL)
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
PresentCouncil on Dairy Cattle Breeding
AddressOne Town Center, 4201 Northview Dr., Suite 302, Bowie, MD 20716, USA
240-393-0291 (mobile)
CitizenshipUnited States (born May 23, 1946, in Auburn, NY)
EducationCornell University, B.S., dairy science, 1968
Cornell University, M.S., animal breeding, 1969
Cornell University, Ph.D., animal breeding, 1978
EmploymentGraduate research assistant, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1968–69, 1974–77
Volunteer (Laos), International Voluntary Services, Washington, DC, 1969–72
Teacher/counselor, Green Chimneys School, Brewster, NY, 1972–74
Research assistant, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1977–78
Research geneticist, Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL; now AGIL), ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 1978–2016
Visiting Scientist, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel, 1982
Visiting Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, 1986–87
Visiting Scientist, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, University of New England, Armidale, Australia, 1995
Visiting Scientist, Livestock Improvement, Hamilton, New Zealand, 1995–96
Visiting Scientist, Department of Primary Industries, Melbourne, Australia, 2009
Acting research leader, AIPL, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 2012–14
Visiting scientist, AGIL, ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 2016–present
Technical advisor, Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD, 2016–present
SocietiesAlpha Zeta Agricultural Honorary
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Dairy Science Association
American Society of Animal Science
Dairy Shrine
Honors
IndividualAgriculture, Food, Nutrition and Natural Resources R&D Round Table, Exemplary Case
AwardsSelected for Special Recognition, 2011
American Association for the Advancement of Science (elected Fellow), 1997
American Dairy Goat Association, Mary L. Farley Award, 2001
American Dairy Science Association
Fellow Award, 2012
J.L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics, 1996
Most Cited Award (Genetics and Breeding), 2014
American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Washington, DC, Chapter, Dr. Vernon G. Pursel Memorial Distinguished Service Award, 2015
Honors (cont.)
IndividualGamma Sigma Delta, University of Maryland–National Capital Area Chapter, International
AwardsDistinguished Service Award of Merit, 2010
(cont.)National Association of Animal Breeders, Research Award, 1996
National Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Outstanding Service Award, 2006
USDA cash performance awards
Development of computerized managements systems for feed inventory/ billing and dairy animal assignment/location in animal operations, 1988
Development of strategies to make an animal model useful for the U.S. dairy industry and preparation of written material to support the educational effort, 1990
Exceptional achievement in planning, conducting, and publishing research reports to improve accuracy of genetic evaluations for yield, productive live, and conformation traits, 2001
Outstanding performance as research geneticist, 1991
Superior performance in planning, conducting, and publishing dairy genetics research and transferring results to the dairy industry, 2002
Superior performance, with superb performance in all research elements, 2000
GroupAgriculture, Food, Nutrition, and Natural Resources R&D Round Table, Exemplary Case
AwardsSelected for Special Recognition, 2011
ARS, USDA, Superior Effort Technology Transfer Award, 2000
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Public Field Day exhibit (3rd place), 2000
Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Award of Recognition, 2015
Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Citation, 2000
Government Executive magazine, Government Technology Leadership Award, 1998
Holstein World, “Web Site of the Month” Award, 1998
IBM 3090 Supercomputing Competition, Life and Health Sciences Division, 3rd prize for paper “Dairy Genetic Evaluations Using Information from Relatives,” 1989
Journal of Dairy Science, Genetics and Breeding section, Featured Article of the Month (Editor’s Choice), March (2 articles) and August (1 article), 2013; March (1 article), 2015
National Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Award of Special Appreciation, 1991
National Partnership for Reinventing Government (Vice-Presidential Hammer) Award, 2000
USDA
Secretary’s Honor Award, ARS Cattle Genomics Consortium, 2010
Unit Award for Distinguished Service, 1991
GrantsAmerican Dairy Goat Association
Development of Genetic Evaluation Procedures for Economically Important Traits in Dairy Goats, $20,000, 1988–93
Development of Genetic Evaluation Procedures for Production Traits in Dairy Goats, $10,000, 1984–89
Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund
A Systematic Genome Search for Genes Affecting Economic Traits in Dairy Cattle, $330,000, 1996–99
