Lauren Christian was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, but not for his athletic prowess.

Christian, a distinguished professor in animal science and director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, was recently inducted into the Pork Industry Hall of Fame.

“The great impact that Dr. Lauren Christian has had on thousands of students who attended his senior- level course in pork production at Iowa State University for 29 years is reason enough to place his name in the Pork Industry Hall of Fame,” reads the plaque recognizing him. “Many of his students have gone on to attain prominent positions in pork production, the industry associated with it, and in academia.”

The award was presented to him in Atlanta, Ga., last month by the National Pork Producers Council.

A couple of weeks ago, Christian received another award for his work in advising students. He was named the 1997 winner of the Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award for excellence in mentoring graduate students.

Christian said he insists that his students stay well-rounded, not concentrating on science classes only. He said he thinks these days “we make undergraduates graduates too quickly.”

“I also feel that the grad students need to be exposed not only to research, but also to teaching and outreach,” he said. He said he makes sure his students have opportunities to sleep, attend meetings and work with the industry.

Kevin Ragland, a graduate student in animal science, nominated Christian for the award. He said, “He’s just an outstanding adviser, mentor and role model.”

He said Christian really cares about his students’ personal, social and professional lives and makes them feel involved and understood. He said he also relates well to students.

“To me he is Iowa State University,” Ragland said. He said when he was choosing a university, everyone pointed him here “simply to work with Dr. Christian because he is so well recognized.”

Since taking over the Pork Industry Center, Christian has been phased out of advising. He only advises four or five undergraduates and four graduate students.

“I miss working with students but this job [with the Pork Industry Center] is very interesting,” he said.

Christian said he will keep working for the university as long as his health allows him to. Two years ago, Christian had a tumor removed from his esophageal-stomach region. Last year another tumor was located on his liver. After chemotherapy, doctors operated and located more tumors, but did not remove them. He said he has gone through more chemotherapy and his tumors seem to be stable.

He also helps teach a senior-level pork production class, which he has done for the last 30 years. He said if it weren’t for the surgery, he would still be teaching the entire swine portion of the class.

He has traveled all over the world working with swine breeding and pork production, especially in the far East, including Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, China and all three major islands of Japan.

He spent his spring break in China helping to set up a joint research and teaching effort between Iowa State and a university there. “There’s a lot of people there and they love pork,” Christian said.

Christian helped set up the National Genetic Evaluation program to evaluate the genetic lines of pigs objectively, which is now looking at maternal traits of pigs.

Christian graduated from Iowa State College with a B.S. in animal husbandry, earned a master’s and a Ph.D. in animal genetics from the University of Wisconsin and returned to Iowa State in 1965 to teach.