AFIA Honors Dr. Keith Behnke with Lifetime Achievement Award
October 21, 2020
Contact Lacie Dotterweich, Communications Coordinator
The American Feed Industry Association honored Keith Behnke, Ph.D., with the AFIA-Kansas State University Feed Manufacturing Lifetime Achievement Award today for his lifelong contributions to the feed industry through business and education. Gary Huddleston, AFIA’s director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, presented the award to Behnke at AFIA’s fall virtual Board of Directors meeting.
The award recognizes and honors U.S. animal food industry retirees, or those who are no longer serving the industry or allied industries, who have made a significant contribution to the animal food manufacturing business in the U.S. throughout their careers. Individuals are nominated in the areas of business, science and technology. The AFIA and KSU first presented the award in 1995 and only 20 individuals have received the award to date.
“Dr. Behnke has spent over 40 years working in the feed and grain industry, making him more than deserving of this award,” said Huddleston. “I first met Dr. Behnke in 1988 when I attended a feed short course at Kansas State University. I’ve always respected Dr. Behnke as a great educator of future industry professionals. He has been a great representative of our industry over his career.”
Behnke began his career in the industry working as a processing research coordinator at Far Mar Co. in Hutchinson, Kansas. He returned to his alma mater Kansas State University and assumed teaching and research duties in August 1977. Behnke taught courses that addressed basic and advanced feed manufacturing science and ingredient quality. During his career at KSU, Behnke advised over 150 undergraduates, 18 doctorate and more than 20 masters students in feed science. He has published many scientific and popular press articles, presented papers at more than 120 conferences and symposia both domestic and abroad, and has visited nearly 50 foreign countries in his capacity as a consultant and member of the department’s International Grains Program.
Behnke retired from the university in July 2010 but has continued to serve on the feed science advisory team, helping to design and construct a new campus feed mill for the Department of Grain Science and Industry.
Behnke is a native Kansan and graduated from KSU with a bachelor’s in feed technology in 1968. Following three years of military service, he returned to KSU to earn a master’s in feed science and a doctorate in grain science.
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