Detection and Mapping of Genes Affecting Traits of Economic Importance in Dairy Cattle with the Aid of Molecular Genetic Markers, $17,000, 1992–95
Determination of actual polymorphisms responsible for economic trait variation in dairy cattle, $144,000, 2015–18
Development of Improved Methodology for Estimating Genetic Merit of Bulls and Cows in the USA and Israel, $250,000, 1982–85
GrantsNational Association of Animal Breeding
(cont.)Development and Enhancement of Genetic Evaluations for Calving Traits, $50,000, 2005–10
Improved Genetic Evaluations for Calving Ease, $60,000, 1999–2004
National Research Initiative Competitive Grant (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service)
Genome Signature of Artificial Selection and Genome-Wide Association Analysis in Holstein Cows, $450,000, 2008–09
Large Scale Bovine SNP Genotyping for Genomic Selection and HapMap Development, $409,428, 2006–09
Activities3rd International conference on Goat Production and Disease (invited speaker), Tucson, AZ, 1982
4th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Breeding Value Prediction with the Animal Model Workshop (invited chair), Edinburgh, Scotland, 1990
5th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (invited speaker), Guelph, Canada, 1994
6th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (invited speaker and session chair), Armidale, Australia, 1998
32nd International Symposium “Animal Production: Advances in Technology, Accuracy and Management” (invited speaker), Milan, Italy, 1997
Agricultural University of Wageningen, Netherlands, visiting research assistant program (project supervisor), 1986–93
Alta Genetics sire analyst meeting (invited speaker), Watertown, WI, 2010, 2016
American Breeders Service, Sales Manager Conference (invited speaker), New Cumberland, PA, 1984
American Dairy Goat Association annual meetings (invited speaker), 1983–84, 1987–89, 2000, 2002, 2006
American Dairy Science Association
Animal Model Workshop (initiator and organizer), 1988
Annual meeting (invited speaker), 1993 (“Meeting the Information Needs of the Dairy Industry” Symposium), 1996, 1998 (“Prospects of the US Dairy and Meat Goat Industry” Symposium), 2000, 2007
Dairy Cattle Improvement Committee (member), 1996–98
Electronic Journal Committee (chair), 1997–98
Interpretative Summary Committee (member), 2003
Journal of Dairy Science
Associate editor (Genetics and Breeding), 1988–91
Editor, 1991–92
Editorial board (member), 1984–88, 2000–05
Reviewer, 1984–present
Journal Management Committee (member), 1999–2002
American Society of Animal Science, Midwestern Section annual meeting (invited symposium speaker), Des Moines, IA, 1990
American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Washington, DC, Chapter
Board of directors (member), 2013–16
Monthly seminar (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2015
American Veterinary Medical Association Congressional Fellows briefing (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2011
Animal Agriculture Project, Blue Ribbon Panel for Genetics and Genomics (member), Chicago, IL, 2011
Argentine dairy industry seminar series (invited speaker), 1988
ActivitiesAustralian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme (resource person), Attwood, Australia, 1995
(cont.) Binational Agricultural Research and Development
Animal Production Proposal Review Committee (member), 1999–2001
Directors meeting (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 1993
Bovine LD Consortium (member), 2011
British Cattle Breeders’ Conference (invited speaker), Telford, Shropshire, UK, 2015
Canadian Genetic Evaluation/Research Workshop (invited speaker), Guelph, ON, Canada, 1994
Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada; Canadian Dairy Network; and Dairy Cattle Genetics Research and Development (DairyGen) Council (program and project reviewer), 1990, 2005–07, 2011
China Agricultural University seminar (invited speaker), Beijing, China, 2011
Conference on Large Scale Analysis and Modeling (invited speaker), Gainesville, FL, 1990
Context Network blue ribbon panel on assessing genetics and genomics in the animal industry (invited member), 2011
Continuous Evaluation in Dairy Cattle Symposium (invited speaker), College Park, MD, 1993
Core Agricultural Literature project (invited author), 1992
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Department of Animal Science seminar (invited speaker), 1987, 1991, 2015
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics seminar (invited speaker), 2011
Goat Genetics & Reproduction Field Day (invited speaker), 2003
National Supercomputer Facility Research Experiences (invited speaker), 1989
Sheep & Goat Symposium (invited speaker), 2005
Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding
Council meetings (resource person), 2008–present
Industry meeting (invited speaker), Madison, WI, 2015
USDA liaison (2011–16)
CRI Emerging Markets Program (invited speaker), Washington, DC, 2009
Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council Convention (invited speaker), St. Paul, MN, 2010
