Clay Eastwood with Vice Chancellor and Dean, Mark Hussey

Clay Eastwood received the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Graduate Teaching at a ceremony at the AgriLife Center on Thursday, September 29, 2016. This award recognizes graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for their outstanding contribution to teaching undergraduates.

Clay is from New Braunfels, Texas and received both her Bachelor’s degree (2011) and Master’s degree (2014) in Animal Science from Texas A&M University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. focusing on fresh meat quality, food safety, and sustainability under the guidance of Dr. Jeff Savell and Dr. Kerri Gehring in the Meat Science Section of the Department of Animal Science. Clay has taught ANSC 307, Meats, and has served as a graduate teaching assistant for ANSC 437, Livestock and Meat Marketing and ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue for several semesters during her graduate career. These classes provide students with intensive hands-on learning opportunities related to their field. In addition, Clay has coached the Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team, which required her to recruit and train each team to compete nationally.

2016 Texas A&M University Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team. Front row, Ty Robertson, Catherine Guillotte, Baylee Bessire, and Dylan Tucker; Back row, Courtney Boykin (assistant coach), Katy Jo Nickelson, Micki Gooch, Jordan Hevner, Emily Mahalitc, Brogan Horton, and Clay Eastwood (coach)

Most recently, Clay received the Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2014, Clay received two graduate student awards: the Ronnie L. Edwards Graduate Student Teaching Award, in recognition of her important contributions as a graduate student to the undergraduate student experience, and the Z. L. Carpenter Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Meat Science, presented annually to a graduate student who demonstrates outstanding leadership skills and has contributed significantly to the Meat Science Section’s teaching, research, and extension activities.

Congratulations to Clay for her receiving this award and for her passion for teaching undergraduates at Texas A&M University.