CDR’s Mark Johnson Earns Babcock Award
Mark Johnson, CDR Assistant Director and Distinguished Scientist, has been awarded the 2022 Babcock Award by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).
The WCMA Babcock Award, named for Stephen Babcock, the famed agricultural chemist and University of Wisconsin professor, recognizes the contributions of those in education or affiliate organizations partnering with cheesemakers in the pursuit of dairy industry innovation and excellence. Johnson is being honored with the 2022 Babcock Award along with Paul Kindstedt who is a Professor of Food Science in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Vermont.
“This is a wonderful honor and it has been a great privilege to serve the cheese industry in any way I can,” Johnson said. “But it’s a shared honor in that so many people have helped me through my journey. I hope I have lived up to their trust in me.”
Johnson’s research has been vital to the cheese industry, directly contributing to continued innovation. His work on the cheese related issues and his continued participation and leadership with regards to the dairy short courses has impacted the dairy industry in countless ways. His research efforts are always selfless, performing the necessary research and then transferring that knowledge directly to industry. He is internationally recognized as one of the World’s leading dairy scientists and has earned numerous awards and honors within the dairy industry.
In 2013, Johnson was named a distinguished scientist by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is the highest title available to an academic staff member and is only bestowed upon those who have exhibited “unique and outstanding performance” in a chosen field and are recognized by their peers as an invaluable resource.
Johnson will be recognized at the 2022 WCMA Recognition Awards at Cheese Expo, April 14 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Other CDR staff members who have earned the Babcock Award include Marianne Smukowski and John Lucey.
Posted 2/22/2022