Duckett receives 2022 Godley-Snell Award for Excellence

Her scientific work has gained the trust of a wide swath of the public worldwide and advanced agricultural efficiency for the betterment of society and our environment.

– James Strickland, Clemson professor of animal and veterinary sciences

For her work in science productivity and focusing on problems impacting animal and human health and productivity, Clemson University professor Susan Duckett has received the 2022 Godley-Snell Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research.

This award is Clemson’s highest agricultural research award. Duckett, who works in the animal and veterinary sciences (AVS) department in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Science, focuses her research on understanding how toxins found in tall fescue negatively impact the growth and development of lambs during and after pregnancy, cow-calf performance and beef cattle production. Fescue toxicosis costs the beef, small ruminant and equine industries more than $1 billion dollars in annual losses.

She also is the Ernest L. Corley Jr. Trustees Endowed Chair in the AVS department. Duckett is sought after as a graduate advisor, undergraduate mentor and instructor. Her courses, which are elective, routinely draw 60-80 students.

Fellow professor, James Strickland, said the impact she has had on the field of animal and veterinary sciences has resulted in improvements in efficiency of production and value of products in animal agriculture.

“Dr. Duckett also has directly benefited stakeholders via her direct engagement with stakeholder groups both domestically and internationally through numerous invited presentations on the application of her research findings,” Strickland said. “Her scientific work has gained the trust of a wide swath of the public worldwide and advanced agricultural efficiency for the betterment of society and our environment.”

Duckett has served as major professor for 13 master’s and doctoral students. Many of these students have gone on to leadership roles as research scientists in national organizations, as scientists and directors in major companies, veterinarians, and college and Cooperative Extension Service educators.

She is the advisor for the Clemson Animal and Veterinary Sciences Graduate Student Club and also has been an advisor for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. She is a member of numerous scientific societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Animal Science and American Society of Nutrition.

Duckett also has served on the editorial boards of three different refereed journals, has served as an ad hoc reviewer for 13 different refereed journals and has been the associate editor for the Journal of Animal Science.

The Godley-Snell Award is named in honor of W. Cecil Godley, former director of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, and Absalom W. Snell, former associate director. This is the largest annual agricultural research award given at the university and is allocated from earnings of a fund that was first established upon Godley’s retirement in 1986. The award increased in 1988 when Snell retired.

The purpose of the fund is to stimulate excellence in agricultural research by making a personal award to faculty members involved in research through the Experiment Station.

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