Dairy Records Management Systems annual meeting (invited speaker), 1984, 1996
Dairy Research Development Corporation (invited speaker), Hamilton, New Zealand, 1995
DHI-Provo
Advisory Group annual meeting (invited speaker), Provo, UT, 1983
Computing Service Workshop (invited speaker), 1983, 1993
Herd Management Conference (invited speaker), 2005, 2009
Users meeting (invited speaker), 2010
DNA LandMarks User Group meeting (invited speaker), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, Canada, 2011
Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences
Editorial Advisory Board, 1999–2002, 2007–11
Book chapter (invited author), 2000, 2008
GenElite Japanese Genomics Tour (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2013
Genetics in the Age of Genomics Conference (invited speaker), Scottsdale, AZ, 2015
George Washington University (Ph.D. external examiner), 1998
Georgetown University student tour (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2010
Holstein Association USA
Board of directors meeting (resource person), 1981
Genetic Advancement Committee (resource person), 1989–90, 1994, 1998, 2010–11
IBM Institute (invited speaker), Oberlech, Austria, 1988
Idaho Farm Bureau study tour (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2010
Illumina Agrogenomics User Group meeting (invited speaker), St. Louis, MO, 2011
ActivitiesInner Mongolia Agricultural University Workshop on Holstein Breeding and Management
(cont.)(invited lecturer), Hohhot, China, 2009
International Bull Evaluation Service (Interbull)
Committee To Establish Standard Procedures and Definitions for Animal Model Implementation, 1988 (member), 1989 (invited speaker)
Experiences with Animal Model Implementation Workshop (speaker recruiter and invited speaker), Paris, France, 1990
Technical Workshop
Wageningen, Netherlands (invited speaker), 2006
Guelph, ON, Canada (invited session leader), 2011
International Conference on Agricultural Technology (invited speaker), Washington, DC, 1984
International Committee for Animal Recording
Biennial session (invited speaker), Niagara Falls, NY, 2008
Parentage Recording Working Group (member), 2010–16
International Dairy Congress, Genetic Evaluation for the 21st Century Session (invited chair), Montreal, QC, Canada, 1990
International Science Foundation proposal (invited reviewer), 2009
Internet2 Global Summit (ARS representative and speaker), Denver, CO, 2014
Maryland Dairy Goat Association meeting (invited speaker), Westminster, MD, 1981
Maryland Technology Development Corporation, Maryland Rural Agricultural and Business Innovation Forum (invited speaker), Aberdeen, MD, 2011
Minnesota Dairy Health Conference (invited speaker), Bloomington, MN, 2011
Multicooperator Dairy Improvement Program for Venezuela seminar series (invited speaker), 1985
National Association of Animal Breeders
Annual meeting (invited speaker), McLean, VA, 1988
Dairy Sire Evaluation Committee (resource person), 1987–present
Data Processing Committee (resource person), 2007–09
Information Processing Committee meeting (invited speaker), 2002
Information Processing Workshop (invited speaker), New Carrollton, MD, 1987
International Dairy Press Tours (resource person), 1990–92, 1994, 1996, 1999–2002
International Marketing Committee, 2002 (resource person and invited speaker), 2004–06 (resource person)
Sire Analyst Conferences (resource person), 1978–80, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993
Turkish Visitors Conference (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2015
Workshop (invited speaker), Annapolis Junction, MD, 1988
National Association of Farm Broadcasters (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2008
National Breeders Roundtable (invited speaker), St. Louis, MO, 2008, 2011
National Cooperative Dairy Herd Improvement Program
Annual meeting (invited speaker), 2000, 2006
Dairy Records Processing Center Workshop (invited speaker), 1979, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2010
Data Processing Committee (resource person), 1985, 2004–05
Research Committee (invited speaker), Columbus, OH, 1982
Research and Education Committee (member and secretary), 1983–86
National Dairy Genetics Workshop (invited speaker), Orlando, FL 1998
National Dairy Herd Improvement Association annual meeting (invited speaker), 2000,
2006
National Research Council Symposium and Workshop “Building a National Feed Composition Data Base” (resource person), 1992
NC-2 Regional Project Technical Committee (resource person), 1986, 1989
ActivitiesNew Research on Livestock Science and Dairy Farming book chapter (invited coauthor),
(cont.)2005
New Zealand Animal Evaluation Ltd., Hamilton, New Zealand
Animal Evaluation Technical Review Committee (member), 1995–96
Dairy geneticists and industry meetings (invited speaker), 1993
Project reviewer (invited), 1993, 2004, 2007–08
New Zealand Society of Animal Production annual meeting (invited speaker), Hamilton, New Zealand, 1996
Northeast Dairy Goat Herd Improvement Association annual meeting (invited speaker), 1978, 1989
