Ignacy Misztal

2010 D.W. Brooks Award for Excellence in Research

Department: Animal and Dairy Science

Ignacy Misztal was born in Poland. He received a master's degree in 1978 from the Technical University of Warsaw and a doctorate in 1985 from the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Starting in 1981, he worked as a research scientist for the Warsaw Agricultural University in Poland. In 1986 he moved to the United States to work as a research associate and then a research data analyst for the University of Illinois in Urbana.

In 1996 Ignacy joined the animal and dairy science faculty at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. His research interests include methods of genetic evaluation, programming in animal breeding, genetics of heat tolerance, genetics of fertility, genetics of mortality, genotype x environment interaction, competition effects and incorporation of genomic information into genetic evaluations.

He is the author of 146 journal papers and more than 200 other publications. He has conducted research across animal species, and his work is sponsored by major dairy, beef, and pig organizations.

Recent projects include issues in genetic evaluation for fertility in dairy, improved stability of type proofs (Holstein Association); purebred selection for crossbred performance in pigs, models detecting competitive effects in pen animals, heat stress in pigs (Smithfield Premium Genetics); random regression model for multi-breed evaluation in beef cattle, models for multiparity evaluation of fertility (NBCEC, Angus Assoc.); and single step evaluation using phenotypic, pedigree and genomic information (AFRI).

Ignacy is best known for research on computing algorithms in animal breeding. He is a popular speaker and teacher and has given presentations in 28 countries and taught short courses on six continents. He regularly teaches courses in mixed models, computing in animal breeding, advanced animal breeding and graduate student seminar.

His awards include the J. L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics, ADSA (2002); Rockefeller Prentice Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics, ASAS (2008); and the Research Award, National Association of Animal Breeders (2008).