Dr. Karl Dawson, director of worldwide research at Alltech, was named as 2008 Fellow of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) in the industry category. Dawson was honored on July 8, in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the ASAS Awards Ceremony at the society's annual meeting.

According to ASAS, this prestigious award recognises distinguished service to the animal science and livestock industry over a long period of time. The award requires a minimum of twenty-five years membership in the Society. Dawson was nominated for this year's award by Dr. Gary Cromwell, professor of swine nutrition and coordinator of the swine section at the University of Kentucky.

As Alltech's director of worldwide research, Dawson coordinates research activities for Alltech's three bioscience centres in Ireland, the US, and Thailand. Prior to joining Alltech, Dawson was a professor of nutritional microbiology and served as the director of the nutritional microbiology laboratory at the University of Kentucky. He worked at the University of Kentucky for 21 years and established a research program there in 1971.

Dawson has authored 80 peer-reviewed articles, 25 book chapters, and 164 abstracts. He has been at the forefront of examining the effect of feed additives on rumen fermentations. Through his careful application of microbiological and biochemical principles, he found that yeast cultures enhance beneficial ruminal microbial activities. This work is the basis for much of the current usage of probiotic additives.