By Chelsea Mabry

In 2010 the Oklahoma Pork Council announced a gift of $50,000 to Oklahoma State University’s Pickens Legacy Match Scholarship Program in honor of Dr. Bill Luce. Throughout the years he played a vital role within the pork industry.

Luce dedicated his career to the industry and was extremely interested in what the future would bring. This is why okPORK created a scholarship to honor his legacy.

This scholarship was created to recruit the best graduate students to research swine production at Oklahoma state University.

This year two recipients were chosen to receive the award, Jared Harshman and Taw Scaff. They are both graduate students at Oklahoma state who have a passion for the swine industry.

Harshman recently completed his research and will defend his thesis with the help of the scholarship.

“My project looked at the effect of distillers dried grains with soluble and a feed additive containing essential oils on wean-to-finish pig performance,” he said. “The research looks at the effect of high vs. low DDGS inclusion along with a feed additive that contains essential oils.”

The end result was to look at the effect it had on pig growth performance from wean to finish.

All of his research results will be used at various conferences and have been sent to a company to be implemented in their practices.

“Receiving this scholarship and being able to complete my research has made it clear that I belong in the swine industry.” Harshman said. “Weather that be in sales, nutrition, or somewhere in a barn I have found my place.”

Scaff has not yet chosen a research project but said he is thankful for the scholarship he received.

“I will use the scholarship accordingly when my research starts at a later date,” he said.

Both recipients have seen how dedication to an industry can take you far in life.

Even 10 years later the legacy of Dr. Luce still lives on. His dedication to the younger generation continues to be a positive light to so many.

Jared Harshman (left) & Taw Scaff (right) received the 2020 Bill Luce Scholarships. Both are graduate students at Oklahoma State University.