Dr. Roger Mandigo was a dedicated teacher who offered new courses in meat processing, merchandising and managed the federally inspected meat science facility. His creative research led to pioneering work in restructured meat manufacturing demonstrating how whole muscle cuts with significant amounts of connective tissue and meat pieces could be flaked or ground. This technology was adopted and used in the food service industry to produce portion-controlled products.
I first met Roger Mandigo at professional meetings when I was a graduate student in the early 1970s. I became very familiar with Roger’s career because as faculty members our teaching interests and responsibilities overlapped considerably, and because I had the good fortune to serve as his Department Head for over 8 years. He and I were both members of the Board of Directors of the American Meat Science Association in the latter half of the 1980s.
Many do not know and would wonder why Roger chose a career in agriculture and more specifically meat science. Born in Los Angeles, California, Roger attended local schools and graduated from Pomona High School, not where I would expect an abundance of opportunities existed for Roger to get involved in agriculture during his “formative” years. They did have a vocational agriculture program at Pomona, but it was cancelled the year he started high school.
Roger worked on his uncle’s hog farm in Bedford, OR one summer and decided to enroll as an Ag Business major at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. He soon realized that was not his life’s calling and switched to Animal Science. At Cal Poly, Roger worked at the swine, beef, and sheep units but it was Jack Dessler’s instruction of meat science courses there that ignited his interest in meat science, and not under the most ideal of circumstances, I might add. Jack took the students in his class to a local prison to learn meat animal slaughter and processing techniques and transferred carcasses and fresh meat cuts back to the student union where further instruction in fabrication and meat processing took place. I wonder whether this early life experience had something to do with Roger’s habit or behavior of storing and recycling so many useful things in the Animal Science Department. Besides being an outstanding scientist and teacher, Roger is a facilities maintenance guru!! He designed several university new meat laboratory construction or renovation projects, including the new meat lab here at UNL.
Roger received a B.S. in 1961. He found his way to New Mexico State University where he completed his M.S. while investigating factors that affected retail value of fresh meat. Roger moved to Oklahoma State University where his doctoral research focused on the feasibility of cutting, fabricating, and further processing of pre-rigor, un-chilled pork to avoid the high costs of chilling the carcasses as quickly as possible. He continued this line of research investigation after becoming an assistant professor at UNL in 1966. Roger arrived just a month or two ahead of the new Department Head, Frank Baker.
Roger Mandigo’s creative research contributions during his 45 years at UNL resulted in advising 57 M.S. students, 21 Ph.D. students, and numerous post docs and visiting scientists. Results of that work were published in approximately 100 peer-reviewed research journal articles, 12 book chapters, 33 symposium proceedings, and numerous sets of workshop educational materials. His work opened new avenues for use of fresh meat that resulted in many new value-added products. In addition to research on hot processing of pork, his pioneering work in restructured meat manufacturing demonstrated how meat pieces could be flaked or ground, mixed and blended with salt and other curing ingredients to produce products that were very similar in appearance and eating characteristics to whole muscle cuts such as steaks and roasts. That technology, as most know, was adopted and used in the food service industry to produce the McRib sandwich and similar portion-controlled products in 1981.
Roger’s significant accomplishments in sausage production technology included low-salt processed meats, improved energy efficiency in heat processing, and novel methods of blending and mixing to create desired texture, yield and added value. Dr. Mandigo established expertise on recovered meat proteins with emphasis on low fat technology. He conducted extensive research on influences of animal genetics, production strategies and processing factors on composition and quality of cured back, a huge project funded by the National Pork Producers Council. These students also investigated how raw material characteristics impacted performance during manufacture.
Roger is also an outstanding teacher. So was his senior colleague, Charlie Adams, whom many of you knew. Charlie and Frank Baker asked Roger to develop five new Meat Science courses his first year at UNL. Those two must have recognized Roger’s enthusiasm for the position and capacity for work. Roger also developed the Meat Industry Study Tour in which he escorted students around the country to give them a first-hand awareness and understanding of the many segments of the meat processing industry. Another UNL faculty member, Steve Jones, continues to provide that excellent learning opportunity for students. Two of Roger’s former students became faculty members here at UNL, and others took faculty positions elsewhere.
Roger is also very service minded. He served on many committees and several Boards of Directors for professional societies such as the American Meat Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Institute of Food Technology. He was an active member of the American Meat Institute, the National Pork Producers Council, the Meat Industry Research Conference, the National Livestock and Meat Board, the NE Association of Meat Processors, the NE Cattlemen, NE Pork Producers, NE Bankers Assoc., and other state organizations.
Roger is a man with a tremendous appetite for work and a person who loves to organize and coordinate large, complex events. In 1973, just 6 years after coming to UNL, Roger served as the local program planning committee chair for the annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science held here at UNL. He served as Head Marshal for over 27 years orchestrating the UNL Commencement, Honors Convocations, Doctoral Hood Ceremonies, and new student welcoming events. When Roger organized any event, he demanded that promptness, adherence to established process or procedures, and efficient use of time were given high priority. These traits helped build your remarkable career, Roger.
The list of awards and recognitions bestowed on Roger is far too long to recite here. Dr. Mandigo is the recipient of 25 research, teaching, and extension awards, including the most distinguished awards offered by his professional societies. His extraordinary and lasting contributions were recognized when he received the Signal Service and RC Pollock awards from AMSA. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to nominate Roger for the UNL Louise Pound-George Howard Distinguished Career Award, which he received in 2003. Just one year ago, Roger was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame by the American Association of Meat Processors. An Educational Foundation Mentor Recognition Fund was created within the AMSA last year, with funds donated by former students, colleagues, and friends.
Roger, it is an honor for me to be a part of this recognition and tribute to you. Your commitment to the University of Nebraska, to the Animal Science Department to the many segments of the meat and livestock industries is absolutely extraordinary. The legacy of your outstanding success in preparing individuals for such productive careers in meat science and the meat and livestock industries makes you a notable recipient among others who have been inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Congratulations to you and your family!!
