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Vercoe, John Edward (1936 - 2005)

AM, FTSE, FAIS, FASAP
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Agricultural scientist
Born: 28 June 1936  Mildura, Victoria.  Died: 28 September 2005.
John Edward Vercoe was a key player in international livestock research who especially made many important contributions to Australia's cattle industry. He spent most of his professional career with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) at various divisions in Queensland. He joined the Animal Genetics Division in Rockhampton in 1964 and eventually made his way up to Assistant Chief of Tropical Animal Production (1982-93) then Director of the Tropical Beef Centre (1993-1996). Vercoe and his CSIRO colleagues helped establish Zebu and Zebu-cross cattle in Queensland which lead to a boom in its cattle industry. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the North Australia Beef Research Council which is now an advisory wing of the Cattle Council and Meat and Livestock Australia. John Vercoe was a member of many prominent international advisory and research organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (United Nations), the International Livestock Centre for Africa and Ethiopia, the International Livestock Research Centre on Animal Diseases in Kenya and the International Livestock Research Institute. In 1997 his outstanding contributions to the world cattle and livestock industry were honored when he was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM).
Career Highlights

Chronology
1957Bachelor of Agricultural Science (BAgrSc) completed at the University of Melbourne
1961Master of Agricultural Science (MAgrSc) completed at the University of Melbourne
c. 1963Postdoctoral studies in Scotland
1964 - Research Scientist in the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Animal Genetics in Rockhampton, Queensland
1964Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Melbourne
1973 - c. 1974Seconded to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria
1974 - 1976Officer-in-Charge of the Tropical Cattle Research Centre of CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)
1978 - c. 1979Seconded to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vienna, Austria
1982Consultant to the Western Sudan Agricultural Research Project (World Bank/USAID)
1982 - c. 1993Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Science
1987 - Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
1988 - Fellow of the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences
1990Vice-President of the Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics
1991President of the Australasian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics
1993 - 1996Director of the Tropical Beef Centre
1997Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
1999 - Member of the International Livestock Research Institute
2000 - 2005Chair of the International Livestock Research Institute

 
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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Rosanne Walker & Annette Alafaci
Created: 25 May 2001
Modified: 29 January 2007
Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P004028b.htm
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