Northeast Sheep and Goat Genetic Alliance Symposium (invited speaker), Springfield, MA, 2001
Northeast Testing Conference (invited speaker), Ellenville, NY, 1980
Ohio State University seminar (invited speaker), Columbus, OH, 1989
Pennsylvania Dairy Goat Association annual meeting (invited speaker), State College, PA, 1987
Pennsylvania Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Dairy Records Processing Center Advisory Committee meeting (invited speaker), State College, PA, 1993
Poultry Breeders of America Roundtable (invited speaker), St. Louis, MO, 2008, 2011
Purebred Dairy Cattle Association seminar (invited speaker), Brattleboro, VT, 1988
Ruakura Animal Breeding Seminar Group (invited speaker), Hamilton, New Zealand, 1995
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, Scotland
Animal Breeding and Genomics seminar (invited speaker), 2013, 2015
National genomic evaluation system review in conjunction with EGENES and Animal & Veterinary Sciences Research Group (invited reviewer), 2011
Select Sires, Columbus, OH
Cooperators meeting (invited speaker), 1992
Sire Committee
Conference (invited speaker), 1988
Meeting (invited speaker), 2008, 2010–11)
Small Business Innovation Research grants program (proposal reviewer), 2000–01
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Animal Workshop (invited speaker), Zurich, Switzerland, 1990
TADCO conference (invited speaker), Aberdeen, MD, 2011
Technology Foundation of the Netherlands proposal (invited reviewer), 2010
The Genetics of Cattle book chapter (invited coauthor), 1997, 2012
The Literature of Animal Science and Health book chapter (invited author), 1992
University of Georgia
Department of Animal and Dairy Science seminar (invited speaker), Athens, GA, 1980, 1996, 2006
Ph.D. Committee (member), 2009–10
University of Guelph, Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences seminar (invited speaker), Guelph, ON, Canada, 1987, 2005
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Department of Animal Sciences seminar (invited speaker), 1986, 1991
Ph.D. committee (member), 1991
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Department of Dairy Science
Dairy cattle breeding course (invited instructor), 1981
Seminar (invited speaker), 1978, 2013
M.S. committee (member), 1981
Ph.D. committees (member), 2007–10, 2012–14
Selection Committee (member), statistics and genomics positions, 2005
ActivitiesUniversity of New England, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit seminar (invited speaker),
(cont.)Armidale, Australia, 1995
University of Wisconsin, Department of Dairy Sciences seminar (invited speaker), Madison, WI, 1987
U.S. Agency for International Development, Grant Proposal Review Board (member), 1986, 1993
U.S. Department of State (project reviewer), 2002
U.S.-Canadian dairy industry meetings (invited speaker), Buffalo, NY; Toronto, ON, Canada, 1991
USDA
ARS
Chief Scientific Information Officer (acting), 2014
Big Data Workshop (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2013, 2015
Genomics research meeting (invited participant), San Diego, CA, 2008–10
Research for Small Farms Symposium (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 1981
Research Position Evaluation System panel (member), 2009–11
Workshop on Goat's Milk: Production, Processing, Products (invited speaker), Philadelphia, PA, 1981
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative genomics panel (member), 2009–10
“New Uses for DHIA Data” Symposium, San Antonio, TX, 1994
Foreign Agricultural Service
Croatian Holstein Breeders Federation and MOA/Veterinary Affairs study tour (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2009
Russian and Ukrainian dairy industry representatives briefing (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 1997
Spanish agriculturists briefing (invited speaker), Beltsville, MD, 2010
Zenrakuren (Japan) Dairy Team briefing (invited speaker), Washington, DC, 1983
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
Review panel (invited member), Washington, DC, 2010
Exploratory Research Program funding proposal (ad hoc reviewer), 2014–15
Breeding and Genomics of Crops and Livestock panel (invited member), 2015
Virginia Holstein Association annual meeting (invited speaker), Roanoake, VA, 1989
Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization (collaborator), Bet Dagan, Israel, 1982, 1984
World-EXPO 2000 Workshop on Animal Breeding and Animal Genetic Resources (invited speaker), Mariensee, Germany, 2000
WorldWide Sires (in conjunction with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service), Initiative for China Dairy Herd Improvement Conference, Emerging Markets Program presentations (invited speaker), Beijing, China, 2012, 2013
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1970. Variation within herds under different housing systems. J. Dairy Sci. 53:541–544.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1970. Sire effects in different housing systems. J. Dairy Sci. 53:545–547.
