Dr. K. Larry Smith, Emeritus Professor at The Ohio State University, is this year’s recipient of the National Mastitis Council Award of Excellence for Mastitis Prevention and Control. The award is presented each year to an active NMC member for sustained contribution to mastitis prevention and control through research, extension, education, clinical practice, or service to producers. “Dr. Smith’s record of performance in research, extension and public service is exemplary,” says Dr. Ken Leslie, University of Guelph. “By any logical or comparative standards of performance that can be applied, Dr. Smith has a career record that truly merits his selection as recipient of this award.” Dr. Smith developed and maintained a world-class research program on mastitis control in dairy cattle that spanned for more than four decades. He investigated many of the complex aspects of udder health management programs, at both the cow-level and herd-level of intervention. His research resulted in the publication of more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles covering a range of topics. Of particular note is his work on the importance of environmental mastitis. “Dr. Smith is clearly one of the most respected international authorities on intramammary infection and mastitis control in dairy cattle,” says Leslie. “In fact, few other individuals have such a longstanding and wide ranging expertise in this area.” During the award presentation, Dr. Joe Hogan, The Ohio State University, said “Dr. Smith has an excellent ability to convey knowledge to audiences throughout the world concerning milk quality and safety. His notoriety as a facilitator of outreach education is evidenced by the frequent invitations he receives to present invited seminars throughout the world.” An international leader in promoting milk quality, Smith served with immense success in the International Dairy Federation (IDF), both as chair of the A2 Group of Mastitis Experts and later the Standing Committee on Animal Health. He worked tirelessly to achieve international understanding and harmony in contentious areas of milk quality related to international trade. Involved with the National Mastitis Council since the early 1970s, Smith served as chair of the NMC Research Committee for nearly a decade during a period that several industry guidelines, protocols, and reference materials were developed. He was elected NMC President in 1996. "Few people have had a greater impact on improving milk quality through their service in the NMC than has Smith," says Hogan. Smith helped foster increased NMC membership and involvement from outside the US. His efforts to interface NMC and IDF activities have led to NMC now being “the annual international focus of communication and networking for all mastitis, machine milking and milk quality interests in the academic, commercial and farming communities” according to Eric Hillerton, DairyNZ. The National Mastitis Council Award of Excellence for Mastitis Prevention and Control is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. The award is open to the global NMC membership. The National Mastitis Council is a not-for-profit professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC now has close to 1,500 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.