McDowell, R.E., G.R. Wiggans, J.K. Camoens, L.D. Van Vleck, and D.G. St. Louis. 1976. Sire comparisons for Holsteins in Mexico versus the United States and Canada. J. Dairy Sci. 59:298–304.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1977. Interpolation for extension factors. J. Dairy Sci. 60:1653–1654.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1977. Age-season adjustment factors considering herd feeding practices. J. Dairy Sci. 60:1734–1738.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1978. Effect of proportion of concentrates in herd ration on lactation curves. J. Dairy Sci. 61:135–140.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1978. Evaluation of sires in groups of herds feeding differing proportions of concentrates and roughages. J. Dairy Sci. 61:246–249.
Wiggans, G.R., and L.D. Van Vleck. 1979. Extending partial lactation milk and fat records with a function of last-sample production. J. Dairy Sci. 62:316–325.
Moreno, A.M., G.R. Wiggans, and L.D. Van Vleck. 1979. Genetic and herd-year variation in type traits of Brown Swiss cows. J. Dairy Sci. 62:486–492.
Wiggans, G.R., L.D. Van Vleck, and F.N. Dickinson. 1979. Projection factors for goat lactation records. J.Dairy Sci. 62:797–801.
Van Vleck, L.D., P.J. Karner, and G.R. Wiggans. 1980. Relationships among type traits and milk yield of Brown Swiss cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 63:120–132.
Wiggans, G.R., R.L. Quaas, and L.D. Van Vleck. 1980. Estimating a genetic covariance from least squares solutions. J. Dairy Sci. 63:174–177.
Wiggans, G.R. 1980. Contribution of days since bred, herd average, and sample-day production to accuracy in projecting lactation records. J. Dairy Sci. 63:984–988.
Iloeje, M.U., T.R. Rounsaville, R.E. McDowell, G.R. Wiggans, and L.D. Van Vleck. 1980. Age-season adjustment factors for Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg dairy goats. J. Dairy Sci. 63:1309–1316.
Grossman, M., and G.R. Wiggans. 1980. Dairy goat lactation records and potential for buck evaluation. J.Dairy Sci. 63:1925–1937.
Norman, H.D., B.G. Cassell , R.E. Pearson, and G.R. Wiggans. 1981. Relation of first lactation production and conformation to lifetime performance and profitability in Jerseys. J. Dairy Sci. 64:104–113.
Wiggans, G.R. 1981. Smoothed age-season adjustment factors for dairy goat lactation milk and fat records. J. Dairy Sci. 64:350–352.
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications (cont.)
Wiggans, G.R. 1981. Estimating lactation projection factors as joined straight lines. J. Dairy Sci. 64:703–705.
Wiggans, G.R. 1981. Methods to estimate milk and fat yields from a.m./p.m. plans. J. Dairy Sci. 64:1621–1624.
Iloeje, M.U., L.D. Van Vleck, and G.R. Wiggans. 1981. Components of variance for milk and fat yields in dairy goats. J. Dairy Sci. 64:2290–2293.
Uden, P., T.R. Rounsaville, G.R. Wiggans, and P.J. Van Soest. 1982. The measurement of liquid and solid digesta retention in ruminants, equines and rabbits given timothy (Phleum pratense) hay. British J. Nutr. 48:329–339.